Jonnie talks about how being on the board helped her contribute to the growth of CSI, the importance of the professional community, and what she sees as the association’s immediate opportunities. CSI recognizes and thanks Jonnie Cox for the five years she spent on the association’s Board of Directors, first as Treasurer and most recently as Director at Large.
Why was it important to you to serve on the CSI Board?
I’ve been on the board for five years. My first two years as Treasurer, which was a rocky time both from a financial and governance standpoint. After completing my term as Treasurer, I felt CSI was at a crucial place where there needed to be some overlap, stability, and transition during board turnover. I felt I could bring continuity to the board along with the understanding that the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner) industry was changing. Doing things like “they always have been done” is an outdated model in any organization these days and I wanted to unite previous successes to new ideas.
What benefit of the association are you proudest of during your time as a board member?
I’m torn between two initiatives. The Dynamic Chapter Program (DCP) has helped transform meetings from what they were in the 1990s-2000s to what 2021 emerging and mid-career professionals are more likely to notice. The results to date are noteworthy. Yet as someone who values the importance of having libraries in every community, seeing the growth in the number of users and course offerings in CSI’s Learning Library is gratifying. Providing a variety of resources and information to the AECO community that is easily accessible at the time and place of the user’s choosing will be beneficial to those who are wanting to expand their knowledge, improve their career opportunities and develop new leadership skills. So, it is a tossup between the two.
How did being a member of the CSI community help you through the COVID-19 pandemic, and how did you see it benefit other members?
I was used to working in a large office where there was constant interaction with people. When everyone was sent home to work remotely (which is still underway for me), I missed the interaction with people. I live alone, so having my CSI connections to communicate with was a blessing. Chapter, region, and national education sessions, Zoom meetings, and local colleagues just checking on me helped me not only stay connected to the industry but also helped me adjust to the “new normal.”
What do you see as the biggest opportunities for CSI going forward?
Crosswalk®. It provides immediate access to CSI MasterFormat® information and will allow the industry to cross reference classifications made in MasterFormat, UniFormat®, and OmniClass® through an enterprise-grade API. I think the construction industry is ripe for disruption and Crosswalk is poised for becoming the leader in digital standards. I think this is an innovation that will benefit the AECO community just like MasterFormat did in 1963.
https://www.csiresources.org/blogs/mark-dorsey-cae-fasae1/2020/06/10/crosswalk-creates-greater-accuracy-and-efficiency