Hello fellow Puget Sound ASHRAE members!

I was recently asked, what the Puget Sound ASHRAE membership can provide members that live far from Seattle and who may not make it to chapter meetings. Chapter membership is more than just a monthly meeting. Here are some the ways that Chapter membership may help you:

1. We are going to provide many learning opportunities for you this year by way of an ASHRAE webinar broadcast and distinguished lecturers at our CRC. The CRC technical sessions are lined up and we have some great presentations open to all ASHRAE members. The ASHRAE webinar in April is on our events calendar. Details of where we will hold the broadcast will come as the date nears and the preparations are finalized.
2. We are working to bring back the membership roster. You will be able to look up other chapter members that chose to share their contact information. The roster will be for members only and will require a login to access, so your information will be secure.
3. Whenever other organizations share details of their activities that would be of interest to our members, your chapter board will post dates in the events calendar of our website and we will mention it in our Punch List and email blasts. We have connections at AIA, SMACNA, PSEC and USGBC that all offer events of interest. We will let you know of mentoring events.
4. There is always the opportunity to volunteer to improve any aspect of the chapter that you may feel lacking. Our chapter has many committees that could use people to help. Talk to a Board member and find out where we can use your skills best. Make sure your membership is updated so that we may nominate you.
5. This year, we want to recognize our members. We will be actively looking for members to nominate for Society, Regional and Chapter awards. If you know of anyone that deserves some recognition for their commitment to our field, please let us know. We are the largest chapter in our Region, however, we do not have the representation that we could use to get our interests addressed.
6. This chapter is your connection to ASHRAE. If there are any issues you would like addressed or any opportunities that you feel ASHRAE may be missing, contact a board member and let us work for you. Many of us have developed a rapport with key players at the Regional and Society levels. We are one of your avenues to communicate with the organization.

This month, we are bringing to you some of our local industry leaders to have a panel discussion on High Performance VAV systems newly mandated by the Washington State Energy Code. This meeting is at the Trane office in Bellevue for the convenience of our Eastside members. I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Kathi Shoemake, PE, LEED AP BD+C

Your Puget Sound ASHRAE President