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From the President, February 2000
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It can be heart-wrenching to come to year-end in mid-winter with the realization of how many of those wonderful New Year's resolutions haven't been attained. It's no different for me this year, as I move a "CSI-resolution" from last year's list and put it at the top of this year's: "Do a bang-up job of promoting and sponsoring activities to support ENGINEERS WEEK 2000". Well, that was one resolution that fell through the cracks of 1999. Sad to say, I missed the boat on this one. There were plenty of good reasons for not carrying through: Our programs were set well in advance; we didn't have any exuberant volunteers who stepped forward to take initiative and contact engineering organizations; and where was the extra time to make that additional effort? All valid. So let's move on. I know we can make a big splash in the real "First Year of a New Millennium - 2001", and I definitely feel we need to make the effort to reach out to this important branch of the construction family. Engineers (and what a wide variety of disciplines and fields that covers!) are an integral part of who we are in CSI - they draw, they write and use specifications, they live and die by contracts right along with the rest of us: architects, contractors, product reps, facility managers, code officials, etc. We are sorely under-represented in our membership by engineers. I would like to challenge those of you who work with engineering firms as consultants or as leads on projects to start talking to individuals and corporate leaders about the benefits of CSI. Invite them to programs, and, better yet, help our Program Committee develop some seminars and meeting presentations that will address issues jointly important to the architectural and engineering communities. Next year will see us focusing more energy on outreach to educational institutions and student members; those in engineering will be part of that focus as well. I honestly applaud the emphasis the National Engineers Week Committee has placed on reaching out to students, from elementary through advanced levels. I leave you with an excerpt from some of their promotional literature. I like it especially because of the strong emphasis on a "sustainable" approach, but I hope it provides an inspiration as you think about your own profession, and how you see yourself moving into the "New Millennium." Engineers: Turning Ideas Into Reality*"Engineers have defined our most spectacular achievements, from moon landings to magnificent bridges. And, every day they define our lives in more mundane ways; from the cars and computers they design to medicines and clean water they help deliver. Engineers will help shape this new century in many ways. But, perhaps there will be none more important than helping to protect and conserve our natural resources while providing the quality of life we have come to expect. For example, engineers will recycle various materials to be used as building materials and those materials may, in turn, be recycled." Rebecca Foss, President |
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