Thank You and Goodnight.

I sat down to the computer to write my last ISA Connection Blog entry as Society President, thinking it would be easy…Lots of THANK YOU’s and recognition to all those that helped pave the way to what I believe has been a good year for ISA. But now as I sit hovered over the keyboard, I’m getting a little choked up at the thought of turning over the proverbial gavel. I have truly enjoyed this year. As most of my predecessors warned me, the year just flew by. There was so much I wanted to accomplish and I feel like I am only just now hitting my stride. Perhaps some day, in my dotage, I can come back and do it again!

Okay… Now for the Academy Awards thank you:

First and foremost I would like to thank every single Member of the Society for giving me the opportunity to figuratively lead this very dynamic organization. We’ve come a long way baby from the coalition of Instrument Societies that banded together in 1945. And I think we have a very promising future given the talent and passion our Members have for the profession and the organization. This became very obvious during the debate on changing ISA’s name to International Society of Automation. I think I have now had over 500 e-mails on the subject. If I didn’t respond to you, consider it an oversight or simply delayed as I have attempted to respond to each and every message received (I’m still not done!). I set out to improve communications with our Members and I think I have succeeded in a small way: sending messages directly to the Members, blogging, and pushing ISA marketing (not that they needed prodding) to put out enough material to wall paper the Great Wall of China. If you are reading this and you have an idea of how the Society could communicate with you better, let us know—we’re still looking for the proverbial silver bullet form of communication that everyone will see.

I would like to thank each and every ISA Leader I have had the honor of working with this year. During my 20+ years as an ISA Leader, I have made wonderful friends and valuable contacts and received the benefit of great mentors along the way. But the group of Leaders I had the privilege of serving with this year have been exceptional. We debated, fought, played, and worked hard over the course of the year, but at the end of it all, I think that collectively we made a difference. You should all bask in the pride of being a great team. I am not speaking of just the Executive Committee or the Executive Board, I am speaking of all the Leaders that make up the core governance of ISA, which includes hundreds of committees, sub-committees, task forces, working groups, and yes, Boards. They seem like trite words for all the work you have done but, thank you.

If I had to mention one reason why every Member should become an involved Leader in ISA it would be for the opportunity to get to know and work with ISA staff. They are tremendous! I recognize that as Society President I received somewhat special treatment and next year when I become simply a Member again, I will probably go through withdrawal (my hands are shaking at the mere thought!). It has been quite enjoyable to be the “pampered one” this year. I wish I had all 70+ names to thank and recognize individually, but suffice to say that I thank each and every member of the ISA staff from the Executive Director to the building maintenance technician. I do have to give special recognition to a few of the people I have worked with closely:

• Pat Gouhin, Executive Director: Pat has been a great addition to ISA and is a great business manager for the Society. He treads that fine line of leading the staff and being led by the volunteers well. I have the privilege of working with Pat for at least one more year as the Chair of the Automation Federation, so he doesn’t get to rid himself of me yet!


• Ashley Wylie: Ashley has been the editor of this blog and a few other communications that were put out under my name. She made me look smarter than I am by correcting spelling and grammar mistakes and phrasing sentences to say what I meant to say. What made our symbiotic relationship special to me is that Ashley is probably half my age. If Ashley could comprehend the meaning behind my words, hopefully I could reach all the millennium Members we have out there—the ones we need to be active in ISA.


• Jennifer Infantino: Jennifer is a manager of the marketing department of ISA and has helped the marketing and graphics team responsible for many of the great collateral pieces that have been produced this past year. She also edited a few pieces that included messages from me. Sometimes she was kind enough to just write the piece for me! The great thing is (some might say frightening), she started thinking like me…She adapted to my habit of coming at a subject from a bizarre angle. So thank you Jennifer and team: You have provided great assistance in meeting my goal of communicating with the Members more!


• Debbie Eby, Executive Assistant Extraordinaire: What can I say? If the truth be known, Debbie runs the Society (no offense Pat). She knows more about the history, the documentation, and the people of ISA than any other single person. Thanks for keeping me grounded, and my schedule under control. I would have never made it to all my meetings without you, Debbie!


