As we wrap up 2020 and begin this new year, I would like to take a moment to update the ISCP membership on accomplishments and planned activities that the Society is undertaking.
Back on February 1, 2020 when I took over as position of ISCP President, the major focus for 2020 was the 12th International Society for Concrete Pavements planned for late August. With a global pandemic on the rise in the months following, the Conference Steering Committee and ISCP Board made the difficult decision to negotiate a postponement of the conference to August 29-September 2, 2021. This decision forced the Society to make some significant financial commitments to move forward in serving our mission of technology transfer in the concrete pavement field. As of today, the conference is still planned for these dates in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. With a promise of a wide-spread vaccination program being undertaken, it is our hope that the conference can proceed with only minor accommodations. However, the conference steering committee will be meeting in early 2021 to assess current and projected pandemic situations and make appropriate decisions that promote the advancement of our field while being fiscally and socially responsible to Society members and attendees. I would like to thank our many conference authors and planned attendees for their patience as we navigate this turbulent situation.
While 2020 provided both personal and professional challenges to us all, ISCP has made some progress despite these hardships. In recent months, ISCP has looked to spearhead several new initiatives in hopes of engaging current and potential new members:
Our technology transfer committee is currently developing a new webinar series in partnership with the International Road Federation (IRF) to help promote better understanding of fundamental concrete pavement technology to a new worldwide audience.
The membership committee is undertaking a change in the individual and organizational membership structure, including member benefits restructuring, better communication, and a move to a calendar-year membership period. The Society has made good use of social media by promoting a new LinkedIn ISCP company page and has added over 650 members since its debut last summer.
ISCP has also implemented a Questions and Opinions (Q&O) Page to make use of the Society’s technical expertise in solving unique challenges. Be sure to monitor the monthly ISCP newsletter and our LinkedIn page for more information as these initiatives unfold!
As we enter 2021, we should all take stock from our experiences and look towards a fresh start. ISCP is no different. As a volunteer Society, ISCP can only be successful through the efforts of its dedicated members. I would like to encourage our members to become involved in the Society’s activities this year and beyond. Whether this involvement is in recruitment of new or previous members, participation in online activities, or promotion of our upcoming conference, all of us can play a role in helping promote the advancement of the concrete pavement field in our own way.
For nearly two decades, ISCP has held a joint open membership and board meeting every January in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, DC. This meeting has provided the Society a chance to reflect on the previous year while giving members a chance to participate in the process to refine our goals. With the COVID pandemic moving TRB online this year, our open membership meeting will also be moving ONLINE:
2021 Open Membership Meeting
Thursday | January 21, 2021
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm EST (2100-2300 UTC)
For information on connecting to the meeting, please go to: https://uasystem.zoom.us/j/721867356
For the ISCP article titled “ISCP VIRTUAL Annual Open Membership & Board Meeting to be Held Jan. 21, 2021”, please go to: https://www.concretepavements.org/2021/01/03/iscp-virtual-annual-open-membership-board-meeting-to-be-held-jan-21-2021/
I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year,
and look forward to working together to
advance concrete pavements forward!
Sincerely,
Jake Hiller, ISCP President