By JIM ZEBROWSKI, PE, ASPE President, 2022-2024
We’re into October and on the brink of ASPE’s biggest event, the 2024 Convention & Expo. In a little more than a week, we’ll be gathered in Columbus, Ohio to kick off everything. I mentioned this in my last article, but it will be a homecoming of sorts for me. My engineering career started in Columbus, and we lived there for 15 years.
I also mentioned that this column in ASPE Pipeline (reprinted with permission) will be my last as ASPE’s President. Before I launch into my farewell essay, I saved one follow-up from last month for this month.
The Value of ASPE Networking
In September, I related the parallels in my career advancement with my advancement as an ASPE member. It seemed clear to me that ASPE had helped me throughout my career. There was one event, however, that cemented the value of ASPE networking in my mind. I had been with an Atlanta MEP firm for 21 years and had become a partner. As it sometimes happens, a large national engineering company approached us and offered to take us into their fold. It was one of those offers we couldn’t refuse, so we accepted. As it also sometimes happens, large company strategy can dictate that payroll management outweighs experience and employee service. I was informed that I should retire—and in two months. Maybe I should have expected it, but to tell the truth, that blindsided me.
I was not quite ready for that, mentally or fiscally. I did have a plan for retirement, but it was a little longer-range than this. For the first time in 40 years, I had to dust off my resume and see who might be interested in hiring an older, but experienced, plumbing engineer. Fortunately, I had developed an extensive ASPE network.
Our youngest daughter was married in December of that year. One of the invited guests is one of my closest friends, who I’d met through ASPE. To maintain anonymity, let me just say that this individual is a member of the Cleveland Chapter and is a Past President of ASPE. Sometime during the reception, I happened to lament my professional plight to my friend. He listened and expressed his sympathy. At the time, I didn’t realize how sincere his sympathy was.
A week or two later, my friend called and said he had gone to his department head and mentioned me. It’s a very large A/E company, and they were either very busy or very desperate. My friend asked if I’d be interested in talking with the department head about joining the company’s Cleveland office, while working remotely from Georgia. There was a lot to discuss and a lot of logistics to work through, but to cut to the chase, I was hired and started to work in January.
For that selfless act, I am forever grateful to my ASPE friend. There is a clear lesson to this parable: establish and maintain your ASPE networking.
Thank You!
My tenure as ASPE President will come to a close when the 2024–2026 Society Board is sworn in following the election at the Convention. This will be my last post in ASPE Pipeline. I’d like to take this time to reflect on my term as President and on the Board of Directors. I have worked in the best interests of our Society and its membership. My first term was as Region 3 Director in 2012. In the 12 years since, I have learned much, met many people, made new friends, and owe thanks to quite a few.
- Listen to Zebrowski's Oct. 2022 appearance on HPAC On The Air.
Attempting to thank everyone by name can be dangerous (not to mention tedious), as there’s a strong likelihood that someone gets left out. Since it’s my article, I am going to take that risk, and since you’re already a captive reader, sorry, you’ll have to endure the tedium.
I have to start with family first. First of all, I want to thank my parents for guiding me through those early wonder years. I do wonder how I made it, but I guess through osmosis, I picked up their best qualities. They may be gone, but they live on in me and my family. “Cúirtéis and dziękuję, Mom and Dad.”
For most of my life, my ultimate inspiration has been my wife, Terry. She has been there for me every step of the way for the past 50 years. To simply say “thank you” will never be quite enough. Along with her, our daughters Kate, Ann, Denise, and Maggie have also supported me, my career, and my ASPE family. They have made it easy for me and kept me going. Thank you and all my love, ladies.
To my first boss in engineering, thank you to the late, great Gerrit Van Straten. Thank you for taking a chance on an inexperienced draftsperson. I learned much under your watch.
Next up are my ASPE connections. There are many to list here, so let me see if I can organize them. From my home Atlanta Chapter, I want to thank the first President I served with, Bill Stewart, FASPE. Thanks also go to my long-time cohort, Steve Mastley, FASPE.
