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What's new, Southwest Region?
Greetings!
Our year's activities are no doubt in full swing now. This newsletter exists to inform us of recent developments, inspire each of our 8 Chapters in accomplishing important goals, and to share ideas towards that end. Best wishes to the Denver Chapter in celebrating 50 years, and we look forward to many more years of leadership by CSI in each of our Chapters & communities in the great Southwest!
Sincerely,
Dave Bishton
Editor, Southwest Breezes
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VICE-PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Ron Geren, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA, SCIP
THE MILITARIZATION OF CSI
Now that I have your attention, let me explain...
Many of you know of my association with the U.S. military, which ended in retirement two years ago this month after a 23-year career with the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve. I look back upon that that span of time and remember the many great professionals-officers and enlisted alike-I had the honor and pleasure of working with. Then I realized something: everyone one of us was a volunteer.
Since the termination of selective service (the "Draft") in 1973, the U.S. military has operated under a system of "volunteerism." And yet, our armed forces are still one of the most respected military institutions in the world. Why is that? Well, it is because our service men and women want to be there; they want the discipline to make them a better person; they want to be out there defending our freedom; they want to be a part of something greater than themselves...they want to be a member of an organization, filled with history and tradition, that supports a broad goal that benefits those for which they serve, and not just the organization.
When you look at the above, you can easily see within those words the Construction Specifications Institute. CSI's members-volunteers-have joined the organization for many reasons, including the opportunity to improve themselves and to improve the construction industry.
Like the military, CSI has members that go the extra mile-they perform "beyond the call of duty." Some CSI members assume leadership positions, some sign up for "special missions" like committees and task teams, and some accept "deployments" to other events to "advance" CSI and its goals. Additionally, members showing exceptional effort and performance are "decorated" through chapter, region, and Institute awards programs.
Unlike the military, though, CSI's tools of the trade are not guns, planes, ships, and tanks; but formats, classification systems, education programs, and certification programs. With these "tools," CSI advances construction technology and improves project team communication and coordination.
So, as a "volunteer" member of CSI, are you making the most of your "enlistment"? Are you improving yourself and the construction industry by taking advantage of what CSI has to offer? Are you out there informing your colleagues of what CSI could do for them and what it can do for the construction industry?
Because without all of us "volunteers," CSI will not continue to be in the future what it currently is and has been in the past.
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AWARDS COMMITTEE
Joy Davis, CSI, CDT and Christine Tanner, CSI
BETTER THAN A CARD
Think of it as the best "Thank You" note you've ever written.  Nominating someone for a CSI honor or award at the national or region level is a way of stating your gratitude to an individual who has gone beyond the demands of professionalism and who has put their colleagues, their community and their industry first. Fellowship in the Institute, CSI's new Excellence in Construction Information Award (awarded jointly by CSI & SCIP), the Southwest Region's Craftsmanship or Publication Awards - these honors recognize work that is often overlooked, but without which we would certainly all be worse off.
You'll never find a card - or an award, for that matter -- that can give back what an active CSI member has invested in this industry. Still, an award does have points over anything Hallmark is selling. That's because an honor bestowed by a group of CSI members becomes part of the way a construction professional is defined to the industry. A plaque can hang in the office for clients to see. An award can be cited in a resume or the firm's brochure. It's a way for you to tell the rest of the construction community how lucky they are to be talking to this particular person, to have the opportunity to work with this particular firm. None of us says "Thank you" enough, in part because our words, no matter how heartfelt, look so small in comparison to the gift someone has given us. Consider sending someone a big Thank You this year - the kind that results in applause at CSI's Annual Gala in May 2010, Philadelphia or during the Southwest Region Conference's awards banquet (April 29 - May 1, 2010), Pikes Peak Chapter hosting.
