I am honoured to be considered for the position of Director Elect and Director for IEEE Canada.   I have been an IEEE volunteer for my entire professional career.  Since becoming an active volunteer in IEEE the organization has faced many challenges and changes.  The biggest challenge facing IEEE is its membership base.

The membership demographic of IEEE is changing for two reasons, first the number of members from Regions 8,9 &10 will soon exceed the number of members from the US and Canada and second, the number of Life members in Regions 1-7 is on  the increase.  These changes bring with them both new opportunities and new challenges.

IEEE as an organization will benefit from the influx of new volunteer resources, new ideas and global information sharing. Our increasing Life Member population offers the knowledge gained from years of experience. Managed wisely this could prove to be a powerful combination.

Experience also tells us there are no free rides, it takes financial resources to support increased membership and new projects, yet currently the majority of these members are reduced or non-dues paying members.

This has a significant financial impact on IEEE and we should not deny that IEEE Canada can only remain healthy if the greater organization is healthy.  For this reason I believe IEEE must focus on the effective management of our existing resources, and continue to focus efforts on recruiting new members from all Regions.

IEEE Canada must continue to explore ways to attract new membership and retain existing members.  IEEE Canada has spent a number of years developing a solid financial model, this task is now complete and the next task for IEEE Canada is expanding its membership.  This can be achieved through carrying out a review of the regions activities.

I have held a variety of positions from the local chapter level up to positions on the IEEE Canada Board.  I have held the two positions that I believe are essential in forming a solid foundation for region director.  Those positions are Membership development Chair and Treasurer.

Through Membership development chair you get insight to the largest issue facing IEEE, recruitment of new members and retention of members.  As Treasurer, not only do a get an understanding of the financials of IEEE, you also get a complete overview of operations at the region level and to some extent the greater IEEE.

Having an IEEE knowledge base is half the equation, the other half is dynamic leadership abilities.  Through my experience as a manger in the utility industry and more recently as an independent business owner, I believe I have developed the organizational, interpersonal and communication skills to administer the diverse group in IEEE Canada.

When I began volunteering at the region level, I had a goal of becoming treasurer, then move onto region activities as RAB Treasurer and finally onto Region 7 director.  The qualifications of RAB Treasurer were changed at the recommendation of the IEEE auditors this past year, so I had to alter my plan, so today I seek your support to become the next Region Director.   Thank you.