Where is the Ice and Snow?
February 2012
President’s Message
I’m probably jinxing us by writing this, but where is the ice and snow this year? Kansas City saw an unusual start to the first half of winter with only two days of snow and each day was less than an inch. The huge snowfall total from last year is becoming a distant memory.
To help refresh your memory, take our chapter tour this month! We will be touring the Independence Events Center which will have ice and maybe snow. You probably knew about the ice sheet, but where is the snow? Come and see the ammonia refrigeration system for the ice sheet and find out how the arena disposes of the ice shavings (snow) from the ice resurfacing machines as well as other unique features in this type of building.
At this moment we do not anticipate limiting attendance, but I suggest signing up early, just in case we run into a logistical issues that requires us to limit the number of people on the tour.
January Meeting
Our January Meeting was our second joint meeting with the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) with solid attendance to start out the New Year. Our speaker was Vincent Wedelich discussing Engineering Ethics. Engineering Ethics isn’t a cut and dry topic that always has a right answer. We learned that even though you are acting ethical, someone’s perception of your actions could be different and we need to think about what people’s perceptions. The old saying goes “perception is reality”.
Also at the January Meeting we had a visit from Tom Lewis, the Regional Vice Chair for the Chapter Technology Transfer Committee (CTTC) for Region IX. Tom passed on a “Thank You” to our Chapter from the region for remaining strong and vibrant and encouraged all of us to continue reaching out to other chapters in our region. He mentioned the best way to meet other members from Region IX is to attend the Chapters Regional Conference (CRC). The next CRC is being hosted by the Big Sky Chapter in Billings, Montana on August 2nd-4th. Billings is also a short drive from Yellowstone if you want to combine a visit to the CRC with a vacation. Remember this isn’t just for the Chapter Board of Governors (BOG) and Chapter Officers!
Nominations
Speaking of the Board of Governors, we are taking nominations for positions on the Kansas City Chapter Board of Governors (BOG). This year we will have two BOG positions open that we need to fill. The BOG is the first step in progressing through the officer chairs for the chapter. The process is designed to allow people to grow in their knowledge of the chapter as the progress through the chairs. The time commitment centers on attending a BOG meeting that his held prior to the chapter meeting and carrying out a specific role. Ideally the BOG has balanced representation of contractors, manufacturer’s representatives and engineers. We will be taking nominations through March 31st for a vote at the April Chapter Meeting.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns or any suggestions you might have to make ASHRAE and our chapter more productive. E-mail: bellis@burnsmcd.com.
Blake Ellis
Kansas City Chapter President