MSPE Members, We hope everyone had a safe 4th of July! It is my pleasure to send you this message as the new Executive Director of MSPE. I am part of the Gaches, Braden & Associates team, which has been retained by the MSPE Board of Directors to provide full association management services for MSPE. As you know, MSPE President Michael Purol announced changes within the office staff, which included the choice to mirror other SPE organizations, which efficiently use an association management firm. The concept of an association management firm may be foreign to some. In short, we provide full association management services, including strategic planning and management, communications, event planning, as well as marketing and financial management to clients. We do this for over twenty nonprofit associations, societies and foundations across the country. Of particular interest to you, Gaches, Braden & Associates has provided association management and lobbying services to the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers and its 501(c)(3) foundation, the Engineers’ Foundation of Kansas, for more than twenty years. GBA has also provided association management and lobbying services for ACEC of Kansas for more than fifty years. In addition, our firm manages leadership programs for several ACEC states, including ACEC of Missouri’s Future Leaders Academy. We have worked with many MSPE leaders for years, including Bruce Wylie, who’s knowledge has been instrumental in our transition. Gaches, Braden & Associates has a staff of eleven that specializes in specific areas of association management. Several of these employees will work as MSPE staff to complete a robust scope of services outlined by the MSPE Board of Directors. Please reference the “Meet Your MSPE Staff” section that was circulated earlier this month for specific staff roles. We are excited to continue the great work provided by Bruce, Cherie and Stacey over the years that make MSPE a strong association. As mentioned, we have years of experience in the SPE (society of professional engineers) world, with great relationships with NSPE. Our staff has had the pleasure of serving on NSPE’s first and second membership model taskforces, which will keep July 16, 2018 MSPE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE “Working for You” MSPE MEMBERSHIP ALERT MSPE firmly in the loop on the sequence of changes. We plan to use all of our knowledge and relationships to ensure MSPE has as smooth of a transition as possible as NPSE’s new membership model took effect on July 1st. This means all two-tier associate members (MSPE & Chapter) as of June 30th will be grandfathered in as associate members. Another important change is the fact we will not be able to enroll any new “state only associate members” after July 1st. New members that sign up on July 1st or after will become three-tier members. As part of the new NSPE membership model, membership dues drop from $360 down to $299, a net savings of $61! That equates to a 17% decrease in dues cost! NSPE is still considering adding a government rate in the near future. More information will be shared as it becomes available. Speaking of NSPE, don’t forget to add their annual conference in Nevada from July 18-21st to your calendar. MSPE member Britt Smith is making a run for the Membership At Large seat on the NSPE Board of Directors! This position is elected by the NSPE House of Delegates. Our own Gary Strack is concluding his term as North Central Region Director on the NSPE Board. We thank Gary for his service! MSPE just finished its 2018 conference at the Camden at the Lake Resort. This was a great event at a beautiful venue. We want to thank every member, sponsor and volunteer that helped make this conference a success. We will be sharing the 2019 date soon, so be ready for another great conference! Fall PDH Days will be here before you know it. We will have details out very soon and hope you can attend! Over the next couple weeks, you’ll notice an increased presence on MSPE social media. Please follow or “like” us, as we can use this as a tool to share information and attract interest in the association! Please “share” it! The legislative session has concluded, though the transition in the Governor’s office will keep an active buzz in Jefferson City. We would like to thank the lobbying team at the Statehouse and look forward to their continued work for MSPE and ACEC of Missouri. This is a critical function of MSPE. Through the transition, our Board of Directors will be meeting more often to handle association business. The Board recently approved a budget that forecasts income and expenses for the next fiscal year. A lot of planning goes into budget forecasting so we can make sure the books balance for the association. It goes without saying, but a primary goal for us is membership growth and retention. If you know of any licensed professional engineers that are not members, please encourage them to join! Thank you again for your support. Travis Lowe