December Letter from the President

It’s hard to believe that 2017 is coming to an end. This has been a year of change and progress for MSPE. We made some big decisions and some not so big, but all important to the future of the organization. Probably our most significant decision that will create change, was the decision to sell our headquarters building in Lansing. Believe me, this was not an easy or quick decision, but one that I am sure will benefit the organization in the future. As MSPE has changed over the years, so has the need for physical space. With the decision to sell behind us, we are moving forward and will keep members posted on the progress of the sale. Another change for MSPE was the decision to move our Annual Conference down-state. For a number of years the conference was held at a Northern Michigan resort property. In 2017, we moved the conference to Ann Arbor and in 2018 it will be in Grand Rapids. Changing to a more urban venue gives us more opportunities and easier access for the majority of our members. In 2017, we also hosted three educational seminars that allowed attendees to obtain PDHs toward their license renewal. These seminars were presented in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Mt. Pleasant. With member service in mind, we redesigned our website with a more updated look and feel. We have also continued to increase our social media presence. If you are not following us on social media, please take a moment and find MSPE on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a great way for members to stay connected to the organization. In 2017, we also hosted 15 regional MATHCOUNTS competitions throughout the state, with over 1100 students representing 132 schools. This is a great program for middle school students and our members, once again, did an outstanding job organizing and running these competitions. As an organization, we have also continued to actively monitor and lobby for legislation that affects Professional Engineers in Michigan. In 2017, we co-hosted seven legislative Meet & Greet events to welcome new legislators and give them an opportunity to learn about the design professions. We also held our annual Legislative Day in March. Through our Political Action Committee (PAC) we contributed approximately $4,000 to various legislative campaigns. I’m sure there were other things that happened during the year that I missed, but with 2017 coming to a close, I think we are well-positioned to continue forward progress in the new year. The Board of Directors is committed to creating a healthy organization that will be sustainable into the future. I’m looking forward to 2018 and what it will bring. As always, if you have suggestions or concerns, feel free to contact me or Shada Biabani, our executive director. Happy Holidays!