By Michael Pearsall, P.Eng., CVS, FEC – President, SAVE International
Being a Global Society
This past month I had the pleasure of briefly meeting with the SAVE International affiliates. We seem to get busy with other activities and only have these meetings once or twice a year and that needs to change. I can’t overstate the importance and value of the affiliates in addition to the agreements we have with other value societies around the world.
There is no way that SAVE could truly be a global society without strong affiliates, chapters and other partners throughout the world. What is more important to me though is that it is a two-way partnership with something to gain on both sides of the table.
It is about much more than sharing the SAVE Certification Program. While having an internationally recognized certification is mutually beneficial, there are other tangible benefits. Firstly, I think SAVE in North America can learn a lot from how a couple of our affiliates handle mentoring. Secondly, I think we could all benefit from a bit more sharing on different uses of the Value Methodology (VM). It is very interesting to meet with the affiliates and talk to one who is very strong in manufacturing, another strong in government work, one is strong in the service industry and another strong in civil construction. You can’t help but think how much stronger we would be in general if we could help strengthen each value society in all of these areas. The most important thing we should ask when we meet with each other is “How can we help you?” and mean it from both sides of the table.
I want to give special thanks to Dorine Cleton for helping us connect with the affiliates and all of our global partners over the past two years. Sadly, I was reminded this month that Dorine’s time on the SAVE Board and her role as the Director of Global Affairs is coming to an end. Dorine fit the role very well and has made some important changes and progress in helping SAVE better connect globally. She will certainly be missed by many. I know we all wish Dorine the best in the next chapter of her career.
The SAVE Board slate of candidates for election is out now for voting – please cast your vote! This year is particularly important as we are considering a proposal to expand the SAVE Board and start having dedicated positions from key areas of the world. Right now, you are only voting to fill the two vacant Director positions on the existing Board; however, the results will contribute to our next steps in how we change the Board to better represent our membership.
Finally, our 2022 Value Summit is only a month away now. Hopefully you have registered, reserved your hotel room and booked your flights – I have. I am now getting more excited by the day to see all of you in-person. I urge you to check out John Corcoran’s Value Summit article for more details on the 2022 Value Summit to be held live, in-person this June in Arizona.
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