Nominations for national CSI honors and awards are due Jan. 15. Nominations for Distinguished/Honorary Members, CSI's highest honor, are due Jan. 2. Learn more at CSI Awards.   See a list of Southwest Region awards in the Southwest Region Operating Guide . Since nominations for these honors are due three months before the Region Conference, please note that this deadline will be January 29, 2010. Got a question about a Region or national award? Contact committee chairs Joy Davis, CSI, CDT, (Albuquerque Chapter) at jdavis@csinet.org or Christine Tanner, CSI, (Las Vegas Chapter) at ctanner@csinet.org. |
GREETING FROM DENVER CHAPTER
Dave Bishton, RA, CSI, CCS
Denver Chapter CSI President
After 2 good technical presentations at our recent luncheons, the Denver Chapter moves into an entirely different arena next month with a fascinating presentation on the design of the new spaceport under construction in New Mexico. We may not have our flying cars or personal jetpacks yet, but the idea of personal travel to the upper atmosphere and low earth orbit is pretty amazing to contemplate in our lifetimes. And I'll be waiting with interest to see how MasterFormat handles materials, systems, and construction topics beyond the bounds of terra firma.
In a few days, the Chapter will be both celebrating 50 years of past CSI affiliation and looking forward to the future! We are, in a sense, standing at the threshold of the spaceport of CSI's future and the next stages of the fast-changing construction industry. Not long before the advent of CSI, it was reported that full blueprints for the battleship Missouri weighed over 175 tons - now we put drawings, specifications, and virtual models for even larger projects in our pockets on a flash drive. Tools are tiny and powerful; blueprints are now virtually invisible. Hard to imagine where this will lead in 50 more years!
But next year, and the year after, we still have pretty familiar surroundings. That's the way it is each year. And the construction industry is no less in need of a strong knowledge base, good communication, and cooperation than it ever has been. Tools and technology change quickly - we know that much. BIM appears to be the world in which we will all live soon. But tools without knowledge allow mistakes on a larger scale and even more quickly than ever before. Good construction practices, as espoused by CSI over the years, will always be vital. The Denver Chapter can and should always be at the forefront of that movement for cooperation and excellence in our region.
To that end, consider this:
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When will we be called on to host another national convention, like we have 3 times in Denver, in 1996 and also 1968 & 1977? Will we be in a position of strength to take it on?
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Will we again have 300 members in the Chapter, like we did in 1984, the 25th year of Chapter existence?
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Will we be a catalyst for construction education and excellence with our peers in the local construction economy, like AIA, AGC, CMAA, NSPE, and so many others?
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Will we take a leadership role in advancing and making better the new tools of our industry rather than only reacting to their influence?
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Will the Denver Chapter grow ever younger or ever older in the coming years? Will we embrace wholeheartedly the serious task of mentoring our future construction industry leaders?
I'll close by repeating some thoughts from last month. Every person important to the Denver Chapter over the years was once a first-time member and a first-time volunteer...every CSI member I know of hopes to learn something important, to be a better professional, and to share with others of like mind...by working together, by being inspired to volunteer and attend and spread the CSI message.
Let's spring forward into the future, and see what a great Chapter we can be!
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REGION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Robert H. Mallory, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CCPR. LEED AP
Phone: 505-254-9000
Ron Geren, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Phone :
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IMPORTANT DATES
October 14 - Albuquerque Chapter Continuing Ed Conference & Product Show
October 15
Eco El Paso Symposium on Design in the Hot-Arid Climate
October 22 - Denver Chapter 50th Anniversary celebration
SEND DATES FOR YOUR CHAPTER EVENTS TO:
e-mail Dave Bishton |
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REGION CHAIRS
Academic Affairs
Ron Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA
e-mail Ron Geren
Awards
Joy Davis, CSI, CDT
e-mail Joy Davis
Christine Tanner, CSI
Education
Finance/Treasurer
Teri Hand, CSI, CDT
e-mail Teri Hand
Fund Raising
Membership
Kristine Moore, CSI
e-mail Kristine Moore
Planning
Ann Baker, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP, LEED AP
e-mail Ann Baker
Programs
Nina Giglio, CSI,CCS
Technical Chair
Mike Young, CSI,CDT
e-mail Mike Young |
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CHAPTER
PRESIDENTS
Albuquerque
Andre Larroque, CSI
El Paso Javier Roque, CSI, CDT
Phone: 915-533-3777
e-mail Javier Roque
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Southwest Breezes is a monthly publication of the Southwest Region of the Construction Specifications Institute. It is e-mailed to Region members on or about the 4th week of each month, from September to May, of the fiscal year. Deadline for receiving articles is the 15th day of each month.
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