• Laura Crumpler: I have had the privilege of working with many Member services people at ISA over the years, and they have all given me nothing but great customer service; but, I always seem to rely on Laura when everyone else is busy with other Members. I think it is a very telling sign that I know her direct dial phone number when I don’t know my husband’s cell number!


• Chip, Dale, Tim, Bernard, Ken, and Rick, otherwise known as Senior Staff: I appreciate all you do in your departments. It has been a pleasure working with all of you…even when we didn’t always see eye-to-eye. And I can assure each of you that the people within your departments represented you and the Society well.


• Ken, Steve, Leo, John, Marcus, Jerry, Ian, Tom, and Pat, the ’07 and ’08 Executive Committee members: It’s been a pleasure to be part of the team, and I enjoyed working with each and every one of you. I cherish your friendships and your commitment to ISA.
  

When I think back on the year and recall some of my favorite moments, more people that deserve special recognition come to mind:

• District 8,9,10, & 11 Leaders: Thanks for a very memorable Leadership Conference. May Tiki live on!


• District 12: Flamenco dancing and the one of the best educational programs I’ve ever seen—a great combination!


• To all those that contributed to and participated in the Members Suite at the Summer Meeting and Fall Conference: It was great fun! Special recognition to Nick Sands, Wilmington Delaware Section, for contributing his bar tending skills and assisting in the stocking of refreshments! Also, thanks to District 3 and the Andrews for stocking the refreshments and hosting the Summer Meeting Suite. And last but not least thank you Greg Lehman and the Denver Section for contributing to the suite in Houston. It was no small task assisting with the Member’s suite this past year—I insisted that it be open every night for off-line meetings, conversations, and debates. But I have to say that my favorite memory is of the Standards Dudes (as I call them) showing up though they never knew about the suite—I think I have Nick Sands to thank for making sure they were made aware. I consider this just another small step towards “one ISA.”


• Mary Cannon: I think Mary has been my number one fan (At least she acts like it.)! Everyone needs a cheerleader and I thank Mary for fulfilling that role. I am hoping I get the opportunity to return the favor some day.


• January Board Training: It was great taking over the lobby of the Homewood Suites for some good ole’ fashioned team building. I hope the tradition continues!


• 2008 Council of Society Delegates: I have to say that I went into this meeting in October thinking that I might break Howard Zinschlag’s record for having the longest CSD meeting ever. There were three potentially contentious issues on the agenda and I feared a heated debate; however, the leaders all got their issues out on the table and debated ahead of time and the meeting was quite short and sweet. You have my eternal gratitude!

I’m sure I have forgotten someone really important that deserves special recognition: Someone like my husband, mother, kids etc. Being the President of ISA is a challenging, but very rewarding experience. The largest lesson learned from this journey is the incredible support structure that a person can have when needed. I can only sum it up in three small words:

THANK YOU ALL!

Giant Steps in Singapore

Giant strides can be made with baby steps. This reality was brought home last week when I attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the International Society of Automation (ISA) and Singapore Polytechnic. Before I fill you in on the details, allow me to set the stage...

I was headed for Singapore on business.

Tim Feldman, ISA’s illustrious world traveler and international business development guru, found out I was going and called me about one week prior to departure…“Would you be available for about a two-hour presentation with our friends in Singapore to sign a MOU?”.

I responded that I landed in Singapore on the Monday following the US Thanksgiving holiday (missing out on at least one day of yummy leftovers!) at about 1:00 p.m.

