Key initiatives for AAPG’s Young Professionals for the coming year were discussed at last year’s Young Professionals Leadership Summit in Boulder, Colo., where a number of breakout sessions involving AAPG leadership produced valuable results.
The Summit efforts are complemented by the results of a recent survey of Young AAPG Professionals, which received over 700 replies, helping to further define key issues that needed YP Committee focus.
Our primary goal for the coming year is to continue to work on retaining Student members after their graduation by creating a YP community across the entire membership. We have set up YP Chapters in several cities out over most Sections and Regions and are working hard to expand that network.
To help ease the transition from Student to YP status we also are creating jointly with the Student Chapter Committee a concept for YP outreach to Student Chapters. Details are currently being discussed, but it envisages YPs adopting a Student Chapter.
Furthermore, we are collaborating with the DPA to formulate a “Member-in-Training” concept that would provide a track for YPs to follow to DPA certification.
It was clear from the survey that many YPs are unaware of the Young Professionals Committee, nor have visited our website or Facebook page, which we recently redesigned to increase visibility and improve communication.
The survey also showed that YPs feel they play no role in the decision making of the organization; we are tackling that issue through recruiting YPs to committees where we had identified vacancies.
We also are working with Jeff Lund, chair of the AAPG House of Delegates, and AAPG Section/Region leadership to encourage the placement of YPs on the ballot for the next HoD election. Ryan Lemiski was the first to be elected to the HoD, and we hope there will be many more in the near future.
Finally, I would like to invite all YPs out there who want to contribute to what we are trying to achieve to get in touch with me or their Section/Region leads – and get involved!
Follow us online, on Facebook and in upcoming EXPLORER articles.
And of course we hope to see many of you at the ACE in Long Beach.