Over the past few months, I’ve spent a great deal of time combing through AMA’s history — leafing through old board minutes, newsletters and copies of this very magazine dating back decades. More than once, I’ve found myself sitting on the floor in my office, flipping pages and pausing on stories that feel surprisingly familiar.

What stands out isn’t just how much has changed over the past century, but how much our original purpose continues to guide us.

From the beginning, AMA has been clear in what it set out to do. In 1926, our first president described a simple but powerful idea — AMA exists to serve the community. A few years later, at the onset of the Great Depression, the focus turned to fairness and affordability. By the 1960s, leaders were already speaking about a responsibility to protect members and their families, well before “corporate social responsibility” became part of our vocabulary.

Different voices. Different decades. But the same underlying promise, carried forward and strengthened over time.

What struck me most is how concrete that commitment has always been. It wasn’t abstract — it showed up in practical ways that mattered in people’s everyday lives. It showed up in safer roads, stronger communities and everyday moments where members knew AMA was there when it mattered most. And the more I read, the more I saw that same thread running through today — in our advocacy for safer roads and in programs that support families and communities across Alberta. There were also moments that made me stop. One example was discovering an AMA pollinator initiative from the 1940s — more than half a century before it became part of mainstream conversation. From the very beginning, there was a recognition that caring for our communities also means caring for the world around us.

You’ll see that same focus reflected in this issue — stories grounded in the present but rooted in values that have guided AMA since its beginnings: practical support, meeting Albertans where they are and helping our members navigate change.

At the heart of it all are our members. AMA has always been, and will always be, a community. From the early days, when there were just a few hundred members to today, that sense of connection defines us.

I hope you’ll take the opportunity to connect with us during this centennial year — at events, in your communities or online. Because the communities we serve are what shape us, define us and continue to drive our purpose.

Thank you for being part of AMA’s story. We look forward to building the next century’s legacy with you.