INNOVATION January-February 2012

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 Volume 16 Number 1

v iewpoint

If you are reading this President’s Viewpoint then chances are good that you are a part of that group of members who consider themselves actively engaged with their Association. However, generally speaking, a large majority of APEGBC members aren’t really concerned about what’s happening with the Association unless their individual ability to practice is directly affected in some way. In my years on Council, the perceived lack of member engagement has always been a major concern. Council has agonized about why we can only get a roughly 20% participation rate in elections. We put a considerable amount of focus on boosting the participation rate and set a target of a 30% return only to be disappointed time and time again. In 2010 Council undertook a member satisfaction survey and last year commissioned a communication strategy study. We were pleasantly surprised to find that most members reported that they are generally satisfied, feel well informed and do not desire a higher level of engagement with their Association. However, those members who are themselves highly engaged with the Association, such as some of our nearly 1,000 active volunteers, generally feel that while APEGBC does an adequate job of engagement, there could still be more participation from the membership. The question that Council finds itself pondering is this: just how much engagement is the “right” amount for members and how do we facilitate this? So what does good member engagement look like? The report from the communication strategy study puts it this way: “Engagement is connectivity. It is the degree to which the members understand and believe in the Association’s vision, mission, values and direction. The stronger the alignment, the greater their commitment is to the Association and its outcomes.” I believe that our membership is generally well aligned with the overall objectives of APEGBC. I have yet to meet an engineer or geoscientist who disagrees that we must primarily uphold and protect the public interest followed by protecting our members’ right to practice. But we still need some members to be more connected. So Council should likely concentrate on ensuring that good member service is available to those who request it. And for those who get the calling—the vocation of service to the professions—we need to offer support and channels that allow those individuals and groups to be as engaged as they desire to provide value back to the professions. The motto of my own alma mater, the University of British Columbia, reads “Tuum Est.” This is often translated as “it’s up to you”—a challenge to take ownership. I’d like to extend the same challenge to each and every one of you to take up the care of your professions. If you choose to accept this, I’m sure that you’ll get far more from your efforts than you put in.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2 Tel: (604) 430-8035 Fax: (604) 430-8085 E-mail: apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca Internet: www.apeg.bc.ca Toll free: 1-888-430-8035

2011/2012 COUNCIL, APEGBC P resident J H ( Jeff) Holm PEng FEC

V ice P resident M (Michael) Isaacson PEng PhD P ast P resident F W (F rank ) D enton PE ng FEC

Member Engagement It’s up to You

Councillors V T (Vic) Baker PEng FEC; M H (Matt) Cameron PEng FEC; E A (Emily) Cheung PEng FEC; J J (John) Clague PGeo PhD; A (Ana) Fernandes Cim Fcsi; H (Herb) Hawson PEng FEC;

D M (Donna) Howes PEng; H G (Harlan) Kelly PEng; J (Joe) Martignago; A J (Andy) Mill PEng StructEng FEC; MI (Mark) Porter PEng StructEng; (Mike) Waberski Bcls; M C (Michael) Wrinch PEng PhD; S (Sheila) Wynn PhD ASSOCIATION STAFF D V Doyle P Eng C hief E xecutive O fficer and R egistrar J Y Sinclair C hief O perating O fficer J Cho CGA D irector , F inance and A dministration P R Mitchell PEng D irector , P rofessional P ractice , S tandards and D evelopment G M P ichler PEng D irector , R egistration G A Thiele LLB D irector , L egislation , E thics and C ompliance MLArchibald A ssociate D irector ,C ommunicationsand S takeholder E ngagement

Jeff Holm PEng FEC President

R M F ilipiak P Eng A ssociate D irector , A dmissions D Gamble A ssociate D irector , I nformation S ervices J J G Larocque PEng LLB A ssociate D irector , P rofessional P ractice D Olychick A ssociate D irector , M ember S ervices

Melinda Lau M anaging E ditor

EDITORIAL BOARD S Chiu PEng; S E Cook PEng; R Gupta PEng P h D; C L Hall PGeo;

S K Hayes; K S Hirji PEng; M A Klippenstein PEng;

I Kokan PEng; M E Leslie PEng; B Thomson PGeo FEC (Hon)

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president@ apeg.bc.ca

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