March 2021 From the Executive’s Desk: Where Do You Place Your Value?

ASPE brings a lot of value to its current and future members—especially considering how being an ASPE member can continually assist you in advancing your career while also making you more valuable to your employer. So, let’s review just where you place your value.

Looking at the big picture, the value and core purpose of ASPE is to continually enhance, promote, and advance the plumbing engineering design profession while also ensuring that public health, welfare, and safety are protected on a global scale.

To achieve our purpose, ASPE offers the following components that bring individual value to our members and the industry as a whole: technical expertise, advancement of the profession, codes and standards development, communication and networking, and professional development. It would be a tremendous challenge to find a more well-equipped association than ASPE to bring so much value in one place. It’s a great place to one-stop-shop for your career needs.

Financial Value

When looking at the financial value being provided to our members for the $190 annual membership fee, it’s hard to understand why anyone in our industry would not take advantage of the tremendous savings. Breaking down the overall value with a closer look, the following may shine a brighter light on the value.

  • Let’s consider the $275+ value for items such as the Plumbing Engineering Design Handbooks, ASPE Connect, and ASPE Pipeline. Speaking of ASPE Pipeline, it is becoming one of the industry’s best online communications tool. ASPE Pipeline allows you to find ASPE updates, breaking news, technical articles, new product announcements, and more, which will help you stay up to date in the plumbing design industry.
  • Additionally, there is a $215+ value when you take into account our biennial national events: the Convention & Expo and Tech Symposium.
  • Then we can look at a $355+ value relative to the many webinars, workshops, and publications available to ASPE members.
  • Finally, a priceless value is connected with the networking opportunities, expert advice, and professional validation brought about by being an ASPE member.

This overview shows that the $190 annual membership fee brings about close to $900 in value. “Okay, I’m in. Sign me up,” should be what you are saying.

Professional Development Value

When considering the value that ASPE provides relative to professional development, it’s hard to imagine not taking advantage of membership. Our Convention & Expo, held in even-numbered years, brings together more than 4,000 attendees, 300+ manufacturers, 35+ technical education sessions, networking, and social events, all in one location. Our Tech Symposium, held in odd-numbered years, provides in-depth technical education seminars, networking, and social events. Therefore, each year ASPE provides separate and unique opportunities to our members and the industry.

ASPE has an extensive and continuously growing library of webinars on various topics that will expand the skills of plumbing system design professionals. When possible, we also provide regional workshops offering hands-on education. Even better, most of ASPE’s educational opportunities offer CEUs for licensing and recertification. ASPE also provides an extensive library of technical publications for purchase within our Society Bookstore. These products are invaluable, so don’t delay in checking out all that is available to you.

ASPE administers two credential programs for plumbing engineers and designers. Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) is an international credential for plumbing engineers with eight years of experience. Certified Plumbing Design Technician (CPDT) is a precursor to the CPD program and offers certification for professionals early in their careers. Both of these credentialing programs provide proof of knowledge and competency and continued validation through recertification. ASPE also provides the Green Plumbing Design (GPD) certificate for engineers and designers with advanced skills in sustainable plumbing system design and consulting. If you are interested in gaining a credential in plumbing system design, ASPE has you covered.

ASPE also brings about unique opportunities for individuals to share their knowledge with others. Our Mentoring Program allows our more experienced members to mentor the younger members who are new to the profession and industry. How special is that?! With the ASPE Connect online community, you have access to experts from around the world to answer your questions on any number of topics, which is a must-have for anyone in this profession needing an expansive professional network. ASPE Connect is our members-only online community, but if you aren’t a member, you can try it out by signing up for our free trial.

ASPE has two special-interest groups to help like-minded members share their experiences. ASPE Young Professionals (AYP) is designed for young industry professionals (<35 years old) looking to meet with their peers to exchange ideas about the plumbing design industry. Currently, AYP is sponsored on an annual basis by Zurn Industries. The Women of ASPE (WOA) has a core mission to engage, retain, and advance women in the plumbing design industry through education, leadership development, and networking opportunities. However, even considering the name of this special-interest group, everyone is invited to participate in the WOA. Currently, the WOA is sponsored on an annual basis by Delta.

ASPE is also valuable to the entire industry, which is evident by our large and focused participation with a long list of industry partners. We grow stronger and therefore provide increased member value through collaboration with organizations such as ABPA, ASHRAE, ASSE, AWE, CIPH, IAPMO, ICC, NSF, PDI, PERC, PHCC, PILC, PMI, PPI, WPC, and WQA.

Intangible Value

Maybe the biggest value to consider is the opportunity to feel like part of the family. We are all ASPE! Our Society currently consists of 63 Chapters, three Satellite Chapters, and 6,200+ members who collaborate monthly during local networking and technical education meetings. With the large number of Chapters around North America, there is bound to be a local affiliation available for anyone wanting to get involved in ASPE.

With all of the avenues available to reach ASPE or for ASPE to reach you, don’t forget to stay connected via our social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

So, go ahead and take that next step to answer the question that everyone wants to know: Where do you place your value?

Carry on…

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