This is my last article for the NCS newsletter as Section President. This past year as President has been wonderful…but not exactly how I imagined it would be!
Starting my tenure last September 2019, I was looking forward to several events we were planning for the section, particularly with the local universities (resume workshop, coffee & connections, etc.). I was also excited about our newest committee – Architectural Engineering – and to see the enthusiasm that the members who pushed the start of that committee have. Our monthly section meetings in the fall and early winter had great turnouts. Our Younger Members Group organized a very popular holiday party and hosted an event that provided head-shots for our young professionals.
Unfortunately, the universe threw a curve into our plans. I was incredibly disappointed to have to cancel our Annual Awards Banquet in March due to the pandemic. This is usually our opportunity to celebrate some of the amazing students at our local universities, thank the members of NCS who have gone above and beyond to support the section, honor our life members, and acknowledge some outstanding projects in our area. We still provided our scholarship winners with their checks and hope to honor the other awardees at some point this coming year. In addition, this past spring the Board approved the founding of two new memorial scholarships that will be awarded in March 2021!
Despite not having in-person section meetings, the section has embraced virtual meeting platforms and was able to host a virtual May section meeting – which had more than 80 attendees! We also had a great turn-out for our annual summer planning meeting. Many of our committees – EWRI, Transportation, YMF, and others – have continued to host virtual events over the summer. The Section in the past has not had many – if any – virtual meetings and I think this opportunity will allow us to continue to be valuable to our members and we hope to engage even more members. As always, if you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
As I conclude my term as President, I would like to thank the fabulous Board and Committee Chairs that have worked with me this past year. The section would not be what it is without them. My friend Mike Venezia will be stepping into the President’s role and I wish him the best of luck. I of course will continue to be active with the section and help him as we navigate the coming year!
Best,
Kelly Cronin
ASCE NCS President (2019-20)
September 15, 2020
September 15, 2020: Reflections on the Year Gone By
- Details
- Written by NCS Webmaster