Minnesota Chapter President Dave Hutton's: March 2010 Message

FELLOW MEMBERS

PLAY BALL !!
Spring is right around the corner as the Twins have started their spring training and we have a new season to be optimistic about. Daily we get reports from activities in Fort Meyers and we are all eagerly waiting to experience that first baseball game outside under a nice summer sky.

Likewise, your Chapters numerous committees have been very active this spring.

The Membership Committee has really “hit one out of the park” with their “scoring” a Public Works sponsored day at the Saints game. This came about as a follow up to Mr. Mike Veeck speaking at our fall conference and it should be a great event. And if you have ever been to a Saints game, you know that active fan participation is a prerequisite. Mark your calendars for June 25th. More details to follow. They are also planning the spring and fall golf outings and other technical tours for the membership.

Speaking of membership, one of my main platforms during my year as president is to “draft more rookies” into our organization. I’m speaking about getting more of our younger members (I’ll let you define what that is, but the absence of grey hair is a good start) involved in our committees and leadership positions. Especially our younger public sector representatives. So my appeal is if you know somebody that might fit that bill, encourage them to join a committee and become active

And of course our Conference Planning Committee has “closed out the game” on our spring conference and the final details have been completed. Now all that is left to do is make sure the weather is on the same page and that we don’t get “rained out” of our networking activities.

Of course, National Public Works Week is May 16-22, which is the week immediately following our spring conference. It is also the 50th year of NPWW. Our Public Awareness Committee is actively working on getting out ideas to members on how to celebrate this event and is also getting the governor to “throw out the first pitch” by hoping to get his annual public works week declaration signed.

And finally, “batting cleanup” our Awards Committee has successfully submitted 20 applications for national APWA awards and one agency, the City of Prior Lake, has already won an award for innovative snow and ice control techniques, which they will accept at the Snow Conference in Omaha this year. Outstanding.
It truly has been a great start to the “2010 season” as your committees have piled up the “wins” early in the season. So “get off the bench” and Be active. Be involved. Be engaged. APWA-MN is what you make of it !

Dave Hutton, Your 2010 President