|
 WSSHE NEWSLINE
Volume 59 | Winter 2008
Letter from the President:
I want to thank all of you for your support through this WSSHE year 2008. I
especially want to thank those of you who have called or emailed offering your
support. We know you have been members of WSSHE in the past and we hope you will
consider joining WSSHE again!
We have recently contracted with Association Management Inc. to assume most of
the administrative detail for WSSHE. Thus far, I am both motivated and
encouraged by their positive addition to our mission. Lianna Collinge, CAE
Executive Director, and Katie Bohocky, Assistant Executive Director, have both
been very positive, encouraging, and professional in their suggestions and
assuming of complicated tasks for us. Just this past month, they have sent to
your Board of Directors a completed financial report and a preliminary budget
for 2008.
Last month I was invited to the Puget Sound Chapter’s Christmas celebration. I
appreciate this opportunity to get out there. I bid too much for a couple of
gift baskets that were auctioned off for their scholarship fund. The fund is
used to send WSSHE members who may not otherwise have a sponsor to our Semi and
Annual conferences. I slipped a personal Home Depot gift certificate into one
basket and gave it to a family recently wiped out during the flooding in the
Chehalis area. These folks and their neighbors lost everything. Homes are
gutted, cars are gone, no clothes. It is devastating. Contact our WSSHE friends
in that part of the SW Chapter. They need our prayers and moral support.
I want to encourage you all to take a serious look at where you are in WSSHE and
ASHE. To continue to provide education and networking opportunities, members
need to participate. Many of us regard this as an opportunity to get away from
the day-to-day grind, sit back and absorb ideas, good food and socializing. But
I remind you that WSSHE is not a social club, it is a professional association.
The more of us who are willing to devote some time and energy, the fewer of us
will have to fill positions of responsibility year after year.
This year we will consider Member and Associate Member dues and registration fee
levels. With conference food, facility fees, etc. increasing faster than you can
believe, we have to change our fee structure. Currently, 100% of your dues are
returned to the chapters. WSSHE operates only on the funds received from the
Semi and Annual conferences.
I polled the Puget Sound Chapter, and by a show of hands, they overwhelmingly
supported increasing the membership dues and retaining the increase at the WSSHE
State level. Associate Members have suggested they would be interested in one
rate that would provide membership in all three chapters. We have heard that the
booth fees should be increased, but we have been reluctant to squeeze out
smaller firms with increased fees. We need to work together for improvements.
We are off and running—we will meet in Chelan, April 24-25, for the Semi Annual
and the sessions will concentrate on Emergency Power, and Electrical Safety.
This may carry over into our Annual at Wenatchee, September 17-19.
Gary Welch and I spent a day in Wenatchee with Tim Heidelbaugh scoping out the
layout for our Annual. Gary is pleased for the Associate Members booth
configuration. Tim and I and our wives had dinner together that evening. Tim is
excited as always to have us in Wenatchee and I know a good time will be had by
all. Your board and Associate Members are hard at work preparing for the
conferences learning opportunities. 2008 looks like a positive growing
experience for all of us.
Finally, I look forward to Phil Kercher keeping us up to date on the ASHE
issues, and Geoff Glass on what is happening in Olympia in future newsletters.
Regards,
Tom Pitts
President WSSHE 2008
The WSSHE NEWSLINE is published quarterly as a service to WSSHE Members. The
purpose of the NEWSLINE is to promote the Society by sharing information of
interest to the Members. Please send brief articles or information updates to
the WSSHE Editor care of:
Geoffrey W. Glass PE, CHFM
Providence St. Peter Hospital
413 Lilly Road
Olympia, WA 98506-5166
email: geoffrey.glass@providence.org
FAX: 360-493-4043
Phone: 360-493-7722.
|