Working with K.K. Siew, Singapore Section President, we set a time—K.K. would pick me up at 2:45 p.m. at my hotel and whisk me to the signing ceremony which began at 4:00 p.m.
…

Anyone who travels regularly can sympathize that the odds of my plane landing at the scheduled 1: 00 p.m. were slim. Since my plane departed LAX about 45 minutes late, the odds looked even lower than usual. I expected, when I landed in Hong Kong, to have a leisurely 2 hours to walk, stretch, and get the kinks out of my body. Instead, I had roughly 10 minutes to catch the final leg of my flight. Meanwhile, Tim was frantically e-mailing me and K.K. and watching the airline arrival site to see if I would make it to Singapore on time. I arrived and the ride from the airport to my hotel was uneventful (thankfully) and K.K called the room just about the time I finished my 30 minute shower and shine. WHEW!

K.K. drove me to Singapore Polytechnic where the signing ceremony was slated to occur. We were met by the Director of the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Dr. Dave Chong; Deputy Director, Dr. Rong Huan Yang; and a host of other faculty from the school.

That’s Dr. Yang and Dr. Chong on the left; K.K. Siew is on the right.

I had the opportunity to chat with many of the Singapore Section Members and faculty from the school—all were so gracious and hospitable that I don’t know quite where to begin with THANK YOU’s for all the kindness they showed me!

The most memorable part of the afternoon was Dr. Chong’s remarks. He talked about the need to make Automation “cool,” and the need to attract more of the best and brightest engineers into the field…I was somewhat taken aback that this was not an issue relegated to the US!

It was also a pleasure to chat with Elaine Ang and Rachel Loh of the Singapore Economic Development Board. They would like to see ISA open an office and make Singapore ISA’s Asian hub. The enthusiasm and spirit of a positive future were palpable at this event!

Yes, it was very educational and fun for me to meet with our Singapore Section Leaders; but most importantly, ISA has taken a bold step into the Asian region. SP will be offering ISA courses beginning with some of our most popular courses currently offered at Research Triangle Park, NC (ISA Headquarters). We hope this is a stepping stone for developing a lasting relationship and a greater presence in Asia. It may well be a model we pursue in other areas of the world in our efforts to become a truly global organization.

I want to publicly thank all the leaders, faculty, students, and attendees that made the agreement signing a wonderful event. The lovely plaque presented to me is proudly displayed at ISA Global Headquarters in RTP, NC.

Too bad Tiki had to miss it!

It Has Been My Pleasure to Serve…

As my term as Society President nears an end I find myself reflecting on all this year has been— extremely busy. As I became Society President I also had a job change that gave me more responsibility (read more work!) and an increase in travel. So juggling ISA, work, and family was at best a struggle.

Nonetheless, this year has been extremely rewarding. Meeting with, talking to, and communicating via e-mail with many Members about all facets of ISA has been eye-opening for me and a very enriching learning experience. This year has included many opportunities that I never dreamed of having: Going to Washington DC and engaging with legislators; traveling to many countries with varied cultures to discuss a partnership with ISA, industry, academia, and the workforce to improve the profession; meeting with executives of companies within our industry to discuss what they needed from ISA to perceive value; making friends and lasting relationships globally; and of course having my very own blog!

Yes, serving as ISA Society President has been everything I thought it would be and more. This year has put an exclamation point on all the rewards of 20+ years of Society service. I’ve mentioned all this to you because now is the time to be thinking about leaders for the future.

ISA is now accepting nominations for the following Society officers:

• Society President-elect Secretary
• Department Vice Presidents-elect:
  o Industries & Sciences
  o Image & Membership
  o Professional Development
  o Strategic Planning

All of these positions require individuals that want to be involved in setting the strategic vision of the Society and work towards the common goals of all Members. For detailed information regarding positions, qualifications, and nominations visit www.isa.org/nominate. ISA’s officer positions and nomination process is open to all interested people.

The Nominations Deadline is 31 January 2008.

