Foundation Focus
Winter 2007
A Message From the President
by David E. Downs
I am pleased to report that the Foundation’s financial position is very good. Due to the generosity of many of you, effective expense management, and a relatively healthy investment environment, the AIH Foundation’s total funds have increased almost 60% since 2002. We have achieved our financial goal of establishing a 15% reserve fund, which will protect our ability to award scholarships even in times of poor investment returns. Last year we awarded 19 scholarships with a total value of over $54,000, the largest amount since 2001. The best news is that, based on our current projections, we should be able to double that amount of scholarship dollars in 2008. Based on input from students and the academic community, we plan to increase the number of scholarships awarded and increase the amount awarded for some of the scholarships. As we all know, the cost of pursuing a degree is increasing at a rate well above inflation, and the Foundation hopes to continue increasing our assistance to future industrial hygienists.
Which brings me to my next point. As many of us in the profession reach the point in our careers when we start to think about retirement, it is also time to reflect on what the industrial hygiene profession has meant to us. The paths that led us to this wonderful career choice may have been diverse, but most of us can say with pride that it has been a largely rewarding choice. You can now start to consider how to show your appreciation to the profession. And what better way to “pay it forward” than to help make it possible for a new industrial hygienist to enter the profession.
At the Foundation, we are hearing from a growing number of successful IH professionals who are interested in establishing a visible legacy though an endowed scholarship. This can be done with a contribution of as little as $25,000 (companies can establish an endowment starting at $50,000). You can get started with a pledge and payment plan scheduled over a five year period. Contact me or any other Foundation Trustee if you have any questions.
Another area of growing interest is the idea of including the Foundation as part of your “planned giving.” In the past that meant including the Foundation in your will – today, however, there are a wide variety of ways to create a legacy, even before you retire. For example, you may find that there are significant tax advantages to options such as gifts of appreciated securities, closely held stock, life insurance, or other real properties. All these options must be carefully considered and discussed with your financial advisor. However, if you would like some general information on the variety of options that may be available, contact Vicky Yobp at the Foundation at (703) 846-0769 or vyobp@aiha.org.
As always, the need is greater than we can meet with our current resources. As a Foundation, we are working to become a more effective driving force in attracting and supporting the best and brightest to our profession. You can help by supporting your Foundation with a generous gift – create your legacy today!
Downs, a CIH, CSP, QEP and CPEA, is president of EHS Management Partners LLC, Shorewood, Minn. He can be reached at (952) 474-4132 or dedowns@ehsmp.com.
Giving Is Easier Than Ever!
Making a donation to the Foundation is easier than ever before: Online donations are now possible from the AIHF website. Simply go to the website and click the new big blue button and select between the general fund or one of the endowed scholarship funds.
Contributions to the general fund help to make sure the Foundation has adequate funds to fulfill its mission. Contributions to the general endowed scholarship fund allow the Foundation to increase the amount of a stipend of an existing scholarship or create a new one. A contribution to a named endowed scholarship will be added to the capital funds of that scholarship and may result in an increased stipend. Of course you or your local section can always make a donation of $25,000 and create a new, named scholarship of your choice. Please contact the AIHF (703) 849-8888 if you want to fund a new scholarship.
We Are Proud of Our Progress
The Foundation’s annual report (2006) is on-line and ready for review. Highlights of this report include a 16% increase in total assets available for use, a 29% increase from 2005 levels in the total number of scholarships awarded, and several fund management changes that increased the overall effectiveness of the Foundation’s investments.
Meet Our Scholars
One of the most rewarding, yet difficult tasks faced by the Scholarship Committee every year is to sift through the large number of highly qualified applicants in order to make their selections for awards. During this process, each committee member gets to know the applicants through their detailed submissions.
We encourage you to visit the “Meet the Scholars” section of the AIHA website where two in-depth profiles of scholars are featured each month. To get an overview of the entire group of distinguished students, the following article from the Synergist is reprinted or review a list of scholars online. Please take a minute to read this article and get to know these outstanding young people. We think their stories make a compelling case for your donation!
AIHF Welcomes Four New Trustees
The Foundation recently welcomed four new members to its Board of Trustees. They are Carter Ficklen, Steve Levine, David Sarvardi, and Fred Toca.
Carter Ficklen, CIH, is the program manager for Maintha Technologies, Inc. at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He has been active in the Tidewater Local Section and is currently chair of the Student and Early Career Professionals Committee.
Steven P. Levine, PhD, CIH, is an emeritus professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Levine is a former AIHA president and an AIHA Fellow. He served as chair of the AIHA Gas and Vapor Detection Committee and is also the co-founder of the former AIHA/American Council of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Hazardous Waste Committee. Levine is a recipient of the Drum Buster Award from AIHA/ACGIH Hazardous Waste Committee, the AIHA Cummings Award, and the co-recipient of the Jack White Award from the AIHA Respiratory Protection Committee.
David G. Sarvadi, JD, CIH, is an attorney with the law firm of Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C. Prior to becoming an attorney, Sarvadi was a principal in a small consulting firm and managed a corporate industrial hygiene and product safety program for a Fortune 500 company. He was counsel to the National Coalition on Ergonomics from its inception in 1994. Sarvadi is currently a member of the AIHA Law Committee and previously served on the AIHA Tellers Committee and as an officer and board member of the Northeast Ohio Local Section.
Frederick M. Toca, PhD, CIH, CSP, is an industrial hygiene and toxicology consultant with Toca Enterprises Ltd. in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former AIHA president and served on the AIHF board. He previously served as vice chair of the AIHA International Affairs Committee and was a member of the Laboratory Accreditation Committee and the Analytical Chemistry Committee. He currently serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Toca is a recipient of the Henry F. Smyth Award, the AIHA Borden Award, and is an AIHA Fellow.
The Foundation wishes to thank the following individuals who completed their six-year terms as members of the AIHF Board of Trustees in June of this year:
- Kyle B. Dotson, CIH, CSP, DEE, Trustee (2001 – 2007)
- William H. Krebs, PhD, CIH, Trustee (2001 – 2007)
- Carolyn F. Phillips, CIH, CSP, PE, Trustee (2001 – 2007) and Treasurer (2005 – 2007)
It’s Never Too Early…
Now is the time to start thinking about a new pair of sneakers or an extra few minutes on the treadmill. The 2008 Foundation Fun Run/Walk will be here before you know it! The Fun Run/Walk, at the Minneapolis AIHce, will be co-sponsored by General Mills and MSA and should be an exciting and enjoyable event. Plan on participating in the event with several of your friends and colleagues. Learn more about last years event.