As summer ended, days became cooler, and students settled into school, the IAEI Sections Meetings swept across North America.
For me, IAEI Section meetings afford the opportunity to meet with all of our Section Board of Directors and committees and to report on the initiatives the International Board of Directors and International Office have been working on throughout the year, in addition to hearing what the Sections, Chapters and Divisions have accomplished during the past year.
The meetings provide opportunity to network and to listen to our members on what matters to them, how we are doing as an association, how we can improve, what are the pressing issues that need attention, and what IAEI needs to do in order to stay relevant. The feedback I receive is invaluable; it helps in identifying what programs we need to invest in, where to allocate resources, and also serves as a conduit between members and the Board of Directors.
Since the incorporation of IAEI eighty-five years ago, the electrical industry and inspection systems have changed. How quickly we are able to identify those changes and react is important to the future success and growth of the association.
The Board of Directors realized that in order to understand where we are today, what our members expect and want, and what changes are necessary to get to where we need to be, IAEI needed expert advice so they approved the hiring of a consultant to facilitate the development of a comprehensive strategic plan. In addition, the consultant will look at the current governance structure of the organization and at our bylaws and policy documents under which we operate to determine what changes are necessary in order for the association to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible in a rapidly changing environment.
Over the next several months, the consultant will be reaching out to our membership through focus group meetings, a survey to our members, and by conducting interviews in order to obtain the information needed to start building a new vision for IAEI. Membership participation is extremely important to ensure that the path we take is based on our members’ and the industry’s needs. Looking at the future is critical. There is a saying that, “It’s okay to look back, but just don’t stare.”
I’m extremely excited about the path IAEI is taking in developing a strategic plan and new governance structure, and am very proud that IAEI members will have a say in the future direction of IAEI as we move towards the 21st century.
