Joe DeSimone, Past Section Chairman and Current Certification Chair of ASQ Los Angeles Section 0700, conducts successful certification courses for ASQ, PMI, and SME exams internationally. Joe holds many certifications and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. Joe is the Owner of DeSimone Quality International, www.dqi6sigma.com, a word-wide consulting group specializing in Quality and Productivity Improvements. DQI's clients include Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Edwards Lifesciences, Rand Corporation, Mitsubishi, and many others.

You MUST RSVP to Chen Low 310-334-7044, pager 310-353-8293 or e-mail [email protected], no-later-than Noon on Monday, February 10th, so he can get the list of attendees to Phenomenex Security.

At the beginning of January 2014, I took some time to reflect on how fortunate we are at ASQ Los Angeles to have volunteers who are so dedicated to ASQ's Vision of "By making quality a global priority, an organizational imperative, and a personal ethic, ASQ becomes the community for everyone who seeks quality concepts, technology, or tools to improve themselves and their world."

This issue I recognize the Spirit of Volunteerism. You will see our volunteers in action serving on the various committees of our local Section, Regional ASQ and on the national ASQ level. We're proud to have played a significant role in improving our member value by funding general meetings, certification programs, Quality Day and by providing knowledge and information to our Quality Professionals. I encourage you to explore our website to learn about some of the key people that have helped us.

Volunteer opportunities within ASQLA will help you sharpen your existing skills, develop new skills in a risk-free environment, expand your horizons, become more motivated and energized about quality, increase your visibility within the profession, boost self-satisfaction and demonstrate workplace and leadership skills that can be documented on your resume.

The Los Angeles Section has a Leadership Team that sets the direction and objectives for the group. They work on preparing our general meetings and special projects. The volunteer positions and responsibilities are outlined in the national ASQ website. The time commitments for the different positions vary, from a few hours per month to a few hours per week for key leadership roles. Please contribute in any capacity that fits into your life and set of demands.

As Chair, I have the privilege of placing our volunteers on committees. This is something every Chair takes seriously. Help your local section by becoming a volunteer today!