Well, here we are, eight or so weeks into the shelter-in-place order. And I, for one, am ready for it to end. And I’m not saying that just because my 8-year old daughter interrupted me in my “office” for the fifth time in an hour… okay, so maybe I am. However, it sounds like there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Some states have begun to gradually re-open, while many others have discussed their plans for a gradual re-open. For the first time, we are actually hearing about real dates for when activities can return. So, what does that mean for us? It’s difficult to predict, but I think we can all agree that our daily routine won’t return to “normal” any time soon. It’s too early to tell how Covid-19 will impact our businesses in the long term, but many folks that I’ve talked to believe it will have a long-term impact on how our businesses operate, such as how we evaluate office space, work hours, allowances to work remotely, the acceptance of virtual meetings, and so on. I’ve always been impressed with how engineers run a business, and I’m certain that most of our firms will get through these times and be stronger and better for it.
Even though our Chapter has temporarily halted our normal events, the Board is still meeting and conducting business. We are approaching the end of our fiscal year, and it’s time to start to planning for the 2020/2021 fiscal year. The Sierra Chapter Board will have at least one open Director position for the next fiscal year. Every employee of every member firm is eligible to sit on the Chapter Board. It is a great way to get involved in our industry, and I encourage you all to consider running for the Board. The work we do as a Board and as an organization is focused on bettering the business community for our companies. So, if you are interested in joining the Sierra Chapter Board, please reach out to me or anyone else on our current Board. Nominations are open and due by May 18th. We will discuss Board nominations and make a recommendation at our next Board meeting, which will be held on May 20th.All are welcome to join and participate in the Board meetings.
ACEC-CA provides a weekly Covid-19 update by email, every Thursday, with tons of great resources and up-to-date information. The information is also posted to the ACEC-CA website (www.acec-ca.org). If you are curious about the stimulus opportunities, employee benefit programs, or return-to-work procedures for your firms, please check out the ACEC-CA website or contact an ACEC representative, they are here for us.
That’s all I’ve got for today. Please stay safe, healthy, productive and positive.
