Region VIII Member Attends ASHRAE Leadership Conference

West Texas chapter member Danielle Smith attended the ASHRAE Leadership Conference in May. Here were her thoughts:

"I would highly recommend this event to other individuals who want to get more involved in ASHRAE but are unsure how to go about actually doing so. You will learn a lot about ASHRAE and the different areas within ASHRAE, such as YEA and WiA. There were many different presentations ranging from how to effectively relay what ASHRAE means to you to another person, effectively managing meetings, and leading by example.

Navigating the website was one of the many presentations that I found interesting, there are many important and useful resources at your fingertips that you may or may not be aware of. For example, there is a Manual for Chapter Operations, and Standing Rules that I found very interesting and plan to look up.

Chris Mathis had an amazing presentation at the beginning of the Leadership Academy that talked about how we design for efficient commercial buildings but go home to a building that more than likely was not designed efficiently. As a consumer, we look at upfront cost but don’t always look at, or consider, the long term payout and benefits.

ASHRAE is primarily made up of volunteers. In order to keep people interested and continuing to volunteer, we have to lead by example. If we, as leaders, do not set an example of excellent volunteering, then how can we expect others to do so?

After attending the ASHRAE Leadership, I am even more excited to be active and involved with ASHRAE."