News Detail

How Can ACI Better Serve its Chapter Members?

11/1/2014

We often spend time discussing the role of the “member” within the Institute. While we certainly understand the reasons behind our recurring emphasis on this issue, it is imperative to also remember we have another group within ACI that is just as important–our Chapter Members.

Around the globe, we have 100 chapters in 37 countries with a total participation of 16,000 members. Past President Ken Hover, Chair of the Chapter Activities Committee, has often pointed out that if we consider the ACI membership without students included, the chapter members exceed the ACI members in number. But even disregarding these numbers, it is our chapters, with their officers and members, who often take the ideals and goals of the Institute to the grassroots level.

These chapters’ activities are so very diverse in scope and nature. At the chapter level, some chapters engage in various social activities such as golf tournaments or skeet shooting. Many of our chapters are actively involved in ACI Certification programs, while others host technical conferences, publishing the presented papers in glossy full-color proceedings. In fact, many chapters engage in activities that incorporate combinations of those programs, plus more. In all cases, it is our chapters that engage the local concrete professionals. It is these activities that continually remind those local professionals of the products, services, and opportunities that exist in ACI.

Once again, I must ask that we look to our new Strategic Plan and note that chapters were significantly considered in this new plan. The creators of the plan recognized the importance of our chapters and understood that we must take new steps to engage those chapter members at new levels perhaps never considered.

At the time of this writing, the Board of Direction is about to convene at ACI Headquarters to discuss how the Board will direct ACI in actions related to fulfillment of the Strategic Plan. Among those issues will be a new consideration of chapters and their role within ACI. It is expected that as a result of this upcoming meeting and continuing into the future, new programs will be initiated that will further engage our chapters and their members at new levels.

We need to ensure that our chapters are fully engaged and that ACI provides the mechanisms and opportunities to flourish and to strengthen our chapter relationships. We need to understand how ACI and its chapters can strengthen these relationships to fulfill our strategic plan as well as the goals of the local chapters.

To our members who are reading this and who may not be involved in their local chapter, please consider joining your local chapter. Your involvement at this level can only create positives for the chapter. To contact your local ACI chapter, refer to the "ACI Chapter Directory" in the October 2014 issue of Concrete International, or go to www.concrete.org/Chapters.aspx.

If you are a chapter member who is not a member of ACI, then also consider becoming a member and becoming active at a new level. You will also bring fresh viewpoints and perspectives to the Institute.

In the end, we are all in this together, with a mutual goal of advancing concrete knowledge. Let's unite to create this reality for all our concrete professionals around the globe, regardless of where they reside.

William E. Rushing Jr.