Secretary/Editor
This is the first issue of The Delegates’ Voice to be sent to all House of Delegate representatives and all active members of AAPG. To the return readers, I will try to keep you coming back. To the new readers, welcome and we hope you return in the future.
As the secretary/editor for the House of Delegates, I would like to thank you for the honor of being elected. My duties until the next annual meeting in New Orleans include putting together three issues of The Delegates’ Voice, serving as chair of the Minutes Approval and Newsletter Committees and most importantly providing a critical communication link between you and activities within the House of Delegates, committees, regions, sections, and affiliated societies. Within each issue there will be a section dedicated to each of these. In addition, future issues will also include individual profiles on delegates and information on the next officer candidates. If you feel inspired to submit an article please do not hesitate to contact me .
The articles in this edition were written all across the globe and yet a few similarities carry through. The Imperial Barrel competition, which brings together students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, is indeed a global competition with teams from all sections and most (if not all) Regions for the first time this year. A second common topic is the positive discussions that occurred at the Annual AAPG Leadership Conference in Tulsa in August. If you have not had a chance to attend, I encourage those who might be interested in moving toward AAPG leadership and committee involvement to do so.
It is that time of the year, many faces of AAPG are changing, new officers, new committee chairs, and a growing number of new members from all over the world. I hope this issue has some noteworthy topics that will peak your interest in becoming more active with AAPG and the House of Delegates. I was elected at the meeting of the House of Delegates in Denver, after spending some time with Sigrunn who has left her mark of improvement of this publication; I look forward to putting together three appealing and informative issues.
An underlying theme for this issue is the face of change. What does the face of change look like to you? The change that has been discussed through several committees is the proposed changes in AAPG of the Global Corporate Structure. For an update on this face of change, please read the Constitution and Bylaws committee column written by John Hogg. AAPG is a global organization and will continue to grow to follow the strategic plan of the organization.
I myself represent a face of change in the House of Delegates, with just 11 years experience in industry and actively involved in AAPG committees and the House for the last five years. This is somewhat less than my distinguished predecessors. As I said in my election speech, I am humbled by the experience and breadth of knowledge of the AAPG members. It is up to each generation to rise to the level of those before us, learn from them, seek out mentors, and add creativity and energy to every interaction. I intend to bring this enthusiasm to my office for the House of Delegates.
I have never been one to be happy with status quo, change is what fuels new ideas. The changes that our industry has seen in technology alone are staggering. At the AAPG Leadership Conference a main focus was how AAPG Headquarters and Leadership can change to be more effective in their interactions. Several young professionals and student AAPG members attended the conference to give a voice to the next generation of geologists and the changes needed for their future organization. The change that we see in a positive direction is building on the shoulders and ideas of those that came before us. The true measure of success is not through re-invention rather through learning from the past, harnessing the knowledge of the now, and reaching for the goals of tomorrow.
Through the voice that this publication provides me (albeit brief) I hope to reach out to those who would like to be part of this dynamic global organization. I hope to reactivate some of the local societies who have not sent delegates to the annual meetings. I plan to meet new people, communicate new ideas, and bring together the many diverse voices of the House of Delegates in a meaningful way. I look forward to your feedback; please send your comments and/or stories on the face of change for AAPG.