It was 1991 and I got a tap on my shoulder. Dr. William Roggenthen, the head of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and my professor, asked me what I had going on tomorrow afternoon.

“Nothing, what can I help you with?” I said.

He responded something to the effect, “I am going in the field tomorrow and I need someone to be a pack mule to help carry gear. It will be a great learning experience.”

“Sounds great, what are we going to be doing?” I asked.

“You’ll see. Bring a camera,” he answered with a smile.

The next afternoon I hopped into the university van with my hiking boots strapped tightly on and off we went. About 40 minutes later and 25 miles down the road, we pulled into the parking lot of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. An armed park ranger met us near a trailhead and we geared up. Or, I should say, I loaded up with cables and ground-penetrating radar equipment.

Over the next half hour or so we hiked straight up the flank of the mountain and Dr. Roggenthen explained what we were going to be doing. The National Park Service had asked him to map the fracture network on the top of the monument using near-surface, non-destructive seismic techniques. Freezing water in a fracture could expand and cause potential stress and damage to the stone head carvings. It was important to map these fractures so that they could be filled with a compound to prevent water intrusion.

Saying ‘Yes’ Created An Experience

By saying “yes” to Dr. Roggenthen’s request for assistance, I had an up-close and personal experience of a lifetime. I learned that there is a chamber carved behind the monument that was once going to be finished to house archives. I learned that President Abraham Lincoln’s nose is slightly pierced. When they were carving his face, they slightly overdrilled. I also learned that President Thomas Jefferson’s lip has a keystone carved repair patch: a piece of his lip fell off when his visage was being carved and it was repaired through pragmatic artisan creativity. The back of the presidents’ heads actually look like a golf ball. Lastly, I learned that mapping fractures in the very acoustically-fast Harney Peak Granite is not easy.

What ‘Yes’ Means At AAPG

Many of you have said “yes” to joining or renewing your AAPG membership, and for that, we thank you. Recently, some of you have also said “yes” to connecting with our customer experience team. Whether you’ve reached out about membership, registering for IMAGE, accessing a publication, or navigating one of our newer digital platforms, you have likely interacted with someone on our team. These conversations happen every day through phone calls, emails, and live chat.

One of the benefits of our new digital environment is that we can better understand how we’re doing. We now collect customer satisfaction (CSAT) feedback after our member interactions. These quick scorings give members an opportunity to tell us about their experience. They also can tell us where we have recurring deficiencies that require interventions and improvements. I want to share a few comments that have particularly resonated with me.

  • “The live agent was very prompt and got my problem resolved in a matter of minutes. Nicely done.”
  • “Friendly, polite, accurate explanation. Thanks!”
  • “I thought that the response from the AAPG was prompt, accurate and allowed me to weigh options and select one that was good for me in a timely way. I appreciated the professionalism!! Thank you.”
  • “Thank you so much for sponsoring my student membership.”
  • “This was handled quickly and easily. Thanks for making it such an easy process for us!”

I am proud of the people behind these comments. Our customer experience team consists of just four individuals, supporting an Association of more than 10,000 members. They come to work each day because they care about AAPG, our members, and the work we do together. I want them to continue feeling that way.

Listening Changes Conversations

Of course, not every interaction begins on a positive note. We know that some members have experienced frustration, particularly as we introduce new systems, processes, and ways of accessing member benefits. Change can be difficult, and when something doesn’t work as expected, that frustration is understandable. What I’ve found encouraging, however, is how often a personal conversation can change the experience entirely.

When a member is particularly frustrated, I, our head of membership, or our head of customer success will sometimes reach out personally. These conversations give us a chance to listen, better understand the issue, and explain what might be happening behind the scenes. Sometimes we discover something we need to fix. Other times, we simply need to help someone understand why a process works a certain way or introduce them to an option they didn’t know existed.

And quite often, the tone of the conversation changes. What began as frustration becomes a productive discussion, and sometimes even an expression of appreciation.

That brings me back to Mount Rushmore. From a distance, I had one understanding of the monument. But getting up close revealed an entirely different perspective, including details, challenges, and extraordinary work that weren’t visible from below.

I think the same can be said of AAPG. Not everything happening behind the scenes is immediately visible to our members. And not every challenge our members experience is immediately visible to our staff. It’s only when we take the time to connect that we begin to see the fuller picture.

That doesn’t mean we will always agree or that every problem can be solved immediately. But I believe we can approach those conversations with mutual respect, patience, and a willingness to understand one another.

Setting Expectations

Our members should expect professionalism, responsiveness and genuine care from AAPG staff. And I believe our staff deserves that same respect in return. These are talented, dedicated people, and I want them to come to work each day feeling good about what they do and the members they serve. They should never be brought to tears because of poor behaviors.

So, my invitation is simple: Say “yes” to the conversation.

Ask questions. Share your frustrations and your ideas. Give us the opportunity to listen, explain and, when necessary, make things right. We are a community of geoscientists and industry professionals united by a shared commitment to advancing our profession. The way we treat one another should reflect that commitment. Whether we’re interacting with fellow members, volunteers, or AAPG staff, each of us has an opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism, respect, and collegiality that have long defined our association.

After all, sometimes the best way to appreciate the bigger picture is to get a little closer, live the reality, and form an opinion grounded in an experience.