Greetings ISAMichigan Members, I would like to give you an overview of what is going on with ISA and our section.

Proposed changes within ISA

The ISA Annual Society Meeting is being held on Monday, October 13 in Houston, TX. This is the day before the big ISA Expo 2008 starts at the Reliant Center. There are three proposed changes to the by-laws to be voted on by the Council of Society Delegates that include:

1) A change in name from “ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society” to “International Society of Automation”. This name change is intended to be more consistent with ISA’s marketing efforts to enhance the automation profession. In this context, automation is defined as follows: “Automation is the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production of goods and services”.

2) An adjustment of annual dues of Members, Senior Members, and Fellows from $85 to $100 effective Jan 1, 2009. (The last dues increase was approved in 2002). In exchange, each member will be added one membership in a Division in the Automation & Technology Department and one membership in a Division in the Industries & Services Department. Since the last dues increase, the Society has also provided unlimited free access to ISA Standards.

3) A change in the funding of sections and divisions. In the existing rules, 20% of membership dues are refunded to the Section. Unless otherwise notified by Section leadership, 25% of this rebate goes to the District to cover District expenses. In the proposed rules, 15% of membership dues are refunded to the Section and District expenses are covered by the Society.

More information can be found on the ISA website by clicking on the 2008 Council Delegates link on the right hand side of the page. I am interested to hear what you think about these proposed changes. If you have comments, send me an email. I will compile the feedback I receive and keep you updated. Also, let me know if you will be attending the Members Meeting or ISA Expo!

Southeastern Michigan Section Update

This is my first email to the Section membership since the election in June. I would like to recognize Brian Miller, who has served as Section president for the past six years. Brian has put a lot of effort into the Section during his tenure including: revamping the by-laws and the development of the ISAMichigan website and brand. I truly appreciate all the efforts he has put in over the last 6 years, and I am glad to continue to have his support on the Section Board as past-President. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Tom Powell, who is staying on as Treasurer, Bob Schubert who is serving as Secretary, and Paul Zagar, who is serving as Delegate. All of these folks volunteer their time to our Section for no pay and even less recognition. So, let me take this opportunity to say, THANK YOU!

For those who missed it, Bob Schubert hosted an excellent ISAMichigan event at Gerdau MacSteel in May. The feedback from this event has been very positive and we hope to build on this momentum. It’s my goal as Section President to provide the maximum value to our members, in a sustainable and effective way. To that end, we have started a monthly web-conference to discuss Section Business, plan events, and divide up action items that can help move the Section forward. All are welcome to participate. As it is a web-conference, there is minimal time commitment and you can leave your gas in the gas tank. Let me know if you would like to be included or would like more information.

In closing, thanks for your continued membership in ISA. My door is always open, please feel free to call or email me… I appreciate hearing from you.

Regards,

Jason P. Wright
ISA Southeastern Michigan President
Office: (517) 507-5983