I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your leadership this past year as Chair of ASQ Section 605 and your continued service to our members. It has been another excellent year making quality a local priority, organizational imperative, and personal ethic. You have exemplified this in the finest tradition of those who came before us.

ASQ 605 Members, 

Thank-you for entrusting me with the role of ASQ 605 Chair.

We have a fabulous year ahead of us!

We have many long time dedicated faces on our board this year, as well as several new board members I would like to welcome. Our Section has once again been recognized with the Total Quality Award as well as the Gold Excellence Award at the ASQ World Conference this year, and we expect to continue that tradition going forward.

This year, I would ask that you join me in four critical achievements I would like to see in our future for 2010/2011:

I have included some thoughts below regarding each of these achievements and hope that you will contribute your thoughts as well so that when we complete strategic planning over the next 6 weeks we will focus on the areas that have the interest of members who are ready to step into leadership roles.

We have made it easier to participate from a distance over the last year with most Board Meetings conducted on-line. We welcome leaders to join with our already active volunteer base from areas to the north of Sacramento , in the Sierras, or closer to the coast to broaden our ability to benefit everyone who maintains membership in the ASQ Section 605.

If you are willing to join with us in some of the opportunities below, please contact me at Chair@ASQ605.org.

We live this mission through the efforts of volunteers. If you have been a volunteer for ASQ 605, you make our dinner meetings happen, maintain our website and job board, offer educational opportunities, and connect us to our community. Our mission is the timeless reason we exist.

We know we can improve, and with input from you, both as a member and as a volunteer, we will be well focused for excellence in our operations over the next year.

Many have been impacted by the economy, and not just at ASQ. Even those leading several top professional associations in Northern California have spent time out of work. If you have been in a difficult professional situation recently, you know the critical role networking can play.

You may be aware that one of our past Board Chairs, Jerry Mairani, rose through ASQ regional and national leadership to serve as President of the global organization. He has once again joined our board, with specific interest in connecting the many quality and professional organizations which share ASQ's passion for excellence. This is a personal interest of mine as well.

We are not the only professional organization which sees the coming opportunity. Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting for the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute where I am also a member. Like ASQ 605, PMI has targeted outreach to other organizations to expand the reach of its members.

With your help, we will collaborate with Northern California quality, engineering, and professional associations to create opportunities to network outside our normal circles and attract the industry leaders who will need your experience and knowledge as our region emerges from its current challenges.

Since early 2009, I have been in contact with a number of ASQ Section 605 members outside of the Sacramento area to find a way to create offerings within their reach. We need your help to achieve this. We have speakers willing to lead events, perhaps at Chico State or at other venues. We have a track record of successful events in Sacramento . For local events to become a norm for our broad section, we need a local person to take the lead and form a committee to make this happen.

We also have learned from the experiences of other geographically large sections that on demand or live on-line educational opportunities have been greatly valued by their membership, and have been offered at very low cost. To their surprise, they have found that participation in these sessions was as popular with members near normal section events as it was with those who live and work in remote parts of their section. As with the coordination of events outside of the immediate Sacramento area, delivery of this capability will require a team of new volunteers willing to focus and make it happen.

For quality to thrive, the next generation of quality professionals must be reached. ASQ has an Affiliate Program active in many Universities, however, to my knowledge none of the local universities have an active Affiliate Program. One successful Affiliate Program is in Southern California at CSU Northridge. I had the opportunity to meet a number of student leaders and their mentors at the ASQ World Conference and I must say I was impressed.

They understand the role quality will play in their careers and were stepping up to leadership opportunities with the national organization which will provide a tremendous boost to their careers as they graduate. In the present economic environment that could be the difference needed to land a professional job. CSU Sacramento, UC Davis, Drexel, Chico State , Los Rios Community College District, and other institutions would benefit greatly from a chartered Affiliate Program. Again, this cannot be achieved without a volunteer to lead the effort for each campus. If this is an area of passion for you and you are willing, please step into this role for an institution you care about.

Please join us in one of these initiatives. These are not achievements that cost a lot of money. In fact, it would be difficult to achieve them with any amount of money without your participation to make them happen.

I am excited about the coming year and look forward to what we will achieve together.

Chair, ASQ Section 605