AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLUMBING ENGINEERS From the President s Pen 2014 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mitch Clemente, CPD President Scott Steindler, CPD, GPD, LEED AP, ARCSA-AP(IS), GGP Vice President, Technical David DeBord, CPD, LEED AP, ARCSA-AP, CFPS, FASPE Vice President, Education Carol Johnson, CPD, LEED AP, CFI Vice President, Legislative Kelvin Kennedy, CPD, GPD, CD, FASPE Vice President, Membership Vincent Scriboni Vice President, Affiliate Chris Graham, CPD, FASPE Treasurer Rui Paul Silvestre Region 1 Director Keith Bush, CPD, CSI Region 2 Director James Zebrowski, PE, CPD, FASPE Region 3 Director Don Strickland, CPD, GPD Region 4 Director Bryan Hutton Region 5 Director Cory Powers ASPE Young Professionals Liaison Mitch Clemente, CPD 2014 2016 ASPE PRESIDENT aspepres@aspe.org The July Board of Directors meeting was filled with many great discussion topics as we continue trying to fine-tune the Society s operations. We are in the final stages of re-chartering all of the Chapters, which is required by the ASPE Bylaws, and a very important component of this action is reviewing the Chapters annual reports. According to the ASPE Bylaws, every Chapter must submit an annual report of its activities, membership, and finances, which is reviewed by the entire Board. This reporting process gives the Board of Directors an idea of how every Chapter is operating and provides us with some insight on what may or may not be working in terms of education, membership, and fundraising. The goal is to share some of this information with all Chapters so they too can learn from it and hopefully improve their offerings to Chapter members. As announced at the Region Meetings, the ASPE staff has developed numerous online training videos for all newly elected Chapter officers. We have heard for years that many incoming officers are not entirely sure what is required of them in their new positions, so we took it upon ourselves to provide some guidance. The training videos are short in length but give the viewer a general overview of their position and provide a few important suggestions on how to be successful in their new role. In addition to videos on the Chapter officer positions, we created training videos on such subjects as the membership application process, compassion waiver of dues, life membership, and membership advancement. These videos are available to all Chapter officers, so all you have to do is login to the ASPE website and start watching. We will periodically be adding to the library of videos, so please check back on a regular basis to see what new videos are being offered. As you may have heard, the Society is gathering information in an effort to pursue a professional plumbing engineering license. We are taking steps to understand the requirements and to start developing the necessary components to achieve this goal. We first need to work with a university or college to develop an ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission-accredited program in the plumbing engineering discipline before the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) will consider developing an exam. We obviously must take many more steps, but we believe this is the right thing to do for our profession. Please understand that it is going to be a very long process, but we have decided to take on this challenge. Recently I spent some time at a local hospital and had the opportunity to observe the numerous plumbing and medical gas systems in operation. As you may know, many very different and complex systems are utilized in this type of facility, but they would not be possible in part without the design assistance of a professional plumbing engineer. The plumbing engineer is responsible for assessing the needs of the end user, knowing the codes, and having a solid background in the systems for this type of facility before starting the design process. Take, for instance, the plumbing fixtures in patient rooms. These fixtures must be accessible and function properly so the staff can perform their duties while providing comfort and maintaining cleanliness for the patient. Everyone takes these fixtures and systems for granted because they use them on a regular basis, but if it were not for the expertise of the plumbing engineer, who knows where we would be today.