Some of the criteria and requirements are:

• To be considered for a Society Officer position, you must be a Senior, Life Senior, Fellow, Life Fellow, or Honorary Member of ISA
• Evidence of devotion to the Society and acceptance of its policies and objectives
• Awareness of the Society's mission in our fast-changing technological world and ability to lead the Society in the development of programs to keep pace with these changes
• Enjoys the respect and confidence of colleagues and Society members involved with Society activities within the officer's areas of responsibility
• Competence in the expression of the Society's views to others through public speaking and other forms of communication
• Adequate time, financial and secretarial support for discharging the obligations of the office

Service as a Society Officer provides the opportunity to gain management experience, enhance career development, and network with peers on an international level. I can personally attest to the many benefits of serving as a leader in a volunteer organization. All of the benefits previously mentioned are real and enduring, but the best benefit of all is the sense of accomplishment I feel having been given the opportunity by our Members to serve as the leader of such a vibrant and forward-moving organization.

To each and every Member of ISA—I thank you for the opportunity to serve and I hope I represented you well.

ISA EXPO 2008 Wrap Up

Well…I am downright embarrassed at how long it’s been since I’ve written a blog entry. My apologies!!! I don’t have a good excuse, but I have been incredibly busy. I returned from ISA Expo in Houston to a round of sales meetings and lots of e-mail traffic regarding the decisions made by the Council of Society Delegates in Houston.

It is interesting that the feedback following the passage of ISA’s new legal name (International Society of Automation) pretty much directly reflects the input I received prior to the vote, which was also reflected in the vote itself. About 85% of our membership was/is in favor of the name change and have embraced the decision. About 15% of our Members were against changing the name and they remain vehemently dissatisfied with said change. As I have indicated in many messages sent directly to people who took the time to communicate with me—whether we agree or not—I am encouraged that people care and are passionate about their membership in ISA. It is a direct indication of the strength of the organization and a good indicator of our future potential!

Some other happenings in Houston: You may have seen the press release about the meeting with the Department of Labor to develop an Automation Competency Model. Walt Boyes from Control commented on ISA’s audacity to think they could write such a model…well never fear Walt, it was actually a group representing the Automation Federation that participated in the discussion and as one of those in the room, I can assure you that discreet as well as process was taken into account. I’m not sure the competency model is intended for international consumption—after all it, was developed with the US Department of Labor—but we would certainly anticipate it being a starting point for other models globally. To be fair, Walt did have one good point: we should be pulling in other organizations to make sure we are working towards a common goal rather than working in competition with each other.

Another important event that took place in Houston was the second ISA Executive Summit. This year’s luncheon was bigger than last year’s…and I don’t mean the food! Industry leaders were well represented and shared their perspective on how ISA could work with and collaborate with them to resolve common issues and advance the automation profession. In my mind three key points were made: 1) We need to glamorize engineering. Too many young people are getting degrees in business and finance expecting to instantly become a CEO. Engineering and technology needs Hollywood to hype the career path of engineers the same way they did Wall Street Analysts and Stock Brokers in the movies Wall Street and The Firm. 2) The current American education system does not produce graduates prepared for a career in Automation. Companies are left holding the proverbial bag to provide the training and education needed to fill the gaps. This leads to my last point: 3) Many companies (and ISA) are collectively spending millions supporting various educational institutions trying to get a modicum of time and attention on Automation. Perhaps ISA should lead the way to establish an Automation University, supported by the various companies already contributing to educational institutions in the hopes of getting better graduates…let the companies duke it out for the best graduates at the end. Hmmm….It’s certainly a thought. So what should the mascot be? I vote for Tiki!

ISA also had the annual Honors and Awards Gala. What a great event! My date, Tiki (pictured above), was a big hit. Even our Honorary Member Awardee, Margaret Walker, was intrigued by the cult following of Tiki and his many escapades. But on a more serious note….Honoring our peers is one of the most important things ISA does. The pride our Members and industry leaders show when accepting their honors is truly impressive and tells me just how important the recognition is. Not to mention the great band that followed the formal presentations—those of us with the energy had a great time dancing to the tunes of 11th Hour!

Overall I would say the Society considers all events in Houston a success. There were a few speed bumps along the way, but overall things went well and the Society continues to move in a positive direction.

As many of you know, my term as Society President is rapidly coming to an end. The ceremonial passing of the gavel has already occurred and activities are winding down as January approaches. It won’t be long now, and I will no longer have this forum for expressing myself. In many ways it will be missed, but then again­­—considering my track record of keeping up to date—that may be for the best!

