Greetings CSI Memphis!
I am eager to begin my duties as CSI Memphis Chapter President for the coming 2018/2019 fiscal year. I have been a member of CSI for most of my professional career and I was a member of the CSI-S student chapter during my time in the University of Memphis Department of Architecture. I am an architect with HBG Design. When I first came to the firm back in 2013, I was encouraged to rejoin the chapter by Dennis Elrod. Upon rejoining, I began assisting Dennis as the Awards Committee Co-Chair. It was not long after that I officially became a member of the board.
I would like to thank our immediate Past-President, Julie Fleming, for setting such an excellent example as a leader. She and I have worked closely over the past two years and I’m thankful for the relationship we’ve cultivated and the shared vision we have for the Memphis Chapter of CSI. Our first meeting of the 2018 and 2019 fiscal year will be the annual Transfer of Power Board Meeting on Tuesday, July 9 at 5:30 PM at the LRK offices in 175 Toyota Plaza, Suite 500 in downtown Memphis. As we did last year, we will be opening the TOP Meeting to our general membership. If you would like to get involved with our chapter and make your voice heard, please plan on attending.
Pictured: Julie Fleming, Jeffrey Parnell, Trey Trahan, Michael Riscica
I’ve been planning out the next fiscal year’s gatherings and I am hopeful that I can continue to meet the high bar of topics, speakers and events that Julie has set. For our chapter meetings, it is my goal to highlight outstanding local design and construction projects and businesses while maintaining a sharp focus on the technical aspect of the AEC industry. Our monthly chapter meetings will continue to be held at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn from 11:30 AM to 1 PM on the second Tuesday of every month. The location will vary on two occasions as I have a pair technical tours lined up with Memphis Millwork and V&S Galvanizing planned for this fiscal year. All the chapter meetings for this fiscal year have been planned and are posted on our award-winning website, csimemphis.org. Please check out the events page for more information.
I have several goals I would like to accomplish as the Memphis Chapter President. First, I want to get our student chapter more involved with the institute. In order to cultivate that idea, we are encouraging our student chapter members to attend the CONSTRUCT Show in Long Beach, CA this October. To help fund this trip, the students partnered with our friends at Memphis Reprographics to develop a calendar of student work. These calendars are $15 a piece and can be purchased on our website. I would like to encourage our chapter members to support the students. The national convention is a great experience; If I had not attended the national convention in Chicago as a student in my fourth year of architecture school, I may not be as involved with CSI as I am today.
Second, I would like to continue supporting the Dempsie B. Morrison Scholarship Fund as Julie and Hans did during their terms. The recipients of the 2018-2019 scholarships are Jason Ontiveros and Christen Ayoub. The next fundraising push is just around the corner, but you can donate today! This is the only scholarship at the University of Memphis that receives a full match from the university. The fundraising push is an enormous effort, but our scholarship fund board constantly finds new ways to earn the money necessary to benefit two students a year.
Finally, I would like to get a CDT prep series up and running for our chapter. Hans Faulhaber and Tommy Smith will be taking the lead on that front. There have been some preliminary talks to get this off the ground and I am excited to see what Hans and Tommy come up with. I am going to be taking the CDT within the next year, so I’m really excited for the prospect of a prep series.
I am ecstatic to begin my term as the CSI Memphis Chapter President. The new board of directors is also eager to get involved. As always, we will look to past presidents and our chapter’s members for support and guidance. With your help, we can expand our membership and provide quality events for our chapter.