Passion for Association

Your ISA leadership came together for a two-day training program at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park. These leaders donated their time and effort to gather and learn how to make this society even better in the coming years. They traveled from all over to attend this event. These people are remarkable. They gave of their time to participate in something good. They spent hours and hours listening to presentations, debating, and discussing the problems and issues that confront our society.

I want to report to all ISA Members that you should be proud of your society level leadership. These people are passionate about your association. To a person, they want a better ISA for everyone. Please just think about this for one minute. With time constraints pressuring each and every one of us, these leaders spent an entire weekend dealing with ISA business and information.

We spent time in our training sessions learning about those things that may affect the society now and in the future. We learned about the inner working of ISA starting at the organization chart. That diagram was one of the first things that caused me to join ISA in 1985. Back then the Member was the top level block of the chart. Well, guess what, the Member is still at the top. That alone says volumes about your society. We learned what it means to be a global society and how to operate in an ever changing world.

We touched on something that must be considered to entice the younger potential member, Web 2.0 and similar contemporary technology. We discovered that ISA should embrace this technology, to serve our membership, young and old.

I believe we all left RTP with a sense of purpose that will drive the Executive Board throughout 2009 and beyond. Each and every leader has a passion for ISA that motivates them to first become leaders, and second to strive to become better leaders.

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a focused, effective, driven, and professional group of people. Through their efforts, and yours, our society will continue to be the association that is “Setting the Standard for Automation.”

-Jerry