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Looking Back on 2016 and Finding Ways to Engage with NAEP

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2016

Brock Hoegh
Brock Hoegh*
Affiliation:
NAEP President.

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Type
President’s Message
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 239 - 240
Copyright
© National Association of Environmental Professionals 2016 

It is hard to believe that 2016 is almost over. This past year has been a busy time for NAEP, and the Association has made great progress. The Strategic Plan Pillar Groups and Committees are working very hard to continue improving NAEP. In this article, I want to highlight some of the great work that was done this year and showcase the many ways you can engage with NAEP. Of course, you can be involved in a Strategic Plan Pillar Group or Committee, and that would be great, because NAEP could use more dedicated professionals as volunteers. If you have any interest in getting involved in this way, please contact me at .

However, for those of you who may not want to join an ongoing group or committee, you can submit an article for publication in this journal or the NAEP newsletter or participate in a webinar or forum chat. The more involved you are, the more you will benefit from your NAEP affiliation.

In April of this year, NAEP held its 2016 Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The theme of this year’s conference – Charting the Next 40 Years of Environmental Stewardship – was developed as a local initiative by the Illinois State Chapter of NAEP. This was a great theme for the conference and for our members. We pride ourselves on being a multidisciplinary association that impacts all aspects of our profession, including environmental stewardship and the protection of the environment through education, conservation, and sustainable practices. The message of the conference was impactful, with four full days of some of the nation’s leading environmental professionals discussing new environmental practice methods, sharing information on the environmental challenges and successes of the 21st century with members and guests, and looking ahead to the next 40 years of environmental stewardship. The term “environmental stewardship” provides a good starting point for better understanding all we are and all we do in our daily lives.

In June, I sent a message to the NAEP members about the “Power of One,” asking each member to talk to one person about NAEP membership and the Association’s great educational offerings. We did see a few new members joining NAEP as a result of that message. I would like to extend my request to anyone reading this journal. Whether you are a NAEP member, a member of a NAEP Affiliated Chapter, an attendee or registrant of an educational event, or just someone interested in NAEP, I urge each of you to talk to just one person about NAEP. The Power of One is, surprisingly, quite phenomenal. Help NAEP grow one great member at a time!

The Education Committee has had a very busy 2016, and at the time of this publication, we will have conducted nine NAEP webinars and three NAEP/American Public University (APU) webinars. NAEP offered a series on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that took place on June 1, June 8, and August 3. The first two webinars were our annual NEPA Case Law Update and NEPA Legislative and Policy Update, and this year, a third webinar, which featured the Cohen NEPA Summit Summary Report, was added to the series. Each webinar had an estimated 200 people on the line. On July 27, NAEP offered a webinar on Soundscapes and Night Sky Preservation. There were an estimated 100 people on the line for that webinar. The fall lineup includes webinars on data science, regional mitigation strategies, environmental justice, interdisciplinary team management, effective community engagement, and technical writing. The Education Committee is chaired by Marie Campbell. I would like to thank Marie and all the members of the Education Committee for their excellent ongoing work.

The Marketing and Communications Group redesigned the NAEP website and is now adding additional forum topics so that NAEP members can ask each other questions and share information and resources. We already have an established NEPA Policy and Practice Forum, and we are adding a Climate Change and Adaptation Forum as well as a Transportation Forum. Based on the past usage and success of these forums, others will be added. I would like to thank David Mattern and his entire group for taking the time and effort to make the NAEP member experience better.

I also want to use this article to highlight some upcoming NAEP events and let all of you know about some of our recent successes.

NAEP will hold its 2017 Annual Conference in Durham, North Carolina, on March 27–30, 2017. The Call for Papers for the 2017 conference is included in this journal. I would like to thank the great volunteer team leading the planning for the 2017 Conference: Ward Marotti and John Jamison from North Carolina and the 2017 Technical Chair, Lynn McLeod.

Also, Betty Dehoney, the Strategic Publications Pillar Lead, and her entire group have done a great job of reviewing and making changes to Environmental Practice so that it is more useful to you – the reader.

I hope this message showcases the great work NAEP is doing and how you can get involved with NAEP at many levels. NAEP can provide the great benefits we offer due to our excellent and dedicated volunteers. If you are interested in getting more involved, I would be happy to speak with you about the various opportunities and help find the right fit for you. Please contact me at .

Looking forward to 2017!

Sincerely,Brock Hoegh