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Greetings
from the President...
by Teresa Herrera
There is much to speak to as it relates to "the state of the SF Bay Section." And, yet, other things are on my mind that want to be spoken to first. And, as all things are interrelated, I have a sense that all will come full circle.
Two seemingly simple words, with a seemingly simple message: Know Thyself. When one takes these words to heart and starts down the path of self-discovery, watch out! Because all hell can break loose! To "know thyself" means to make ALL aspects of one's self conscious. The "good" and the "bad." Or, rather, the parts of ourselves we are proud of, that we love and accept (the "good") and those parts of ourselves we are not so proud of, maybe have a hard time accepting or loving about ourselves (the "bad"). Each of us, by virtue of our human-ness, contain within us a wide gamut of traits, our natures contain ALL. And, only by looking at, exploring, taking ourselves apart to that inner core, can we fully "know ourselves".
So… what the hell does this have to do with the Bay Section? Listen to this…
Your Bay Section Board of Directors took a two-day retreat on August 9 and 10 at EBMUD's Pardee Reservoir. The intent of this was to do strategic planning for the Bay Section. The main question we posed to ourselves was: "What is the SFBS now and what do we want to be in the future?" Basically, we were exploring the concept of "know thyself" in relation to the Bay Section. Only by looking at out past and our current state, can we set a vision for where we want to be in the future. Only by uncovering and digging down into the nature of the Section, can we move forward in a most conscious manner.
Reviewing our history, understanding the changes that have occurred over the years and WHY they have occurred, making determinations as to whether those changes have served to strengthen or weaken the Section. All these were discussed. Then, they were put into the context as how best to move forward from here to ensure that the Bay Section reaches its highest potential.
The primary responsibility of your SFBS Board is to ensure that our members are being served to the maximum extent possible. So, we reviewed our mission, our purpose for being. We looked at the Board positions and our Committee structure. We brainstormed ideas to enliven our dinner meetings, for enhancing opportunities for training and networking. We also began succession planning for the Board and Committees as well as looking at ways to encourage Bay Section members to move into CWEA Board or State Committee positions.
The end result is a Vision for the San Francisco Bay Section. Our Vision encompasses three areas:
To be a Self-Supporting San Francisco Bay Section.
This will be measured in terms of 1) volunteerism, to ensure we have adequate people resources to achieve our mission and 2) financial revenue and reserves, to enable the Section to pursue those activities necessary to fulfill our mission.
The San Francisco Bay Section will Offer Opportunities for Professional Growth.
This is one of the HUGE benefits of being active participants in the Bay Section's activities. It is imperative that we continue this focus and we set a goal that we will be proactive in measuring our effectiveness of this item.
We will Increase Attendance at All Bay Section Activities.
This is a result of not being satisfied with status quo. The more attendees that we can gather for ALL of our functions will only serve to make the experience more valuable for everyone. We will measure this in terms of number of attendees as well as activities that we offer to meet our mission.
Finally, we reviewed our relationship with CWEA. This relationship has been rocky at times and both CWEA and the Bay Section are seeking ways to promote greater cooperation. The CWEA is undergoing many changes and, since there is a symbiotic relationship, those changes affect the Local Sections. We took about half a day to discuss specific issues for which CWEA is seeking input. The issues are those I outlined in last month's Greetings… I'm grateful to Larry Tolby and John Larson for attending on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Having this CWEA presence was a huge step in promoting cooperation.
As John so aptly put it… 'The Bay Section is in its mature state. The growth period has passed and we are now a mature entity, seeking our place in this world of the water
environment."
It is always during this "middle age", mature period that we seek to fully understand our nature, our purpose in life, our place in this world. The Bay Section is an organic being. It can't be anything else because the Bay Section is, simply, a conglomeration of people, of its members… it is all of us. Thus, this need to, once in awhile, step back and ensure that we do the work necessary to "know thyself".
I want to thank John Williams, Ray, Sandeep, Dave, and Leo for taking the time to pursue this most worthwhile task. I am very pleased with the results and am, as always, excited at the strength and vitality of the San Francisco Bay Section. We certainly have these traits now and, I'm encouraged that we'll be able to maintain these in the future.
That's it for my update, except… remember to sign up for this month's dinner meeting on September 6th!!! The venue is the USS Hornet and will provide a unique experience for our members. This meeting is joint with the Redwood Empire Section, so you'll get to see old friends or make new friends from the North.
As always, please feel free to call or email me with any questions or comments. I can be contacted at Whitley Burchett & Associates, 925-945-6850 or
therrera@whitleyburchett.com.
I'll close, once again, by saying that I'm extremely proud to be part of this organization we call the San Francisco Bay Section. It is a living, dynamic entity and the more that we feed, nurture, and put the time and energy into ensuring it's current and future health, the more it will give us in return. As we are putting attention on succession planning, I invite ANYONE who has an interest in becoming more active in the Bay Section to, please, call me. You will be simply amazed at the growth, satisfaction and fun that results from being involved.
Until next time, take care and be safe.
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