For those who have been following "The Accidental Leader" from the start, the story of my rise to leadership in the Baltimore Chapter of CSI was pretty well by accident. If you scroll back to 2006 in the archives on the right hand bar, you can read what happened.
As I worked my way through being 1st Vice-president and then Chapter President in 2006 through 2008, I made a great number of acquaintances and friends both regionally and nationally through CSI. I found that many folks in leadership roles were watching what me and others in Baltimore were doing, particularly as it related to us hosting the CSI National Convention in June 2007. One of those was Walt Marlowe, our former Executive Director and CEO. In the spring of 2008, Walt called and asked me to join the Strategic Planning Update Task Team (SPUTT). After learning more, I eagerly agreed to join the team.
What I found across FY2009 has led me to seek more leadership involvement in CSI. SPUTT held monthly conference calls and two face-to-face weekend meetings. I got to travel a bit and met some of the smartest and most thoughtful people I have ever known. Many of them are still my closest friends. Vivian and I continue to stay in touch while working together and with others to organize the Run CSI events at CONSTRUCT. When there was recent civil unrest in Baltimore, Mike reached out to make sure my family and I were safe. In a very short time, I made some life-long friends because of my work on SPUTT.
We also made a difference in CSI for the next five years and beyond. It was hard work, but it was and continues to be immensely rewarding. This past spring, I ran for Institute Director from the Middle Atlantic Region. Part of my elections page bio was to describe how I would contribute to the mission, values and goals of CSI. Having help craft that document, I could see very clearly how I could help. I was incredibly proud to state in my bio that I had helped create the mission, values and goals statements of CSI!
As the work of SPUTT came to an end in the spring of 2009, I asked the Institute President-elect where I could help during his presidency. He said, "wherever I wanted to help." I chose the Awards Committee. I had been involved in our chapter awards for some time and that seemed like a great place to start. I must confess, I had some trepidation that I would volunteer for a higher profile committee like Technical or Education and get turned down. Awards seemed safe.
During FY2010, I got to know several people on the committee, even though we did not have a face-to-face meeting, only conference calls. I found the committee work to be exhilarating and incredibly challenging. That challenge increased in FY2011 when we completely re-wrote the Honors and Awards Program, almost from scratch. Two of my closed friends were on that committee. One of the great thrills in my CSI career was to write a letter of endorsement for my friend Jonny's Fellowship Nomination and then be in the room when she was elevated to Fellowship!
After three years under Jonny's able leadership, she stepped aside as Awards Committee Chair and I assumed that role. I'm ending my third year as Awards Committee Chair and am moving on to my next role. In six years on the Awards Committee, I have interacted with many people, both on the committee and not, and have found the entire experience to be immensely rewarding.
CSI is looking for smart, hardworking volunteers for committee roles. If you're reading this, you fit that bill! I don't write that flippantly: if you found this blog and are taking the time to read it, you are the type of volunteer CSI needs. You care about CSI and the construction industry. We need folks to be on the Education Committee, the Jury of Fellows, the Technical Committee and the Specifier Editorial Advisory Board. You can learn more by clicking here: https://portal.csinet.org/Committees/Volunteer/Form.aspx?uid=ef098b63-d4ae-41ec-b432-c081e425e8bb
I strongly urge you to consider volunteering for committee work. The deadline for volunteering is Friday, May 22, 2015. You will meet some of the smartest and most hardworking people in our industry. You will perform some of the most important and gratifying work that you can imagine. If you have any questions, please contact me through this blog or at mkemp@designcollective.com CSI needs you and you can make a difference!
