Letter from the President - June 2012

HGS President's Column - June 2012  by Steve Earle


Thank You

This is my last column as your President, so first off I want to say it has been an honor to have served you and the HGS. This truly is a fine organization. I hope I have steered a reasonably steady course throughout my term. We have enjoyed successes: a great Mudstone Conference, an exciting Legend's Night that raised over $30,000 for our scholarship funds, another year of exceptional talks and short courses. We have had challenges, the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists proposed rule changes springs to mind. We have had changes: a new website, new office and new staff. Our technical and social programs and the website redesign were all planned; the rest was unexpected.

Through it all, I have had the assistance of a great many volunteers. As I stated back in September, volunteers are what makes the HGS function and are our greatest asset. This month is our annual awards issue where we get to recognize a small number of those who have given so much to our society. If you know any of these people, please congratulate them and thank them for all they do. Yet, these folks are just the tip of the iceberg. I thank everyone who helped make the HGS the finest local geoscience organization in the world.

In addition to the awardees, I thank the current HGS Board: its outgoing members are Vice President David Meaux, Secretary Matt Cowan, Treasurer Christina Higginbotham, Editor Ron Waszczak, and DirectorsJennifer Burton and John Adamick; continuing on are Cecelia Baum Raborn and Gary Coburn as Directors,Donald Walker as your new Treasurer, Patricia Santogrossi as Editor, and of course Martin Cassidy who will take over the reins of this organization. Your Board is a group of dedicated people who are essential to making sure that things stayed on track.

I want to thank all the committee chairs for their efforts this year. The committees are the heart and soul of the HGS. It is a rather lengthy list of folks and all play a critically important role to deliver the services that HGS members have come to expect.

I thank our office staff:  Sandra, who is recognized on page 31; Kathy Sanvido, who filled in for Gabriella as our webmaster; and our new office manager, Nina Hoeny. We couldn't do it without these fine women.

And, of course, I must thank my wife for her patience many evenings while I attended meetings or became buried in correspondence.

Most importantly, I thank everyone who attended any of our technical programs. We exist to serve the membership and education is one of our main goals. You affirm the success of our mission every time you attend one of our short courses, luncheon or dinner meetings.

I must say, it's hard to believe that my term is nearly up. I've enjoyed serving as your President...most of the time anyway. And the time really has flown by. I hope my columns have been modestly entertaining and that any decisions we've made have not offended too many of you. Again, all the successes we enjoyed this year are due entirely to the hard work of the team listed above. Any failures you can lay at my feet. Best of luck to Martin next year, but I know he inherits most of the fine support that I was fortunate to have had. I look forward to continue to serve HGS as a committee chair and a field trip leader. And I trust that I will continue to see many of you at HGS functions. Until then, Rock On.

 

source: 
HGS President
releasedate: 
Friday, June 8, 2012
subcategory: 
From the President