EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE Membership Involvement — Expand Your Reach and Branch Out B ased on what I’ve heard from DFI members during the last 20 years, there are many reasons a person or company joins the organization. Some are looking for a way to give back, others to gain exposure for their company or services, some for specific technical information or to be published, others to ensure their voice is heard and their opinion incorporated in consensus documents, and some to support an association that advances the industry. As you continue to renew your membership year after year, your reason for being a member may change, and, if not, we encourage you to consider new ways you can become engaged in DFI’s activities. After all, your membership is what you make of it. There is no shortage of ways you can get involved. Sure, it all starts with completing an application and remitting your dues, so your name is listed within the ranks of others who proudly state they are members. Hopefully, it doesn’t end there. • Interested in the direction of the industry or your segment of the industry? We now have more than 20 technical committees you can join. Get involved, request committee member- ship and provide your expertise to their activities. For a complete listing, visit www.dfi.org/groups.asp. • Involved in a challenging project? Consider writing about it for Deep Foundations magazine or for the DFI Journal. Perhaps, the project is worthy of an award; nominate it for the Out- standing Project Award, C. William Bermingham Award or Ben C. Gerwick Award. Write a technical paper for one of our conferences or submit a presen- tation proposal for one of our seminars. • Interested in or involved with relevant research on deep foundations and/or ground improvement? Submit a project proposal for funding through one of the technical committees via the Commit- tee Project Fund or write about it to share your research results. • Looking to introduce a new product or service? Sign up to exhibit at a confer- ence or seminar. We have several coming up this year: the DFI-EFFC International Conference in Rome this June, SuperPile ’18 in New York City in Theresa Engler Executive Director [email protected] June and the Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Anaheim, Calif., in October. In addition, you can place an ad in this publication or on www.dfi.org, where it will be seen by thousands of industry decision makers. • Concerned about the talent pipeline in the deep foundations industry? The DFI Educational Trust is on a mission to encourage students to enter our industry and become future employees of your company. As a member, you can help spread the word and let local universities in your area know about scholarship opportunities for their students as well as free DFI student membership. Bring or sponsor a student to attend a DFI event. Speak at one of these institutions or invite students to visit your jobsite and let them know how DFI can assist them in their journey to a fulfilling career in deep foundations. The Trust and DFI are happy to work with you to get your message out in front of these up-and-coming engineers and construction personnel. So, branch out, think outside your usual box and expand the value of your membership. If you have a new idea that could enhance your membership, give me a call. We’re always interested in ways to expand our program offerings and assist the members who support us year after year. If you haven’t completed the recent membership value survey, please do. The only way to be heard and affect change is to speak out and get involved. The new DFI tradeshow exhibit encourages members to “Branch Out” and make the most of their membership. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAR/APR 2018 • 9
