I am proud to have been elected the Bay Bridge Chapter President, and am fortunate to be supported by an excellent team of new and returning Officers and Committee Chairs, and also to benefit from the continued participation of our Past President, Jon Porterfield.

But as we begin the next term of our Chapter, we find ourselves in new, unexplored territory. The old rules and best practices don’t apply right now, so we have to make new ones, in hopes that we can continue to add value to our Member firms, and the A/E/C industry overall. All organizations and businesses are changing how they do things, and the BBC will be no different.

So in lieu of our in-person events, at least through the rest of 2020, we plan to roll out a series of online events in order to continue offering valuable content and information for our member firms and the industry overall.

My goals for my upcoming term include:

• Continue to stress diversity and inclusion by supporting our small firms, and help them connect with clients to grow their business, make new contacts, and add to their bottom line. Ensure that all our events have full representation by all.
• Build our Scholarship Fund in whatever way we can.
• Reach out to and support our Member firm’s emerging leaders, as well as connect with college students who have an interest in engineering and surveying to help them learn and grow. They are the future, at a time when the future is quite unclear.
• Familiarize our Member firms with their local government representatives and educate them on any current or upcoming legislation that might have an effect on their businesses.
• Do the unexpected. Think outside the usual “next slide” Zoom webinars, and find ways to replace the absence of face-to-face networking.

So, until brighter days come, stay well, keep healthy, wear your mask, and be safe out there.