President's Corner

January 2008

Greater Detroit A.S.S.E. Members,

Happy New Year everyone.  It’s no secret that our chapter is not enjoying member participation like it used to.  The Board of Directors has mulled this problem over extensively and has yet to put a finger on it.  This year we are rededicating our efforts to improve the quality of our technical programs so that you, the member, will make coming to monthly meetings an actual priority.  I know what you’re thinking: “meeting” is a four-letter word.  While we agree to a point, it’s not just another meeting if you can see, ahead of time, that the time will be well spent.  To that end, we have tried to select high profile presenters and hit on a number of universal topics.  We are, however, flying by the seat of our pants, because we have not had a great deal of feedback from our membership as a whole.  Our chapter, with approximately 430 members, is one of the larger chapters in the country.  In fact, we cite this advantage in our long-range planning strategies; it gives us a wide-ranging and diverse membership addressing almost any aspect of safety by at least one chapter member.  This provides a wealth of knowledge that would benefit all of us, if shared more freely. 

That brings me to my main point: the reason for technical meetings.  We always strive to have a good safety issue presented, discussed, or debated.  But also, one of the biggest benefits is the networking between fellow safety professionals.  If you’ve had even the most casual conversation with a fellow safety professional you know how similar the problems you face are, regardless of the industry in which you work.  We’re striving to create a more relaxed atmosphere that lends itself to this type of interaction. 

We have also developed a pretty good slate of programs that we hope you will find beneficial.  As an example, for our January 24th meeting we will be sitting down with Doug Kalinowski, the director of MIOSHA; we’ll be getting it straight from the top.  In March, we’ll meet with the members of the Oakland University Student Member Section.  In addition to presenting some achievement awards, we’ll all have the opportunity to give them some insight into the world of safety.  On the flip side, they will give us a fresh perspective from those who may still be able to see the forest for the trees.  In April we’ll meet with members of the other Michigan chapters - Lansing and West Michigan - at the Michigan Safety Conference.  With February and May still open (but not for long) we have an opportunity to plug in other beneficial gatherings.

We are starting to see more and more members stepping forward and getting involved, which benefits all of us – JOIN THE CROWD!  

Please regularly check the website (www.greaterdetroitasse.org) for updates on our meeting schedules and other events.

Joseph M. Forgue ASP, ARM
Manager of Education and Safety Services
Construction Association of Michigan
(248) 972-1141
forgue@cam-online.com