Medical gas and vacuum systems are another very important component within a hospital environment. Once again the professional plumbing engineer is the person responsible for the sizing and design of these potentially life-saving systems. The plumbing engineer must be well-versed in medical gas piping, apply the proper components, and have a high level of competency because mistakes cannot be tolerated when it comes to these very important systems. I, for one, am glad that a plumbing engineer is the design professional when it comes to these systems, and that is what this Society is all about. We here at ASPE are continually providing education and helping improve the safety and well-being of the public. The 2015 Technical Symposium in St. Louis is quickly sneaking up on us, but it is not too late to be part of this very educational event. This year we are offering both long and short technical sessions. The longer sessions will obviously cover the specific topic in greater detail, which is what many of you have asked for in the past, while the balance of the sessions will provide the attendee with some very concise information that will help raise their level of confidence and knowledge in the topic. I hope that you can join us in St. Louis and be part of this educational experience. If you were not aware, Past ASPE President William Hughes, CPD, LEED AP, FASPE, is the Chair of the Nominating Committee. Yes, I know that the 2016 Convention in Phoenix is more than a GREEN PLUMBING DESIGN September 30 October 1, 2015 St. Louis, MO Hyatt Regency at the Arch The GPD designation denotes professionals with a high level of experience in sustainable practices. This two-day workshop, just prior to the 2015 ASPE Technical Symposium, will teach participants how to design systems that conserve and protect water supplies and reduce energy consumption in the delivery and use of water. Those who pass the exam at the end of the workshop will be granted use of the GPD designation. Register today! aspe.org/gpd year away, but Bill is in the process of assembling his committee. The purpose of the committee is to prepare a slate of individuals who they believe are qualified to hold a position on the 2016 2018 ASPE Board of Directors. The goal is to have at least two representatives from every Region on the committee so everyone is well represented. Thanks go to those members who have already stepped forward to serve on this very important committee. If you are interested in helping develop the next slate of officers, please let me know. Read, Learn, Earn FREE for ASPE Members! Get instant CEUs in just one hour! When you participate in ASPE s popular Read, Learn, Earn program, you can receive instant pass/fail notification by taking the online exam. If you earn a grade of 90 percent or higher, you will instantly be notified that you have logged 0.1 CEU. You can earn up to 1.2 CEUs each year by passing each test. (You can receive only one credit per test.) aspe.org/readlearnearn Watts Water Technologies Joins ASPE's Affi liate Sponsor Program ASPE is pleased to announce the newest ASPE Affiliate Sponsor: Watts Water Technologies, a global provider of plumbing, heating, and water quality solutions for residential, industrial, municipal, and commercial settings. ASPE created its Affiliate Sponsorship program to give the Society s manufacturer partners a more direct connection to ASPE s 6,000+ membership base, which comprises plumbing engineers, designers, specifiers, and related trade professionals. Affiliate Sponsors are recognized in ASPE publications, including Plumbing Engineer magazine and the ASPE Pipeline e-newsletter, as well as on ASPE.org and at national ASPE events. By becoming an ASPE Affiliate Sponsor, Watts increases awareness of its family of brands and companies that offers one of the most varied plumbing, heating, and water quality product lines in the world ranging from drains, backflow prevention assemblies, and rainwater harvesting systems to hydronic and electric heating solutions. Affiliate Sponsors also are allowed to use a special ASPE logo to indicate their participation in the program. For more information on ASPE s Affiliate Sponsor program and to sign up, contact ASPE Director of Affiliate Relations, Brian Henry, at bhenry@aspe.org or 847-296-0002 x235.
From the Executive s Desk William Smith, FASPE ASPE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO bsmith@aspe.org If You Track Them, You Should Find Them Hello from the heat of summer! Well, I guess that statement would be relative to just where your feet are at the moment. When I m in the Chicago office, I can still enjoy some early spring temperatures. When I m on an airplane traveling to different industry events, it s hit or miss as to the temperatures for which I have to plan and pack. However, when I am in my home office in beautiful LA (Come on, you ve heard me say this before, right? Most of you should realize by now that LA is Lower Alabama. ), the statement of being in the heat of summer really is true. WHEW! AC, don t fail me now! As we continue to look at our membership, whether we are looking at overall numbers, types or membership categories, age groups, gender, and so forth, we need to continue reviewing how we do things, who we are serving, and why. What are the strategies we as a Society are focusing on to improve our recruitment opportunities in a much different and diverse environment than what we were used to many years ago? In this column I would like to touch on a few things I ran across in an article by Tony Rossell of Marketing General Inc., which focused on association growth. One of the first things associations look at other than just continuing to gain members is to retain members. Now, as all associations do, we are always looking for membership growth through recruiting efforts. That would be our first objective: recruit more members. One thing to keep in mind is that regardless of how effective our retention program may be, we will not be able to simply grow our Society by retaining members. For whatever reason, members are still going to leave our association. With that being said, a concerted focus needs to be placed on our ability to put together a thriving membership recruitment or acquisition plan. Our Society needs to be active and fundamentally sound. Industry membership numbers have shown that when the recruitment of new members has a higher priority in the operational process than the retention of current members, associations tend to grow. So what is the magic pill relative to membership growth? (If such a pill existed, I m sure every one of us would have called our respective physicians and asked for a prescription to be sent directly to our favorite pharmacist.) Some might advise to not try to reinvent the wheel. We may need to revisit some time-honored marketing methods and blow the dust off those books stored on our shelves. ASPE has unique challenges, and we need to make sure we take the time to understand those and apply the best practices that have shown positive results for many years if not in our association, than in others. We don t always have to assume we are doing the right thing. Look at what others are doing and accomplishing and apply those steps accordingly. When we look at our membership marketing procedures, we also need to review what we are doing relative to funding those efforts. Are we funding our marketing plans for a short-time member or a lifetime member? I want you around for the long haul, not a short weekend trip to the beach. For many years, we sent paper invoices, but then we stopped and went modern by using that modern thing called the Internet. However, doing everything electronically just doesn t cut the mustard anymore. Many members or prospective members want and like that personal touch of receiving something in the mail. Yes, snail mail is still a very viable option today, but we can t just walk away from e-mail or the Internet either. The days when three renewal notices would get the job done may be over, but they are still needed and we are glad to say that the paper invoices are once again in play in our renewal process. Our renewal system today should include mail, e-mail, and phone in an effort to achieve optimum returns through our efforts. In his article, Mr. Rossell offers the following: all of the right membership marketing in the world will not make a difference without tracking. Even with well-run programs, the variance in results between the best and the worst marketing effort can be 1,000 percent or more, depending on timing, copy, lists, offers, and marketing channels. Carefully measuring results allows the proper allocation of marketing funds and the best return for each dollar spent. We will continue to review, alter, and monitor our membership growth efforts as we move forward to a successful hunting season. Remember, to find them, you must track them. Get involved, and happy hunting.
