Looking back over my term as your State Regent, I was blessed by the unconditional support of my family and by an amazing CDA team. When I say team, I mean all CDA’s, from the newest member being initiated who are excited to start helping, to the seasoned veteran, who has seen it all before. Especially the CDA’s who served on the board during my term as our State Regent. We remember our Past State Regents who set the foundation for growth in CA CDA and encouraged our membership to stay involved and devoted to our sisterhood.

Thank you to Our National Supervising officer Yvette Griego for all your advice and help making the trip from New Mexico to California to join us. Thank you to Father Erick for being our Spiritual Advisor this last term. California CDA’s all really appreciated all your kind words and prayers during the last two terms. Our Chaplain CDA organization is blessed to have you as our National Chaplin as well.We had an Amazing 50^th Biennial State Convention. Thank you too all of you who helped and worked hard as part of the Amazing Team who pulled that week off. A big Thank you to Father Wade Menezes for participating in our CA CDA 50^th Biennial State Convention and making this week a very special and spiritual event for our membership. I am still getting calls about how he moved our membership and had an impact on their convention experience.

A large CDA hug and thank You for Jennifer Campbell, WOW what a Convention she helped plan. CA CDA’s are beyond blessed that she agreed to join this team as the Convention Chairperson. She seamlessly handled every detail and working in the background kept our Convention running smoothly and beautifully. I always say that your most important job in any organization is to train your replacement. The future leaders of CA CDA have been trained, by sharing information working together, communicating on the items that need to be accomplished for the good of our order.

I am so proud of our New State Board and our newly elected CA CDA State Regent, Lorine Bakowsky. Lorine is a very spiritual person and true leader, a very intelligent woman who’s dealt with a lot of programs and activities in the past. Thank you, Lorine for your many years of service to CDA, you will forever be one of my dear friends.  I promise to still call you early in the morning on occasion and loudly sing your favorite good Morning song. CA CDA Is BLESSED To have you as their next State Regent.

Thank you CA CDA’s for this incredible journey and thank you for all your love, support, and grace when I needed it. I am leaving this role with the Confidence that the Next Leaders have been found, and CA CDA is on a “Big Bright Beautiful Path to Greatness” over the next decade and beyond.

I have a funny feeling that my journey with Catholic Daughters is not ending here, but I am going to take a little bit of a sabbatical and enjoy time with my growing family.

Thank you and God Bless,
Maria Santos-Silva