FromthePresident’sPen(C ontinue dfrompage1)

Board ofDirectors
TheBoardmeetsonaquarterlybasisforatwo-daymeeting.MeetingsaretypicallyconductedattheSociety’sChicago
office, ina location that is apotential site fora Convention or Symposium or at theSociety’s annual event. Board meetings
are where Society matters are discussed and policies are established that set the tone and direction of the Society, and provide
organizational priorities.
Every meeting is documented and available to the membership on request.Highlights of the discussions areprepared and
forwardedto the Region Chairpersonfor dissemination tothechapterleadership.Inadditionto the quarterlymeetings, the
Board conducts a conference call in non–meeting months. Communications are also enhanced utilizing electronic media and
theInternet. YourBoard of Directors considers itself incontact on a7/24 basis.
The Society office and staff, and the numerous specialized committees and sub–committees provideinvaluablesupport to
theBoard.EachBoardvice–president hasasupportingcommittee.Inaddition,therearetheCertificationandBy-Laws
committees and the Convention and Symposium Chairpersons and committees. The Exhibitors Advisory Committee, headed
by our affiliate Liaison Representative to the Society Board, provides support to the Engineered Plumbing Exposition. In all,
thereare700to1,000volunteers at alllevels toassist intheoperations oftheSociety.Tothemanywhocontributeto the
wealthof ASPEandespecially tothoseunsung heroes at thelocal level — Thank You.

Region Chairpersons
The Region Chairs are thekey communications link between the Society Board (each board member is assigned as a Region
Director)andtheChapterofficers.For coordinationpurposes the Society has seven representativedelineations.ForNorth
Americatherearethefiveregiondelineationseachwith11to14Chapters:West,Midwest,GreatLakes,Northeastand
Southeast.In addition,there are Overseas and At–Largedelineations.
EachRegionChair isresponsibleformaintainingcloseand regularcommunications withthechapterofficersandto be
availablefor assistance in the operations, procedures and governance of a chapter.Prior to becoming a Region Chairs, most
individuals have served as achapter officer. They are intimately awareof the many issues each chapter faces and are the first
to be awareof aChapter’s problems or difficulties.
Region Chairs visit each chapters on an as-needed basis. Each meets with the Society Board of Directors once a year at the
Convention ortheSymposium and meets witha specific Board member at theannual RegionChapter Presidents’Meeting
held every June. In addition, a conference call with the Society President, to discuss chapter and regional issues, is conducted
monthly.

ChapterOfficers
An annual Region Chapter President’s Meeting is held each year with thechapter officers (usually the chapter president and
theVice–President,Technical).Thismeetingprovidestheperfect opportunityforthechapterleadershiptofreelyexpress
themselves and open dialogueanddiscussions of local concern.
With all theChapters represented, the officers are able to share their experiences in a peer–to–peer environment. Positive
as well as negativeissues areencourage and thoroughly discussed.Concerns areactedon or passed to the Society Board or
officeforfurtherattention oraction.Ihaveattendedmany of thesemeetings,and eachtimeIgoawayimpressedwith the
wisdom and energythechapterleadership exhibits.
Onemajor purposeof the June meeting is tohelptrainthenewofficers in their duties for the coming term. Another is to
act as sounding boardand aforum forthechapterofficers to seek out resolutions to their concerns. These meeting generate
excellentideas.Duringthemeetings,theRegionDirectorspresentthecurrentactivitiesofSocietytotheattendees.In
addition, thechapters seizetheopportunity toraise their questions concerningnational issues.
OncethechapterleadershipreceivestheinformationfromtheRegionChairsorthenationalboardmember(Region
Director)at themeetings or through other means such Society publications ore-mail, they contact their own local board to
relayinformationapplicabletothemembership.Constantcommunicationisimportantandeachpersonateachlevelis
encouraged to keep oneanother informed.

How We Work
With this organization structure, the general Society membership should be comfortable that there areavailablecommunica-
tions links for them. No membershouldever feel that he/sheis unable to seeka solution orsimply discuss his/herconcerns.

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ASPEReport

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