April is here and it is time for me to finish my taxes, no more procrastinating. Easter is on its way, ending the lenten season for many people. I look forward to eating meat again. This month's picture features the Easter Bunny with me and my kids at my gym's annual Easter egg hunt. The only way that my daughter was going to get near the bunny was if I was in the picture as well.

            Last month's chapter meeting was on a brief history of air barriers and the Air Barriers Association of America. I would like to thank Laverne Dalgleish of Building Products, Inc. It was a great discussion on the topic and I hope that those who attended got a lot out of the presentation.

            I would like to take this time to welcome all of the new members, both student and professional, to our chapter. We had a number of new members attend last month's meeting and I would like to say thank you for attending and I hope that you will get involved in our chapter. I look forward to working with all of you.

            As you all know, March and April are the months for elections. Last month, we held our elections for new board of director positions. Congratulations to the newly elected board members, Ralph Pitman, Jeremy Hoffman, and Gene King. Also congratulations to returning board member, Ariel Su. I look forward to working with all of you. To those who are leaving the board this year, I would like to thank you for your years of service. It is greatly appreciated. At the April board of directors meeting, we held our officer elections for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Jeremy Hoffman was elected as the new Secretary. The newly elected Treasurer will be Andrew Huehls. Ralph Pitman will serve as Vice-President. Finally, the 2014-2015 President-elect will be Joel Young. Congratulations to the new officers. I know that they will do a great job in their new roles.

            At the April board meeting, the board also voted to approve a proposal by Drewry Simmons Vornehm (DSV) to become the new Chapter Counsel for the Indianapolis Chapter of CSI, beginning the new fiscal year in July. For those who do not know, DSV is the law firm that our current treasurer, Chris Drewry, works for and has recently become a partner. The proposal contained many benefits for our chapter, with minimal costs. The details of the proposal will be included in the April board meeting minutes, available on the chapter website, along with past board meeting minutes. Amongst these benefits, DSV will become a platinum level sponsor for the chapter and will provide a "first call free" to members seeking legal counsel.

            For this month's chapter meeting, we are returning to the newly renovated Willows on Westfield (formerly named Riverwalk Banquet Center). This month's meeting topic will be the ADA quiz. This presentation will give attendees a chance to test their knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA has been around for about 20 years and there is still much confusion and misinformation about the topic. The presentation will be given by long time chapter member, Steve Cain, President of SJC Architecture, Inc.

            CSI Academies was held here in Indianapolis, March 27-29. There were educational opportunities that followed three tracks: specifications, construction administration, and product representation. There were a lot of attendance from members from throughout the country. CSO Architects hosted a reception for the attendees on Friday evening. Thanks go out to Ivette Bruns and Andy McIntyre for coordinating the reception. It was a great turnout.

            This year's Bud Reed Memorial Golf Outing will be held on June 5, 2014 at the Golf Club of Indiana. Additional information on registration is forthcoming. The event will be catered by Ruth Chris Steakhouse. They have amazing sliders.

            Planning is underway for the 2014 CSI Great Lakes Region Conference that is also being held here in Indianapolis, July 31-August 2 at the NCAA Headquarters downtown. The July chapter meeting will coincide with the conference. It will be held on July 31 at the NCAA Headquarters (5th Thursday in July). Registration will be available shortly.

            That is all that I have for this month. I would like to conclude with the president's question of the month. For those who have not read past president's letters, each month I ask readers a question about myself as a way of getting to know their president. The first person to email the correct answer to ed@sebreearchitects.com gets a door prize at the chapter meeting. I give away pretty good door prizes. It is multiple choice and it's one guess per email address. Also, you must be present at the meeting to win. Last month, I asked a question about the Great Lakes Region (GLR) Conference. This month, I'll ask about CONSTRUCT, CSI's national convention.

This month's question:

I attended my first CONSTRUCT in what city?

• Chicago
• Las Vegas
• Nashville
• Phoenix

Sincerely,

Edmund Brown, CSI, CCCA, Assoc AIA

2013-2014 Indianapolis Chapter CSI President 

Jack P. Morgan, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA, NCARB, SCIP

morwalsoplad1@gmail.com