Chairperson's message for January 2012
New Year - New Vice Chairperson
Dear Fellow SPE Members,
I would like to start by wishing all of you a wonderful New Year, and trust that everyone enjoyed their 2011 Holiday Season.
During our Board meeting of December 13th we addressed two very significant issues for the Section. First, I would like to announce, with great pleasure, that your Board of Directors has a new Vice Chairperson, Dr. Steve Cheung. The Board unanimously voted to appoint Steve to this very prominent and responsible position. Steve has exemplary experience and service to SPE, including committee membership and organization of SPE workshops and symposiums (Houston, TX; Xian, China; Dubai. UAE; Tsingtao, China; and Langkawi, Malaysia). He has held the honor of being an SPE Distinguished Lecturer, and also served on the SPE Distinguished Lecturer Committee. Please join me and give Steve our congratulations, as we are honored to have him as a member of our Board.
The second item of major significance was approval of the 2012 budget. Thanks to our Treasurer, Rick Finken, we were well informed of considerations for each line item, and had some lively discussions regarding several of them. The final budget for 2012 shows a marginal positive balance at fiscal year end (September 30th) of $750. Our major anticipated income is from the golf tournament (about 70% of the total), while the two largest budgeted expenses are the golf tournament and scholarships (approximately 67% of total expenses). This year will be exploring new initiatives to increased positive cash flow into the Section. These include possibly half-day courses for industry professionals, and additional luncheon workshops on technology of interest to local operators.
On other subjects, I would like to inform the membership that the campaign to recommend a candidate for the new Western Regional Director has successfully drawn to a conclusion. The final announcement of the outcome is in the hands of SPE, and the results are anticipated in June.
There is a “short fuse” still burning on nominations for Orange County Engineering Council awards. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 7th. This would be a great opportunity for you to nominate a colleague for recognition of an outstanding accomplishment, or successful completion of a significant project in Southern California. The required documentation is time wise very efficient (please see www.ocec.org).
The opportunity for volunteering for MESA Day activities is now upon us (Mar. 3rd and Mar. 17th). Our MESA Day Chairperson, Scott Hara, would look forward to hearing from you as a new activity champion, volunteer, or supporter.
We should all be looking forward to a great year in 2012, and taking advantage of the enriching experiences that can be gained through active participation in the LASPE. In anticipation of your support, I would like to thank all of you.
Eric Withjack
Chairperson 2011-2012
dremmw@yahoo.com