EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE Summer Is a State of Mind I ’ve heard this a lot recently, “summer is a state of mind.” While I do believe that’s true, I still have a bittersweet taste in my mouth as the end of August is just days away. I’ve always loved the sunny sweltering days of summer while others lament over the humidity and bad hair days. It’s true, I’m not overly fond of feeling sticky and my hair definitely isn’t cooperative, but I just prefer summer to the other seasons. Waking to sunny skies, getting up early to grab our fishing rods and venture out to catch a few while drifting lazily in the boat or on the beach, or working outside in the garden keeping the flowers and vegetables healthy and vibrant are my ideas of a wonderful summer day and I can’t get enough of them. However, as the days get shorter and the smell of fall is in the air here in the Northeast U.S., my mind fast forwards to bitter bone-chilling cold winter days and nights, long hours shoveling the walk and driveway, and messy commutes on slushy, icy roads. So, I need to pull myself up short and remind myself not to rush ahead before I miss the wonderful smell of the crisp air and the beauty of the changing leaves that will soon be all around me. Considering the nature of the business here at DFI is planning ahead, we are already working on securing a venue for the 2021 Annual Conference and holding a kick- off meeting for the 2019 Annual Conference in Chicago before the 2018 conference has even come to fruition. Therefore, it’s no wonder that I must make a concerted effort to stay in the present moment. As the season changes around DFI’s headquarters, so do touches for the 43 Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Anaheim, Calif., October 24-27, 2018, take precedence. Summer at DFI means wrapping up the our everyday work tasks, as the finishing rd activities and celebrating the successes of the first half of the year, such as SuperPile ’18 and, this year, IFCEE and the DFI-EFFC European conference in Rome; assisting the technical committees with continuing the momentum of their projects; and managing Trust fundraising events (golf out ings and dinner s ) and distribution of scholarships to worthy student applicants. We are also looking at processes and procedures that should be tweaked to ensure next year’s activities run even more smoothly and efficiently. We are evaluating the state of our finances, so that we can budget properly for the following year. Once August is over and fall arrives, we are in full Annual Conference mode — finalizing the technical papers for publishing; gathering and collecting presentation materials; updating the mobile app so that attendees can navigate the many sessions, exhibit area and social networking events happening at the conference; gathering and packing up all the materials to be shipped to the venue; and preparing reports and presentations for the board and committee meetings being held during the conference. At the same time, we can’t let everything else go by the wayside. We must continue to plan for future activities like our first Helical Piles-Tiebacks-Anchors Tradeshow and Educational Seminar with Helical Pile World in June 2019, the release of new publications produced by the technical committees, as well as new opportunities, such as production and delivery of instructional and informative webinars. Fishing on the beach Theresa Engler Executive Director [email protected] Gardening in the backyard DFI’s fall is a bustling time and, while we’re not sitting back and relaxing during DFI’s summer, there is a difference in the seasonal activities as there is during our personal time. And so, I’m reminded again that “summer is a state of mind” and I can keep the warmth of the summer sun with me to take out and enjoy whenever the dreary cold days seem almost too unbearable. Similarly, I can keep the memories of the annual conference with me throughout the year, implementing the new ideas that come from the gathering, learning more about the new members who participated for the first time as they become more engaged during the coming year and remembering what went well and what didn’t so these lessons learned can be used in our future plans. I’m fortunate to live in an area where all four seasons are fully experienced. I’m learning to enjoy each and every one for what it offers, as I enjoy all the aspects of the DFI seasons and the fulfilling activities that make up our association’s offerings and benefits to the membership. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2018 • 9