But do not despair, you can still read my musings and thoughts on the Automation Federation Chairman’s Blog, soon to be located at www.automationfederation.org.

Proposed Dues Changes for ISA

Going home is always good. Last night I had the opportunity to return to my home town of Bakersfield, California, to attend the 25th Anniversary of the Southern San Joaquin Valley Section of ISA. The SSJV group is always a lot of fun to be around…You know you’re with a good group of people when they have board position titles like “Head Chef”!

Congratulations to the SSJV Section on 25 years! As with any Section, it waxes and wanes depending on the local economy (largely oil production), but the leaders always seem to keep the Section moving in a positive direction, even through downturns. Really a remarkable group!

The meeting was held at a favorite local restaurant, Luigi’s—famous for their wonderful Basque food, AND the many photos of local “celebrities.” I almost lost my appetite when I sat down to eat and staring me in the face was a rather large photo of my high school algebra teacher, Turk Eliades. Not-so-pleasant memories of mastering quadratic equations came back to me causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise! You see, Coach Eliades is legendary in Bakersfield for his sideline antics at Friday night football games. He had such a passion for the sport and coaching that he simply couldn’t contain himself. But if Turk had passion on the field, he had even more in the classroom. Eliades was (he’s retired now) one of those teachers that you hate at the time but come to realize the positive impact they have later in life. Turk never blamed a student for unwillingness or inability to learn—he blamed himself for an inability to teach and get through. I recall more than one instance of Mr. Eliades breaking down in tears of despair at not being able to get kids to understand the finer points of Trigonometry. I owe Mr. Eliades for teaching me algebra, but more importantly I owe him big time for teaching me the importance of passion.

Society Section Delegates have received their packets of information on all the agenda items which, in addition to the name change, include a dues increase and a reduction in the percentage of dues that is rebated to the Sections.

The dues increase is long overdue. The Society uses a formula (basically factoring in the cost of member benefits weighed with the CPI) to calculate when we should pull the trigger on a dues increase. According to the formula it should have been done several years ago, but the leadership of the Society was in the midst of adding some very worthwhile benefits (free standards downloads, access to all Expo and Symposia papers, etc.) and wanted the value to be present before raising dues. That was over two years ago. In addition to access to standards and papers, Division membership in two divisions will be included in the standard membership (an $18 value). By modifying our dues from $85.00 to $100.00 and including two Division memberships, many of our Members will actually pay less in the form of dues.

Currently 20% of member dues are rebated to the local Section of a Member. One quarter of this rebate is re-directed to the District a Member resides in to support regional activities and the District Vice-Presidential duties. The District funding is by choice and participation may be declined. There is a motion to reduce the percentage of the dues rebate to Sections from 20% to 15% and to eliminate the District “tax.” Please note that if the dues increase is passed, and a Section is no longer paying a quarter of that 20% to cover District funding, the actual funds that go to the section will increase:

($85 dues X 20%) – ($85 x 20%)(25%) =
$17 dues rebate - $4.25 district tax = $12.75 current dues rebate

vs.

$100 dues X 15% = $15.00 propsed dues rebate.

Districts will be funded by a standard Society budgeting process rather than having a separate pool of money. The reason for making this change is two-fold: First, we want to have our Sections (geographical entities) and Divisions (Technical/Industry Interest groups) on equal footing—both financially and with Members. Second, we want to be compliant with some of the rules and regulations that have resulted from Sarbanes-Oxley.

There has been a lot of e-mail traffic and discussion regarding the initiatives coming before the Council of Society Delegates. This is good. Even if I don’t agree with everything that is being said, I see it as a good omen for our Society that the discussions are taking place; however, I do feel the same despair as Turk Eliades when I see messages that indicate the Society has not provided leaders with adequate time to digest these issues. The information has been available since at least early June, and in most cases it dates back to January.

