President's Message - January 2001

Welcome to a New Year and a new Board of Directors for the Detroit Chapter of IIE. I hope your holiday season was a safe and happy one. You should know that your new Board of Directors is hard at work making continuing to improve chapter operations and to serve the members even better.

The Board has already met twice this year. Some of activities have been administrative preparing documents for National, but we have also been defining the programs that will be delivered to our members. This month’s program on "The Language of Leadership" will be of great interest to IE’s and non-IE’s alike.

In addition we have identified other programs to serve our members, such as: Lean Manufacturing, The Harbor Report, Value Engineering, and Plant Tours. And a fresh idea we are developing is a summer golf tournament. The later half of the program year is still being finalized, so if you have special requests or interests please send an email to me through the chapter webpage.

Speaking of the internet, one of our new board members is the VP of Communication – Internet, Carolyn Neugyn. Carolyn has some ideas for the chapter website and we believe these will only assist us with serving our members better.

I would like to build on the excellent work of our past president by defining the following goals this year:

1. Focus on serving the needs of Detroit Chapter members
2. Continue to find innovative ways to reduce operating costs
3. Grow chapter membership retention and increase recruitment

The strategies that will assist with achieving these goals are:

• Develop quality monthly programs with meetings scheduled in advance to assist with members planning
• Continue to maintain an award winning newsletter and publish it every other month
• Continue and expand e-mail communications and improve our chapter website
• Develop and assist with a community service project
• Supply volunteer judges to ESD for the International Science & Engineering Fair at Cobo Hall
• Provide support and maintain quality contacts with our University Chapters

To make all this happen, your Board asks for your input and guidance. If you have any requests or interests please let us know, and, as always, we will gladly accept your help & support in achieving these goals or delivering these strategies.

Please contact me if you have any suggestions or input on the chapter website www.iiedetroit.org.

Past President's Messages