I owe thanks to two individuals for nudging me to serve at the Society level. One is past President Julius Ballanco, PE, CPD, FASPE, for suggesting I join a Society committee (or two). The second is my predecessor as Region 3 Chair, the late Dave Anelli, FASPE. My wife, Terry, and Dave co-conspired to get me to run for his office with the Board.
I have borrowed from a number of influential leaders over the years, but I do have to mention one in particular by name. He is also a Past President, and over the years, we have become close friends and then coworkers. Thanks to Mitch Clemente, CPD, FASPE, whose thorough and even-handed leadership style has both amazed and inspired me.
I have served with six different Boards, under three different Presidents. I’ll offer a collective thanks to the first five groups, but I do want to cite the individuals who served on the 2022–2024 Board of Directors. They are VP Technical Blair Minyard, PE, CPD, CPT; VP Education Bryan Hutton, CPD, MBA; VP Legislative Brianne Hall, PE, CPD, ASSE 6060; VP Membership Jason McDonald, CPD, FASPE; Treasurer Vinny Falkowski, PE, PMP, CCM; VP Affiliate Tom Sharp; Region 1 Director Paul Freeman, PE, CPD; Region 2 Director Steve Kormanik, CPD, GPD, ASSE 6060; Region 3 Director Curtis Ray, CPD, FASPE; Region 4 Director Gwynne Morrison, CPD, GPD, LEED AP; Region 5 Director Nicholas Hipp, CPD; AYP Liaison Nikita Patel, PE, ASSE 6060; and soon-to-be-announced WOA Liaison Sarah Balz, PE, CPD, GPD, LEED AP. They have kept me in line for the past two years and have kept ASPE in high gear moving into the future. Thanks to each of you for a job well done and for the friendships we have forged.
While some have come and gone in my time with the Board, ASPE’s Staff has always been there for me when I needed something. They are a very efficient group that works in overdrive to keep the ASPE machine on track. I see it from behind the scenes and remain profoundly in awe. Another collective thanks goes to the ASPE Staff, but again, I have worked with some individuals very closely whom I have to mention. Sr. Director of Affiliate Relations and Education Brian Henry stands out (and that’s literally) as we worked together planning seminars in the last four years. If I ever had a logistics question, Managing Director/Director of Meetings Cliff Reis has always been there with an answer and sometimes before I even asked.
Besides her many talents as Director of Communications, Marketing and Publications, I want to recognize and thank my Editor-in-Chief, Gretchen Pienta, for her continual vigilance (or was that censorship?), editorial prowess, and plain old encouragement to get my Keyboard articles into ASPE Pipeline.
I’d like to thank one more staff member. Another close friend, he and I go back many years. That’s ASPE’s Executive Director/CEO, Billy Smith, FASPE. In the past two years, he has supported me on a daily basis. Not a day has gone by that we haven’t communicated via phone, email, or text. He is the operational genius behind my tenure as President, setting up agendas for all of our monthly Board calls and our quarterly Board meetings. He keeps our Board on task, records meeting highlights, represents ASPE in way too many affiliated industry organizations, and always has the best interests of our organization in his actions. Thank you, Mr. Smith.
Lastly, I express my sincere thanks to the ASPE membership. I thank you for allowing me to serve as President of our Society these past two years. It has been a distinct honor and a highlight of my career. I will claim no personal credit, but ASPE is now stronger than it’s ever been. That is thanks to each one of you. Let’s keep that going and keep ASPE working for you.
Farewell
Right now, the Convention & Expo is on the near horizon. I hope to see all of you there. We’ve got the Business Meeting, the Expo floor, a full slate of sessions, and all of the evening festivities. I’ll be at all of them. Make sure to stop and say hello.
It’s time for me to park my keyboard and sign off one last time. Soon your new ASPE President will assume the controls of this ASPE Pipeline spot. I know Gretchen will help make the transition a seamless one. To all of you reading this, thank you once again.
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