Santa Fe Regional Event Brings CJP Members Together Once Again

by CJP Chief Operating Officer and Executive Administrator Cheryl Hardy

WELCOME BACK CJP!!! It was incredible to be in Santa Fe, NM and to welcome CJP members to our first gathering since our Charleston, SC event in early 2020.

For 400+ years, Santa Fe has improved with age. The nation’s oldest capital city experienced waves of migrations along the three trails that led here-and more recently via the rails, Route 66, and the interstate. Artists, chefs, wellness experts, and other creative dreamers all bring their culture, talents and experience with them and when they meet Santa Fe’s unique blend of Anglo, Spanish and Native Cultures against a backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo mountains’ majesty and the spectacular sunsets over the Jemez range-nothing short of magic transpires.

The early Native American inhabitants called it “Dancing Ground of The Sun;” while the founding frontiersman at the turn of the 20th century referred to it as “The City Different.”

Santa Fe truly is a city unlike any other, living up to its tagline at every turn. With legendary history and culture around every corner, an art scene that spans from traditional to contemporary, accommodations with a local feel yet world-class status, award-winning cuisine that is as eclectic as it is sumptuous, and countless experiences to encounter.

 

Our Host Hotel was La Posada De Santa Fe, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property. Set on six beautifully landscaped acres just steps from the historic Plaza, La Posada is the only resort in downtown Santa Fe. Authentic adobe-style architecture, unique accommodations, award-winning service, tranquil spa escapes, culinary discoveries, and a subtle sense of Southwestern magic and charm come together to create the ultimate New Mexico getaway.

 

Members flew into the Jet Center at Santa Fe where our host Ron Tarrson, Jet Center co-owner and CJP member, greeted CJP members and staff. For those who have not flown into Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF) the Jet Center is a full-service FBO providing flight services and passenger amenities, concierge, pilot lounge and in-house maintenance. We would like to thank Ron and the Jet Center team for their generous hospitality and the use of their spacious hangar for our opening night sponsored by Textron Aviation.

The Textron Aviation team hosted CJP members for Wednesday evening and a warm “welcome back together” message was delivered by CJP Chair, Randy Broiles. Textron Aviation also provided an oil painting and a cooking class excursion on Thursday and Friday at local venues. For those who golf a round was played at The Club at Las Campanas.

Educational content was ever present provided by our CJP Safety and Education Foundation team of David Miller and Charlie Precourt. David presented an engaging program on donning oxygen masks and the importance of practicing this procedure so you will be prepared to execute the task by wrote in a case of emergency.

Charlie brought the group up to speed on the FOQA initiative with details on the beta program, the next steps of bringing on more CJP members to participate in the study, and our partnerships with CloudAhoy, AirSync and the Presage Group who has been commissioned to execute a study with input from the CJP membership. Charlie also gave members an inside look at his career with NASA as an astronaut and consultant.

On Friday morning, the group gathered for updates from CJP Partners, Textron Aviation, FlightSafety Textron Aviation Training, Collins, Garmin, and Tamarack to bring us up to speed on their current projects and CJP offerings. As always, we thank our Platinum partners for their participation and support of CJP.

On Thursday evening we enjoyed dinner in the courtyard of the La Posada De Santa Fe and on Friday evening we dined outdoors at the equestrian facility at the La Mesita Ranch, where we were entertained by a native champion hoop dancer in the courtyard. This was a beautiful property and the perfect location for CJP members to close our reunion of old friends and new friends and talk about how soon we will be meeting again at the CJP Annual Convention in October.

The La Mesita Ranch Estate is a luxury vacation rental and event venue situated on 140 acres of natural beauty just minutes north of Santa Fe. The estate features five iconic pueblo-style adobe residences which are filled with an award-winning collection of traditional and contemporary art. The property includes the dramatic Italian-inspired equestrian courtyard, arena, and stables as well as cozy patios, private gardens, meadows, ponds, and ancient cottonwood trees.

Though we gathered for only a couple of days this long overdue event made each of us remember just how very much we missed being with our CJP family and the wonderful relationships we have made.

Here’s to 2020… and being together again!

All photos by Cheryl Hardy unless otherwise attributed