Thoughts on the Way Out

As I sit down to write my final President’ message, I realize how swiftly my tenure as President has progressed. This month during EXPO’10 in Orlando, I will pass on this role to my good friend Dan East. The common sayings of “time flies when you are busy” and “time flies when you are having fun” both apply to my NUCA presidency. I have outstanding recollections of the past year and I will treasure these memories forever.

Although NUCA travel took me away from my family and business, the ability to visit chapters and experience a variety of perspectives was well worth the time. The numerous site visits and the opportunity to listen to issues confronting our members is a tremendous benefit when serving a leadership role. The local issues being fought by our chapters are often the same issues being fought by my chapter in Oregon. Though I received the celebrity treatment throughout my chapter visits, I owe a big thanks to the Chapter Leadership and the Executive Directors for their role during the visits.

On my travels, I found one common question — “how can we impact our own federal government?” Representing NUCA members on the national level is what NUCA is all about. Yes, as President, I was in the public eye, testifying before Congress and participating in conversations with leadership in the House and Senate. However, it is the NUCA staff that is focused on member issues everyday. Backing up the NUCA staff is a team of NUCA members volunteering to participate, providing direction, chairing committees and attending meetings because of the passion they have for our industry.

I search for ways to evaluate the value that NUCA provided to its membership over the past year. I sorted my list into internal and external benefits as I look back over the past year. The external benefits would include the long list of accomplishments such as increased funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs for 2010 and our relationships with regulatory agencies. The internal accomplishments would include the vast array of services such as training, educational and knowledge transfer programs.

Examples include the Pipelayer Training Series of DVDs, our safety efforts and the presentations at the Utility Construction EXPO. Yes, we scored well this past year, but what really excites me is how we are preparing ourselves for the future through the efforts of a taskforce focused on the next five years. You can help us and our industry by including your participation to advance our industry.

There is no higher honor than the opportunity to serve as your NUCA President for 2009. With all the support that I received from NUCA staff, the NUCA officers, board members, volunteers and chapters, my time at the helm was an enjoyable and memorable one. I remain optimistic for 2010 and I am excited about the future opportunities that lie ahead for our association.

Regards,


     Lyle Schellenberg