By David Carlysle, PE
The engineering profession enjoyed some positive coverage in the press for a change as the world watched the successful rescue of 33 miners trapped 2300 feet underground in a Chilean gold mine. Mining and engineering experts from around the world, as well as medical experts and other scientists, including several at NASA, worked together to find ways to help the miners survive underground for 99 days while drilling a shaft and designing a vehicle to remove them one by one. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when our profession and other professions work together for the common good. The Chilean mine rescue will be remembered as an amazing engineering accomplishment similar to the successful return of Apollo 13.
Plans for the NABIE Conference are well underway and I encourage you to attend. The conference will be held at the Springmaid Conference Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on February 25, 26, and 27, 2011. The Myrtle Beach area is family friendly, and I encourage you to bring your family to enjoy the beach, shopping and other attractions. The Springmaid Conference Center is on the beach and has its own private fishing pier. Golfers will find numerous courses close by; and there is a boardwalk entertainment area with restaurants, shops, bars, theaters, and an aquarium. This year’s conference will also feature music at the banquet.
The certification test will be offered on Sunday, February 27, 2011 for those interested in becoming a Certified Building Inspection Engineer.
The NABIE Board of Directors held its mid-year meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2010. The Board has been working on updating the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation as well as working to update the Standards of Practice. The Standards of Practice will be a topic of discussion in Myrtle Beach, and I encourage you to attend and participate in the discussion. The term for the current Board expires December 31, 2010 so you will be asked to vote on members of the Board in the immediate future. Please vote and renew your membership on time.
This is my final President’s Message after serving as NABIE’s president for 4 years. As with any position, I look back and see goals that were reached but I also see many tasks yet to be completed. Peter Schkeeper, P.E. will serve NABIE well as president for the next 2 years. Peter is well connected in the engineering profession and has already served NABIE well during his years on the Board of Directors.
I would like to thank those on the Board of Directors, and John Cronin, P.E. for their work and commitment to NABIE. We have seen changes at NABIE starting with the retirement of our long-time executive director, Mike Stotts. Thanks to John, NABIE has continued to move forward using the guidelines established by Mike for daily operations and the annual conference. NABIE will continue to move forward with John at the helm.
