Taking it to the Next Level

Participating in your Local Section is a great way to network and become educated through meeting presentations, and newsletter articles, and our annual conference.  Want to know how to get more out of AIHA?  Put more into it!

I attended the annual Leadership Conference at AIHA National in March.  I met 250 of this nation's greatest and brightest industrial hygienists - all with the dedication and ambition to make the profession of industrial hygiene appreciated and understood by all who can benefit from recognition, evaluation, and control of hazards.  All of these individuals were sharing their experiences and knowledge with the others, all fully knowing that we're in this together, and by sharing we can achieve more.  I was taught and inspired and encouraged to continue, knowing that there is purpose and that what we do makes a difference.

What talents do you have that you are not fully putting to good use?  Do you have expertise in an area that you can share with others that can make the science and art of being workplace detectives easier or better understood?  There's probably a committee at the National level that would really appreciate your input.  Do you have a frustration that textbooks, reference materials, training materials, or technology are not where they need to be?  Volunteer! 

National will provide you with everything you need but the time to do it.  Each year, National puts on this Leadership Conference for all Committee members and Local Section President-Elects.  National pays for your trip, hotel, and meals for a three day session to provide you with the tools available to you and an opportunity to interact with peers who are resolving to improve the world of industrial hygiene. 

How to get started?  Run for office at the local level.  Running for Oklahoma Section President-Elect actually comes with a promise (unless National changes its policy) of an all expense-paid trip to AIHA headquarters at Falls Church, VA.  What a deal! 

Contact Jim Folsom and let him know you are interested in serving!

Cheri Marcham, PhD, CIH, CSP, CHMM

Oklahoma Section President