Maggie Ardiente, director of development, American Humanist Association (AHA)
This has been a busy and exciting year for the American Humanist Association—we have undertaken many new projects and initiatives, expanded and changed our organization, and over the next three days will be conducting our 68th Annual Conference. I’d like to take a few minutes to talk to you about some of the achievements and changes we have seen recently, and give you a sense of what we’re doing and where we’re heading into the future. 
We are very privileged to announce that Gore Vidal has accepted the position of Honorary President at the AHA, a position held previously by renowned American novelist and Humanist Kurt Vonnegut.  Vidal’s advocacy for individual liberty, separation of church and state, and reason and rationality embodies the mission of the AHA. We're very excited about working with him, and hopeful that he will draw even more public attention to the humanist life stance.
Since our founding in 1941, the AHA has expanded in many directions, and have partnered with many other national non-theist organizations like the Secular Coalition for America, the International Humanist and Ethical Union, and the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination. Last year the AHA adopted the Appignani Bioethics Center, directed by Dr. Ana Lita, and advised by the advisor of President Obama’s transition team on bioethics, Dr. Jonathan Moreno. The Bioethics Center recently organized a conference at the United Nations on enhancing the capacities of developing countries to monitor genetically modified food and alleviate world hunger. 
We have also recently launched a completely redesigned website, www.americanhumanist.org, which will include recent content from our magazine publication, The Humanist, our official AHA Blog, Rant & Reason, up to date news, press releases, podcasts, and information on all things Humanist. We believe this will be an important interactive tool in connecting fellow humanists, creating a large online community, and keeping people informed about AHA activities. 
The Appignani Humanist legal center, the legal arm of the AHA, has recently been involved in a number of cases. We are currently representing AHA members in their efforts to obtain certificates to perform marriages in Nevada, a state that currently only grants them to licensed or ordained ministers, not individuals who identify as a humanist or atheist.  Also, the AHLC have filed a notice of appeal on behalf of over 250 plaintiffs of a US District Court Judge’s dismissal of a case challenging the infusion of religious language in the presidential inaugural oath. 
Now in its 68th year, the American Humanist Association’s Annual Conference is our largest event of the year, and one of the largest gatherings of humanists, atheists, and agnostics in the country. Over the course of three days we will be hearing discussions on a topics ranging from human rights and bioethics to religious reform and civil liberties, and speeches from variety of highly distinguished humanist leaders and professionals, including this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Donald Johanson. Dr. Johanson is Director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University. Well known for his 1974 discovery of the world's best-known fossil, "Lucy," his findings remain the benchmark in paleoanthropology and a cornerstone in human evolutionary studies. 
We will also be honoring the 2009 Humanist of the Year, which we award to an individual who exemplifies the humanist life stance and works toward progressive change. This year’s Humanist of the Year Award winner is Dr. Paul Zachary Myers, best known as PZ Myers, associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota-Morris, and author of the popular and multiple award winning science blog Phayrngula. 
We will also be honoring Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, well-known astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, with the Isaac Asimov Science Award, named for the famed author and longtime AHA president. Dr. Barbara Forrest will receive this year’s Humanist Pioneer Award. She is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and strong critic of intelligent design, having served as a key expert witness for the plaintiffs in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial, the first direct challenge brought in U.S. federal courts against a public school district presenting intelligent design as an “alternative” to evolution. Norma Ramos, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and longtime social justice activist, will receive the 2009 Humanist Heroine Award, awarded to an individual who works toward the advancement of women's rights and equality between the sexes in all aspects of society. Finally, the Reverend Dr. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will receive this year’s Religious Liberty Award. 
With well over 300 people from across the country expected to attend, we’re excited to be here in Tempe and look forward to a productive conference.