We may not all agree on the best path for ISA, but I do believe that we all have a passion for the success of the organization. So once again, your feedback is valued and I hope each and every member that reads this will throw in their two cents and not the proverbial towel!

Contact your Section delegate—or email me at isapresident@isa.org and I will forward your message to your delegate—to tell them your stance on the dues increase and Section rebate proposals.

For additional information about the proposed agenda items being brought before the Council of Society Delegates at EXPO this October, visit www.isa.org/mem/CSDFAQ.

Proposed ISA Name Change

Silence can be deafening.

To put it in automation “techy” terms: If you provide an input signal and get no output, something is wrong. This was brought to mind this week when I observed (thanks to many friends) an electronic dialogue regarding the proposed name change for ISA that is going to be brought before the Council of Society Delegates this October, as well as a few other key agenda items.

What really distressed me was the number of people who indicated that they have seen no effort by the Society leadership to promote the name change or any of the other agenda items. Huh?

I know that I and many of my Executive Board colleagues have been out promoting, informing, discussing, and dialoguing all year…How do we miss so many of our Members?

Well…I’ll take one more stab at it here and hope that the word gets out.

First: The name change.

I realize that changing the name of our organization is highly emotional for Members, especially those who have been around for a lot of years. The name and their membership is part of their identity; however, we need to recognize the massive changes that have taken place and reshaped our Society since its inception. We are no longer just instruments. Yes, instruments are an important part of any automation scheme or operation of plants, but we are more. Aren’t we?

We are no longer just Instruments and Systems. These are also part of a grand scheme to automate a process…right? The current name is all inclusive and specific, but what happens when technology changes? What happens when science and technology advances beyond our wildest imagination? When “instruments and systems” no longer describes what we are doing? We need a name that is timeless and not tied to any specific technology or job function. Although many do not feel that automation describes what they do, does any other single term do a better job of embracing all of the members that make up our Society?

These questions are the real motivation behind changing the name. As an added bonus, the name becomes easier to explain to people “outside the inner circle” and we match up with our positioning as the voice of the automation profession and setting the standard in automation.

It is my fervent hope that when this name change is passed, ISA will not need to modify the name again until we colonize the galaxy and have to change it to the Inter-galactic Society of Automation.

Below is a FAQ sheet regarding the name change that offers even more information. I hope that everyone will take the time to read the information and make an informed decision about the future direction of the Society and its name.

PROPOSED BYLAWS CHANGE
RESOLVED: that Article I, Section 1, be amended to strikeout the words “ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society” and insert the words “International Society of Automation” and that the officers of the Society be authorized and directed to execute any and all necessary documents to affect the change of the Society name legally.

The amended bylaws would read (eliminations; new wording):

ARTICLE I - Name

1. The name of this organization is ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society International Society of Automation. The organization is a North Carolina nonprofit corporation and is hereafter referred to as the “SOCIETY” or “ISA.”


ISA PROPOSED NAME CHANGE FAQs

Q. Why is this Society name change being recommended?
This name change is being recommended to more accurately position the Society as the “Voice of the Automation Profession” worldwide. The definition of automation, as developed by the Society Leadership (see FAQ 3#), is much broader than just instrumentation and control systems.

Q. Why is the Society recommending this change after it was rejected in 2007?
The name change resolution was narrowly rejected at the 2007 Council of Society Delegates meeting. This was primarily due to an inadequate definition of the term automation and a lack of communication about the desire and need to make this name change. Since then, a major effort has been placed on creating an all-encompassing, mutually-agreed-to definition for the term automation (see FAQ #3). In addition, a further effort by the Society Executive Committee has endeavored to reach out to the Membership. Discussions on this topic were held during all District Leadership Conferences, Kim Miller Dunn has covered the name change in her BLOG, and references to the name change have been included in the summer issue of the Section Leaders Brief that is mailed to all identified Section leaders.

Q. What does the term automation mean in this context?
The Society Leadership has been focusing on defining this term since the 2007 CSD meeting. Their goal was to craft a definition that would be all-encompassing and would serve to expand the horizons of the Society. The following definition for automation is the final result that was vetted through multiple Member peer-review groups:

“Automation is the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production of goods and services.”

