Reinbold Addresses GBA Leaders on the Year Ahead 

lreinbold

President Elect, Laura Reinbold, PE
Remarks to Geoprofessional Business Association
2016 Winter Leadership Conference

January 30, 2016
Herndon, VA

Welcome to the GBA Winter Leadership Conference. At this annual event our senior leadership of GBA, committees, and councils come together to complete the objectives of our current fiscal year and strategically set the course for next year. Thank you all for coming, donating a part of your weekend, and supporting our association.  I especially appreciate our Council and Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs.  Thank you for your leadership.

As we bring to a close 2015/16, we reflect back on a successful year. We effectively navigated the biggest change to GBA in its 48-year history: a transition from association management to self-management. This included the search and selection of our Executive Director, Joel Carson and the transition of BCI staff to GBA.  We are happy to have Barb Nappy, Sara Menase, and Phil Pettway on our staff and I would like to recognize their enthusiastic commitment to ushering GBA into a new era.

The past year has been successful for our committees and councils. You have accomplished what we do best, producing high quality materials and programs that are the signature of GBA.

Some of these include:

  • Publishing new CoMET tales and Case Histories,
  • Delivering exceptional Conference Programs,
  • Planning our Spring Crystal Ball Workshop
  • Developing our Council identity brochures
  • Creating web-based Project Management training,
  • Finalizing abundant Business Briefs and Best Practices, and
  • Refreshing and rebranding favorite documents, including the newly-popular “In-House Guide to Geoprofessional Report Review”.

We have seen unique local outreach as our External Relations Committee acted upon our Memorandum of Understanding with ASCE’s Geo-Institute in delivering GBA-branded business presentations to geoprofessionals in several locations around the United States.  This collaborative effort is making GBA a visible, personal experience for member-firm employees and non-members alike.  Ultimately, this is an effective and efficient effort which spotlights GBA and its benefits to all geoprofessionals.

It has been a very successful year.

In one sense, going forward will be business as usual.  Our focus on the production of materials and programs that provide high value to all member-firms remains constant.

Unique to 2016/17 is the context for this work: member growth and engagement.  As you plan together in your committees and councils, ask yourselves: “How does the work we do directly provide opportunity for member firms to more deeply and broadly engage with GBA and attract new members to our association?”

GBA’s Board of Directors is focused on growth.  We will build broader engagement of our member firms and make sure every employee of member-firms understands they are a member of GBA.  We are engaged in an aggressive campaign to attract other great geoprofessional firms to our association.  We are blessed to have an executive director with the passion and commitment to growth that began even before he assumed that role.  Joel has initiated an energetic outreach effort through personal and face-to-face contact that has produced, in a few short months, eight new member firms. It’s a strong start and a solid framework for growth that works.

And now, I’ve saved the best for last.  Our commitment to deeper engagement and growth is represented in the emergence of GBA’s third New Leaders Class. During this Winter Leadership Conference we ushered in a new class of high potential, future geoprofessional leaders under the guidance of Matt Poirier and Dan Cassidy.

I’d like to recognize these New Leaders and thank their firms for the investment in the future leadership of GBA.

  • Victor Barchers (Kleinfelder, Inc.)
  • Bryan Field, PE (Braun Intertec Corporation)
  • Michael Hutchinson, LG, LHG (GeoEngineers, Inc.)
  • EJ Barben (Gannett Fleming, Inc.)
  • Christopher Clarke, PE (Schnabel Engineering, Inc.)
  • Jeremy Cox (Strata, Inc.)
  • Scott Young (S&ME, Inc.)
  • Stephen F. Patt, PE (ECS, Ltd.)
  • Marcel Scheeff, PE (TTL, Inc.)
  • Paul J. Schmeisl, PE (SME)
  • Jessica Klein (DOWL)

On behalf of the GBA Board of Directors, I want to thank each of you for your hard work, dedication, and service.  We look forward to working with you today as we plan the future of GBA.  Together we will grow and have a more significant impact on geoprofessionals worldwide.  The future is bright!