Valued Members,
As promised at the CSI Annual Meeting in St. Louis, I've been listening. Many of you have shared your views and passion about CSI. I heard your concerns that CSI is at a critical juncture, must be more responsive to you and the evolving needs of the industry. That said, we have a major opportunity to reinvigorate your association; make it an indispensable resource to you, and attract new generations to become more involved in CSI.
My immediate focus last September was on three key areas:
- Certification;
- Technology and its impact on member service; and
- CSI’s financial position and focused support of new and existing initiatives.
Bluntly put, in speaking with you and in reviewing survey results, you've said loud and clear that CSI must improve the quality and consistency with which the association connects with you, makes resources available to you, and offers solutions to the problems you see in the workplace.
Thanks to the support of your Board of Directors, we've taken the first steps to address you concerns by:
- Initiating a substantial technology update to improve your online experience. These enhancements include the development of a new approach to mobile and web services designed to make it easier to connect with CSI and to improve the reliability of those services;
- Changing CSI's approach to Member Services with an emphasis on improving phone answering capability and reliability;
- Identifying areas to trim costs and streamline business processes, in order to invest in future products, programs, and services to meet your needs;
- Assessing the state of certification and education programs, and building on past successes, to ensure you are fully supported in your professional growth; and
- Ensuring CSI's resource materials are continuously refreshed and updated by respected subject matter experts. We look forward to the 2016 release of MasterFormat® this spring.
The litmus test will be you, valued members and stakeholders, telling us how we are doing.
I am excited to share details of our progress as we implement these changes, and even more enthusiastic about being with you at CONSTRUCT this September in Austin. There I will share more exciting and valuable developments.
As a result of these first steps, I expect we will have our new website up in the summer, providing you with easier access to extensive resources. You will have the ability to participate in vital discussions on topics that interest you through improved online communities. These communities will give you easier access to each other, enabling you to share your knowledge and tap into the knowledge of others. We are focused on providing streamlined and efficient service to you, both as a member and as a region or chapter leader.
While these changes won’t happen overnight, please know that positive change is underway and more is coming. Your Board of Directors and staff are focused on modernizing CSI and making it the association you deserve.
Please continue to express your ideas to improve your association, as I will continue to listen.
Thank you for your support of CSI.
Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CAE