On 14-16 August, I attended the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) meeting in Washington, D.C. Over 550 people from licensing boards and various participating organizations (such as ISA) attended. In many ways, their annual meeting is similar to our Annual Leadership Conference.
The delegate meeting lasted 1.5 days (our leader meeting lasts only a half day), covered many more items, and drew a larger audience. Many proposed motions were included and accepted in a default ballot. Other items were discussed and voted on individually and some passed with little discussion or opposition, while some were debated on further and did not pass. During this meeting, I met leaders of professional societies of all sizes. All have concerns regarding licensure and regulation, hence their membership with NCEES and attendance at this meeting.
Many lawmakers are taking steps to weaken or eliminate occupational licensing laws across the country. Some believe that licensure limits business growth and competition. Unfortunately, these bills often make no distinction for highly complex, technical professions, resulting in the licensure of engineers being dragged into the fray. A consumer can verify the qualifications of a doctor or lawyer before obtaining their services. However, the same cannot be said of an engineer. How does one know that the high-rise building you are working in, the bridge you are driving across, or the plane you are flying in were designed by qualified engineers? Consumers often do not have the specialized knowledge needed to evaluate the qualifications and performance of these systems. These examples significantly impact the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
Enter the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL). ARPL is a coalition of national associations representing complex technical professions. Their goal is to lead with responsible licensing models that ensure the education, experience, and testing necessary to protect the public. To learn more about this organization, please visit www.responsiblelicensing.org
In 1945, more than a dozen individual, regional instrumentation societies decided to band together for the greater good into one single organization—the Instrument Society of America (ISA). Civilization, industry, and technology have evolved substantially in the past 74 years, and our Society has changed in response, including changing our name to reflect a broader geographic and technical focus. We will celebrate our 75th anniversary in 2020 by reviewing our heritage and looking forward to the future of the automation profession.
Eric Cosman will be the Society president next year. He has assembled a committee of volunteers and staff to plan commemorative activities and events throughout the year. We will share more detailed information as it becomes available, beginning at the Annual Leadership Conference in San Diego. We encourage all sections, districts, and departments to help us celebrate.
The 2019 Annual Leadership Conference will take place at the end of October in San Diego, Calif. If you are currently an ISA volunteer leader in any capacity, or you are thinking of becoming one, please attend this meeting. There will be an orientation for new leaders, leader training sessions, business meetings, an awards gala, and even a party on the beach! The more you know about the Society, and the more leaders you meet and build into your network, the more effective you will become.
Would you like to attend the 2019 Annual Leadership Conference in San Diego? Click this link to get more information about the event, location and lodging information, special events and corporate sponsorship opportunities.