New ASPE Members Alabama Chapter Erskine Ramsay III Atlanta Chapter George F. Nealis Baltimore Chapter Daniel Stephen Hartlaub, PE Joseph Allen Heffner Boston Chapter Daniel J. Pioli Jay Prabhakar British Columbia Chapter Arturo G. Senadjan, CPD Capital Region NY Chapter Matthew Edward Hopeck Central Florida Chapter Daniel F. Kling Central Indiana Chapter Mark T. Fasel Central New York Chapter Donald Solon Howell III Charlotte Chapter Jason Phipps, PE Blake Schooley Chicago Chapter Keith Prokuski Connecticut Chapter Kevin John Mayer Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter Bruce Edward Bachman, PE Jeffrey Lee Morgan Don Padgett Kevin Andrew Parham Denver Chapter Brad Jay Letourneau Evansville Chapter Daniel G. Johnson Kansas City Chapter James Francis Mahoney, PE Zachary Cole Winter Long Island Chapter Gregory David Estra Wai Hon Ng Los Angeles Chapter Robert Patrick Woodward, PE Member at Large Setah N. Burford Aaron Thomas Downing Kathleen Gorman Kristofer Andrew Johnson Miami Chapter Juan L. Rodriguez, EI, LEED AP, CPMP, CDT Milwaukee School of Engineering Jeffrey Scott Lee Minnesota Chapter Lee Robert Browning Lisa Marie Gallegos Alex Pratt Montreal Chapter Marc Olivier De Tilly, P.Eng, LEED AP Gabriel Martin Nashville Chapter Bobby Lee Lowry Jr. New Jersey Chapter Jeffrey Nelson Beeden, PE New York City Chapter Dennis J. DeMizio Joseph Anthony Merlino Davorin Piljic Danielle Marie Salmon Overseas Chapter Amr Aly Saifee Soyebbhai Bamaniyawala Kareem Fathy Ibrahim Sunil Kumar Sugumar Philadelphia Chapter Marcel Alex Blachowski William Hueston Green, PE Todd Alan Lubas Katherine Roof Pittsburgh Chapter Andrew E. McLaughlin Juliann Marie Worden Raleigh Chapter William E. Fenner Jr., PE Victoria Lynn Johnson, PE Richmond Chapter Matthew Scott Gregg Rochester Chapter James E. Goddard Nadia B. Thompson Yizhou Yan San Diego Chapter Andres Jimenez San Francisco Chapter Reney Raquedan Bautista Douglas Paul Davis St. Louis Chapter Cody A. Buck Shelly R. Klohmann Toronto Chapter Kevin Sawyer Washington, D.C. Chapter Paula Kasey Schuller Brandon Michael Wood Wisconsin Chapter Amir Beshiri October 1, 2015 St. Louis, MO ASPE Young Professionals Leadership Conference This exclusive full day of training is open to ASPE members 35 years and younger who are attending the 2015 Technical Symposium. Participants will receive 0.6 CEUs in addition to valuable resources and tools to take back to the office. Go to aspe.org/2015-special-events for more information and to register. Space is limited, so register soon! REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 2015 Exam Dates: October 29 and 30 The CPDT designation recognizes professionals skilled in the design of plumbing systems at the technician level. To be eligible to take the exam, a candidate must have: Bachelor s degree in engineering with one year of experience designing plumbing systems; Associate s or Bachelor s degree in a field related to engineering and two years of experience; or Four years minimum of plumbing design experience Register now! aspe.org/cpdt
2015 ASPE TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM October 1 4, 2015 St. Louis, MO Only 2 Months Away! Ignite your career at the 2015 ASPE Technical Symposium Earn up to 13.5 hours of continuing education credit Meet the industry s top manufacturers at the Product Show Learn new skills and techniques Network with the country s leading plumbing engineers Discover solutions to design challenges Gain insight, support, and new professional contacts Don t forget these special events! ASPE Young Professionals Leadership Conference Green Plumbing Design Workshop Product Show Networking Roundtable Luncheon ASPE Young Professionals Beer Tasting Register now at aspe.org/2015-ts-home-page