When we consider the idea of being able to look forward to exciting and new beginnings, we also must consider where we came from, what was going on, how we were functioning, and our abilities to evolve under difficult circumstances. With all that has gone on since the first of this year, I want to take this opportunity to reach out to all of our ASPE members to wish each of you health and safety as we all continue to work together in navigating these unprecedented times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. So much comes to mind to be thankful for and appreciative of during the toughest of times.
For me, I would like to express how thankful I am for and appreciate so much the collaborative efforts of our entire Society, our Board of Directors, our Staff, our members, and our Chapter leaders during these times. A great example of our resilience and ability to adjust while continuing to move ASPE forward was the effort of our Society Staff and Chapter Delegates in developing and participating in the Society’s first Online Business Meeting to address the most important Society Business for the next two years. Of course, we all know this was brought about due to the necessary cancellation of our 2020 Convention & Expo that was scheduled to be held in New Orleans in September. Again, due to COVID-19, we’ve all had to make substantial adjustments in our typical, everyday functions. How we work, how we communicate, and, most importantly, how we live are constantly on our minds.
As we all should understand, our successes are brought about by focused teamwork. With that mindset, ASPE appreciates our industry partners that continued to help us maintain some normalcy and successfully provided assistance in producing and facilitating our Online Business Meeting. Speaking of focused teamwork, as usual, our parliamentarian knocked it out of the park. I also want to state how much I appreciate the abilities of our Staff to learn on the go as we coordinated all of the behind-the-scenes aspects to change from a face-to-face meeting in New Orleans to an online version.
One of the most important aspects of our successful Online Business Meeting was our Chapter Delegates. We are most appreciative of our Chapter Delegates taking valuable time out of their busy schedules to participate in scheduled training sessions to ensure that they could successfully communicate and vote for our new Board of Directors and the Bylaws amendments. This is just another reminder of the quality stewardship and leadership that continues to move ASPE forward.
Looking back over our history, let us remember that since its founding in 1964, ASPE has been the only international organization for professionals skilled in the design, specification, and inspection of plumbing systems, dedicated to advancing the science of plumbing engineering, the professional growth of our members, and the health, welfare, and safety of the public. As a Society, we need to advance our operations and communications abilities by using all of the tools available today. With the quality leadership of ASPE by our Society Board of Directors, our Chapter Officers, our members, and our Staff, moving into the future, we can ensure that the ASPE brand will continue to grow and gain value as we take advantage of advancements in technology to bring about more member and partner benefits, more advanced communications tools, and more education opportunities. Therefore, to achieve that, we recently announced a new and exciting focus of our efforts and resources on providing high-quality content through Society-branded communications. As part of this focus, ASPE will continue to promote and improve ASPE Pipeline and its biweekly e-newsletter to disseminate Society and industry information and technical content to ASPE’s membership and beyond so we can offer customized articles to our membership, have greater flexibility and control of ASPE content, and optimize membership value. In addition to ASPE Pipeline, we will continue exploring new or additional opportunities to disseminate Society news to the industry; however, as stated, the expansion of ASPE Pipeline will be our main focus initially. We are excited about our future digital footprint possibilities as we continue to hear the words “online,” “virtual,” and “digital,” and we plan to provide content and events via all of these avenues. Stay tuned…
Any time there is opportunity for positive advancement, other changes need to come about for our future growth. We also recently announced that after a long and mutually beneficial relationship between ASPE and TMB Publishing, the two organizations will no longer be in a contractual relationship. ASPE and TMB could no longer agree upon compensation terms, so after October 31, 2020, Plumbing Engineer magazine will no longer be identified as “The Official Publication of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers.”
I’ve talked about being thankful and appreciative in my first column on ASPE Pipeline, so I’ll conclude by stating that I’m thankful for you, I appreciate you, our ASPE members. Please know that we are here for you! We are in this together! Reach out to me any time you may have a need or an idea or just to say hello. My “virtual door” is always open.
And speaking of “virtual,” please be sure to visit expo.aspe.org to learn more about and register for the 2020 ASPE Digital Experience, to be held on December 1–3. ASPE is the leader in providing unparalleled education, a dynamic exhibitor showcase, and connection opportunities for the plumbing system design industry, and we plan to continue to deliver these resources to you this year from the comfort of your home or office. You are invited, so make your plans now to attend.
Thanks for allowing me the time to visit with you today through this column on ASPE Pipeline. Thanks for your willingness to give your time and talents to our great Society.
Stay healthy and safe!
