Orange County Branch Newsletter

October 2018

President's Message

Graying the Lines

By Jeff Braun, P.E.

It is amazing how quickly this year has gone.  I want to sincerely thank all of you, especially those who supported our committees and institutes by planning, executing, and enjoying the amazing events we had this year.  You made serving as Branch President as smooth as I could have ever imagined.  You also made it very rewarding.

There are plenty of areas where I wish I would have focused more effort, or events I would have loved to attend, but they pale in comparison to how impressive it was to see the leadership within our Branch, YMF, and student chapters grow and accomplish so many great things. You planned great networking and professional development gatherings, had record attendance at our largest events, “Dreamt Big” with our own viewing party, and raised a funds for scholarships, mentoring younger engineers, and student outreach.  The attendance or revenue numbers aren’t what I will remember about this year though. 

The relationships I developed with many of you have been the most rewarding aspects of serving as President.  I thoroughly enjoyed our committee meetings, board meetings, and one-on-one lunches and coffees, where we discussed how to bring the most value to our fellow Orange County Branch members, and made sure to have fun while doing it.  I hope this was only the beginning of our journey together and look forward to many more years of great memories.

I really appreciated the support of the Branch Past Presidents, especially Josue, Steven, and the late Gary Gilbert, for the opportunity to serve on the Executive Board and for the advice you provided throughout.   We have numerous committee and institute chairs who dedicate a lot of time and effort so we can enjoy intriguing luncheon presentations, fun networking events, rewarding community outreach projects, state-of-the-practice professional development seminars, and unforgettable marquee events.  It was an honor to work with each of you.  Your energy and commitment inspired me throughout the year.  I would also like to specifically thank Chuck, our YMF Past-President, for the friendship we developed throughout the year and for your consistent focus on how the Orange County YMF and Branch could partner to provide the best opportunities and resources to our members. You were the perfect fellow president for my vision of graying the lines between student chapters, YMF, and the Branch.

I am very excited about the new leadership at all levels of our Branch.  I look forward to seeing you advance our profession through ASCE and as the leaders in our industry.  If there is anything I, or my fellow past-presidents, can do to help you achieve your goals, please do not hesitate to reach out, as you never hesitated to help us reach ours.

I hope to see you at the next Branch event.

 

Jeff Braun

Past President