Q. What does this name change mean to me as a Member of ISA?
All of the activities, services, and product offerings of the Society will continue to serve ISA Members as before, but in an expanded capacity. In addition to providing Member value, the Society will be advancing the profession of automation and providing recognition for all who serve in this field. By representing the profession to the world at large, ISA will play a critical role in leading the profession into the future, and ISA Members will be at the forefront of this effort.

Q. Will this name change have any impact on Sections?
Possibly. As separate legal corporations, a Section determines its own legal name. An ISA Section is not required to change its legal name; however, the Society recommends Sections change their legal name to “International Society of Automation – xxxx Section.”

Q. Will the Society provide funds to help with Section expenses incurred with the name change?
Yes. Society funds of $250 will be made available, upon request, to Sections to help pay for any legal name change fees. All requests should be submitted to headquarters within six months following the announcement of a formal decision by the Council of Society Delegates.

Q. How will this name change be implemented?
The Society currently uses only the logo, letters “ISA,” and tagline, “Setting the Standard for Automation,” in published material; consequently, no major changes will be made as a result of this name change. Future campaigns will establish the Society as the voice of the automation profession on a worldwide basis.

Watch my blog for further information on other important agenda items coming before the Council of Society Delegates in October.

"Automation Olympics"

I love the Olympics. I love the pageantry. I love the world coming together for a positive event. I love watching heroes born and others taken down a notch. I sit mesmerized watching athletes defy gravity, speed barriers, physical limitations, and the human psyche. Summer, winter—it doesn’t matter. I save up my television viewing rights for 102 weeks just so I can monopolize the T.V. every two years during the Olympics (much to my family’s chagrin). It doesn’t matter the event…from the most commercially intriguing to the most obscure…I love the Olympics.

This year it’s been a little tough. Although events are shown “live” US East Coast time, they are delayed on West Coast time so that we can also watch them “live”—not real-time, but “live.” This means many of the medal round events are between 11 p.m. and midnight my time…long past my bed time; however, the dark circles under my eyes and occasionally dosing off during meetings at work is worth not missing events of the XXIX Olympiad!

Which brings to mind ISA’s own “Automation Olympics,” the Honors and Awards Gala—held in conjunction with EXPO every fall. If you open up the event program to the back, where you can peruse a listing of all award recipients since 1948, you come across a rather impressive list of names. Honorary members include Bailey, Behar, Rimbach, Sperry, Beckman, Draper, Packard, Hewlett, Bristol, Sprague, Hart, Fisher, Moore, Fluke, Parker, Bajek, Knight, Williams, and Gates (just to name a few). When you take a look at all 1400 award recipients from over the years, it is a very impressive list indeed. Yet, I wonder if we do enough? Do we honor enough of our colleagues? Do we promote the industry enough by recognizing the technical expertise and technology gains made by our fellow Automation professionals? Not by a long shot.

I recently received a communication from a member who expressed some concern that not enough awards are given out—that multiple recipients should be chosen in many cases. I agree. The problem is we don’t receive enough nominations. I must confess I have had little to do with our H&A program beyond making a few nominations the few times I’ve been able (serving board members are prohibited from submitting nominations). But I have been a huge supporter of the event and the program.

By definition, awards programs are long, can verge on boring, and are usually costly for attendees. But I wouldn’t miss our annual event for anything. I believe in my 20 plus years in ISA I have only missed two or three! The list of recipients is always impressive and it is nice to have an opportunity to rub shoulders with some very impressive personalities in the industry. This year is no exception. Just look at some of this year’s recipients:

http://www.isa.org/filestore/2008%20Honorees.doc

Some awards have gone unclaimed due to a lack of nomination submissions. PLEASE! If you are aware of a contributor to our industry worthy of recognition, make sure the H&A Committee receives a nomination on that person’s behalf. We have a great story to tell…we just need to tell it more often.

And now….back to the Olympics!