From Tom Petracca 4/26 meeting comments

 

Gee: Thanks for the fast min's. Re the min's: - include yourself as attendee - your memo could be entered as part of min's. - we did discuss your memo, albeit partially.  I agree with your suggestion on getting PR by having heads of large firms or the pres of the in front of a news camera or sending letters to state/city politicians upon their winning and upon certain events where we can offer some big picture advice from the "professional engineering community," for example:      -earthquake tsunami dangers here in NY      -crumbling infrastructure      -traffic modifications (yes, that one is for Erick).    Further, I think your blog idea is great and could possibly require some funding to make happen...  which is why Joe's idea of having professional / educational events that have a fee, that can be used to pay for such things as the blog site, someone to manage it, etc., should also be pursued.  One other item...getting sponsors.  When we have these upcoming events if we get sponsors, e.g., one of the large engineering inspection firms for the welding/bolting seminars, or perhaps a welding manufacturer (Hobart) or major contractor or supplier.  Takes time to make the contacts...and we all have to work!  ...which is why it may make sense for all of the boro chapters to jointly fund contracting an inter-boro "executive director" that would go out and get sponsors, coordinate events and speakers, and find low cost venues for monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, etc., events.  And by making the executive director (ED) paid mostly by a percentage of the sponsorship he/she brings in can make it a no-or-low cost issue to the chapters for contracting the ED.  The ED finds sponsors gets them to pay for the event fees, the sponsor gets to setup a booth at the event to advertise and present their wares AND gets to advertise on the blog website.   Obviously the above could apply to any individual chapter..however, by getting joint boro coverage we can drastically reduce the per member cost.  Perhaps you weigh the contracted payment by the percentage of members in each boro to the whole.  But again, making it a mostly commission based payout to the ED contractor can and should cover 50 to 80% of the ED cost - and the event charge to members and non-members covering the balance. OK...getting back to work!  Thanks again. And thanks for inviting me to the meeting.  I thought it was great and WILL lead to improving life for engineers! Tom Thomas J. Petracca, PE Petracca Design and Engineering, PC 199 E. Main Street Suite 3 Smithtown, NY 11787 Direct: 631-361-9825 Fax: 631-980-7853