President’s Letter to Membership, May 2023

I am honored to be the next GBA President. This is a wonderful organization with more than 50 years of history. Many individuals have held this presidential role, and they have each made their unique mark to further GBA’s mission and purpose. I am hopeful to live up to their example, and to leave GBA just a little bit better when my term is over.

GBA’s current Strategic Plan focuses on three key objectives to bring value to our member firms, including:
• Embrace the Future and Champion Change,
• Accelerate Leader’s Success, and
• Forge Fiercely Loyal Relationships.

The Board of Directors and our Committees have made great strides towards accomplishing numerous goals under these objectives over the past two years, and we have just one more year left to make our mark. As I begin my presidency, I want to springboard from our current momentum and finish this Strategic Plan strong! The GBA Board of Directors and I have discussed the remaining highest priority items to move forward this year—the ones that will have the most impact on our Association this year and for years to come. The two we plan to advance are:
• Career development resources under the Career Continuum concept, and
• Growth, support, and nurturing of GBA Peer Groups.

With extreme focus on these items over this next year, we will make an even greater impact on our organization going forward.

It’s an exciting time to be a GBA member and a geoprofessional.

• We recently held the 2023 Spring Conference in beautiful Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where the theme was Elevate Leadership. The conference was full of valuable presentations, workshops, Committee meetings, a Crystal Ball Workshop, networking opportunities with our colleagues and sponsors, and a beautiful awards banquet. The venue was amazing and once again the GBA staff outdid themselves with excellent planning and execution of this event.
• GBA Committees are meeting regularly to further their respective objectives for this year in support of the Strategic Plan. GBA has a total of 12 Committees with a variety of opportunities to get engaged in industry aspects that interest you. Not involved yet? Please consider this your personal invitation to join a Committee now!
• GBA is planning an exciting broadcast Conference event October 17 to 19, 2023. The theme of this conference is Elevate Geoprofessional Value: Advancing the Value of Our Businesses and Our Chosen Profession and it is sure to be full of valuable content that will optimize your business and reduce your geoprofessional risks.
• GBA’s 750+ resources are available in a variety of formats (videos, written documents, podcasts, presentations, webinars, peer groups, firm peer reviews, NEWSlog, Conferences, etc.) to help you personally and professionally. No other association focuses on leadership and business aspects of running successful geoprofessional consulting firms like GBA.

I’ve often said that there is something unique and special about GBA. If you attended GBA’s Spring Conference, you received a bottle of GBA Special Sauce to take home and add to your favorite dishes. The actual ingredients were listed on the side of the bottle, but GBA’s Special Sauce – the reasons that got me involved and kept me involved over the past 10 years – are as follows:

• Extreme sharing – We may be competitors in the marketplace, but when we gather together under the GBA umbrella, we put our heads together to improve our profession in a profound way.
• Friendly nature – I have made so many wonderful memories with my friends at GBA.

We’ve learned together, shared deep, meaningful conversations about work and life, and been open with one another unlike any other organization I’ve ever been involved with.
• We accomplish great things for our profession. GBA’s value is evident in every conference, publication, podcast, webinar, and NEWSlog issue.

Your Special Sauce ingredients might be similar to mine, or they could be different, too. Everyone gets involved and stays involved with GBA for unique reasons. All of these ingredients combine to make GBA’s Special Sauce, and it sure does taste good!

As you go about your business in the field, in the office, and on the road, think about the GBA Special Sauce ingredients you carry with you and how you can use them to benefit your business and elevate our geoprofessional industry overall.

Every GBA member brings a unique talent and personality to the Association, which makes our organization truly one-of-a-kind. Challenge yourself to get the most out of your membership this year by utilizing the numerous resources, joining a Committee, attending a Conference, and sharing your perspectives.

I look forward to accomplishing some amazing things with you this year. Thank you for entrusting me with the role of GBA’s President!