What a great 2019 ASSE International Annual Meeting, a co-located event with our parent organization, IAPMO! The membership bases may be somewhat different between the two organizations, but there is a distinct connection between us in the plumbing and mechanical industries and attendees discovered that they have much in common.
ASSE International has continued to grow and expand during the past year, exceeding expectations in a number of areas. There are various ways to measure growth in an organization, such as looking at the bottom line or membership numbers, but this year I took notice of our professional staff. When it becomes difficult for staff to keep up with the day to day tasks, additional staff must be hired. This is exactly what has happened during the past year and I want to welcome all of our new staff to the organization. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I also want to thank our existing staff for their dedication and hard work during the past year and I anticipate you will be welcoming more co-workers in the future.
In August, I was given the opportunity to assist staff when visiting classrooms during the United Association Instructor Training Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was overwhelming to see the number of individuals attending the professional qualifications courses for backflow, medical gas, plumbing service, water quality, and infection control, among others. These trained instructors will now be able to bring this knowledge home and certify hundreds of new individuals. Working with the United Association as a strategic partner has proven invaluable to the expansion of our professional qualifications programs and they truly assist us in fulfilling our motto, “Prevention Rather Than Cure.”
