President's Preamble
Dear Fellow NWEA Members,
As you may have heard already, our good friend and NWEA President Stephen Long was in a motorcycle accident this past month. I am extremely pleased that I can report that Stephen is on the road to recovery. Stephen has a great passion for NWEA and his profession, which I admire (as I am sure others do too). We all look forward to his full recovery and return to work.
Since Stephen is currently unavailable to report NWEA happenings to the membership, I am pleased to provide you with a report on his behalf.
Safety Message
First, I’d like to take the opportunity to talk safety. Maybe you have started a new job with field work or have moved to a new location - have you ever wondered where to look online to find information on safety and health hazards? No need to wonder again, the OSHA website has fact sheets which may be useful! Check them out at http://www.osha.gov/pls/publications.
Tri-State Seminar on the River
The Tri-State Seminar on the River was held on September 28-30, with participation of 1,380 attendees and 205 exhibit booths. The number of attendees and booths were both an increase from last year! Next year’s seminar will include specialty classes and the call for papers for 2011 will be coming out soon. Thank you to our NWEA members that worked so hard to make this seminar a success! More information of what is happening with Tri-State will be posted on their webpage: http://www.tristateseminar.com/
Certification Board
For some additional great news, the NWEA certification contract with Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) was signed and approved by the Board of Examiners on October 12, 2010! The new contract goes into effect starting November 1, 2010. Our Certification Board worked very hard on the proposal and I think they should all be recognized for their efforts. Congratulations to a job well done!
2011 Annual Conference
The NWEA Annual Conference 2011 is scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, May 17-19, 2011 at Sam’s Town Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The conference planning team is moving forward with developing the call for papers, vendor arrangements, and conference program. Similar to previous years, the program will include technical sessions and training classes, which will serve as a great opportunity to earn professional development hours (PDHs) for your certification and license renewals! Save these dates in your calendar and stay tuned for more details on our website.
Committee Reorganization
Over the past year, the NWEA Board and Committee Chairs have been hard at work looking at ways to reorganize the committee structure as a means to better serve our membership. The new committee structure will be rolled out soon and will provide opportunities for more members to become involved in organizing and participating in NWEA activities. It is an exciting time for you to become involved! If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please feel free to contact me at angela.i.mackinnon@mwhglobal.com. Upcoming newsletters will provide details on our new organization.
I hope that everyone is enjoying this wonderful fall weather. Please stay safe and have fun!
Sincerely,
Angela MacKinnon
President-Elect