EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE Looking Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis A s we’re all washing our hands and following other guidance while working through a myriad of emotions during our time of COVID-19-related social distancing, it is interesting that we’re sharing this special issue on “Future Trends.” The way forward seems so unclear right now; however, the digital future is already here to help out just when we need our electronic devices and virtual solutions to stay connected more than ever. This pandemic has also brought about so much creativity with all the beautiful artwork and music being transmitted via social media, email and texts to show support for first responders and other essential workers, and to support those suffering with the disease or who have loved ones who are ill. There have been funny parodies to lighten the mood and make us laugh, and positive messages to keep our spirits up and remind us that we may be physically apart, but we’re very much together in our fight against this unknown disease. Zoom-type virtual meetings, though used before we were trapped in our homes, have now become an everyday occurrence for many and are used not only to conduct business meetings, but also to gather with family and friends. Virtual platforms are also how our children are being educated, how groups are motivating each other to exercise and meditate, and how many associations like DFI are providing their members with a sense of community and ongoing professional benefits. 51). In addition, SuperPile ’20 in June and S3 in August have been rescheduled (see articles on pages 31 and 37). DFI is holding both in 2020 as virtual events to bring the educational com- ponents to industry members. This continues the important DFI mission of bringing together individuals and organizations from multiple disciplines through dissemin- ation of practical, useful technical information. DFI staff will continue to do their best while working from home to communicate our changing event sche- dule to the members and industry-at-large. Please keep checking both your email and www.dfi.org often to learn about sche- duling adjustments. Theresa Engler Executive Director [email protected] The way forward seems so unclear right now; however, the digital future is already here to help out just when we need our electronic devices and virtual solutions to stay connected more than ever. During this time, we’ve been able to The changing societal landscape hasn’t been without challenges. Unfortunately, DFI recently had to postpone two inter- national conferences — the March DFI- PFSF Piling & Ground Improvement Conference in Sydney, Australia, and Deep Mixing 2020, which had been scheduled for June in Gdańsk, Poland. Both will be held in 2021 around the same time frame as originally scheduled in 2020 (see page continue to accomplish our mission through digital means — the ITS Money Webinar Series; the inaugural online Midyear Technical Committee Week; virtual Traveling Lectures, timely release of this magazine’s digital edition, and release of the EFFC/DFI Guide to Working Platforms, which can be downloaded for free at www.dfi.org . The Future of Women in Deep Foundations Originally, I intended to focus this column on the future of women in industry and how far we’ve already come since forming the Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Committee 5 years ago. I still want to commend all the women and men who participate directly or indirectly in this endeavor of fostering greater success and interest among professional women in our industry. We touched on the committee’s success at our 2019 annual conference through a powerful presentation about the increase in the number of women involved in DFI in leadership roles. Over the past 5 years, we’ve had female members serving as technical program and organizing com- mittee chairs for events; pre- senting on projects they oversee; and serving as trustees, key staff and technical committee chairs. from the DFI 44 Annual Con- ference, Five Years of Success Since Inception, on the committee’s webpage at http://www.dfi.org/ commhome.asp?WIDF, join us in celebrating diversity by recog- View the PowerPoint presentation th nizing International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, and stay tuned for the release of an amazing video the WiDF Committee produced to educate students about the exciting career opportunities awaiting them in the deep foundations design and construction field. From a diverse membership, and diverse communication channels, we find our strength. Looking toward the imme- diate future, we look forward to maxi- mizing our use of digital innovations to connect and help us get through the uncertain present. Stay safe and healthy! There’s so much more we can do together! DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2020 • 9
