President’s Message September 2021

How did September sneak up on us already!!? It seems to happen quicker every year, but this time of the year is truly amazing in our region of the world. The fall foliage and brisk temperatures are going to be welcomed by many after drought conditions followed by heavy rains sweeping through much of the region this summer. It was without a doubt a feast or famine year regarding precipitation.
The turning of the calendar also signifies a proximity to winter months. This winter will be unlike any other for the Great Lakes IECA as we will be the host chapter for the 2022 IECA International Tradeshow. A few noteworthy facts about this conference:
*This is the 50th Anniversary Conference.
*This is the first time the Conference has been hosted in the Great Lakes Chapter.
*This will be the first in-person conference since the Region 1 and 2 reunification.
*This will be the first all-encompassing international IECA conference in several decades.
*The Great Lakes Chapter is sponsoring the welcome reception at Brit’s Pub and the Scholarship winning Student Housing
*The Great Lakes Chapter has our first University Partner – Dr. John Chapman of the University of Minnesota – Congrats and thank you! We look forward to working with you and the U of M students!
Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) is co-sponsoring the event.

There is certainly quite a bit about this conference to get excited about. Most importantly I am looking forward to seeing everyone in-person again. The virtual conference this year was without a doubt a great success, but few things can replace the face-to-face interactions and discussions with likeminded peers during the IECA Conference.
Enough about the impending conference as we will likely be talking about how successful and fantastic it was for the next 50 years… The Great Lakes Chapter Board has been hard at work planning and creating additional committees to ensure Great Lakes Members A) get value from being a chapter member and B) have the ability to participate. Below are brief descriptions and introductions to the newly formed committees. Feel free to reach out to myself or the committee chair if you would like to participate in any of the committee meetings and truly make a difference in our chapter!

Education Committee
Membership Committee
Partnership Committee

With so many great events and opportunities on the horizon, it is hard not to be excited. I want to thank you all for your support and membership and we look forward to a great year ahead!

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