MSPE Installs New Officers at 2013 Annual Meeting & Dinner Event
MSPE members and guests enjoyed expansive views of Boston’s skyline as they gathered to celebrate the society’s progress and look forward to the future during the 2013 MSPE Annual Meeting and Dinner, held on June 6 at the Top of the Hub Restaurant. After a brief social reception, outgoing MSPE President Kenneth R. Skinger, PE, Esq. led the ceremony to install the new 2013-2015 officers. He began by presenting each officer by their name, title, employer, years of service to the Society, and new officer title. He then announced their duties, as prescribed in the state Constitution and Bylaws, which include: Inspire confidence, Provide direction, Motivate to action, and Be accountable. He then read the following summary, after which he invited each officer to raise their right hand and pledge themselves to “discharge faithfully the duties of the office to which you have been elected.”
“As officers of the Massachusetts Society of Professional Engineers, you will represent to the citizens of this state the true meaning of a professional engineer. You will be our collective voice in the state society, and through it be our representative in the National Society. Thus you will be our common bond with Professional Engineers throughout the United States.It is important that this bond be preserved strong and unblemished. As Professional Engineers determined to give an honorable and useful accounting of our special talents to our clients — the people of America — we must present a united front in our professional endeavors. We must be examples in which people may have confidence, that they may learn that they can depend on us in matters affecting their health, safety and welfare and in lightening the burden of labor by which all live. Only thus shall we grow and fulfill the highest ideals of mankind, that the world will be a better place because we have lived here.”
Mr. Skinger thanked the group for the opportunity to serve them as President, and going forward as an active Past President. He also reflected on the key accomplishments of his Presidency, including streamlining the society’s administration, leading the society in its 60th anniversary year, and championing the society’s key programs, such as MATHCOUNTS for middle and junior high school students, as well as the FE Exam Preparatory Course as a step for engineers toward becoming professionally licensed.
As his final official act as President, Mr. Skinger presented a gavel to newly-installed President R. Christopher Barros, PE, as a “symbolic transfer of authority and responsibility for leadership to the new officers of Massachusetts Society of Professional Engineers.”
Mr. Barros thanked Mr. Skinger for his service, and presented with him with a plaque and gavel, in recognition of his service and continued dedication.
Mr. Barros then shared his vision for the society going forward, including the key themes of People, Process, and Technology. He explained that the people-component means that MSPE will work to provide a variety of opportunities for people to connect, learn, and grow — through formal and informal events, offered in-person as well as online. The process-component means continuing to manage the organization with a look to the future, with goals of streamlining communications, maximizing efficiency, and always providing value for members. The technology-component means keeping pace with the lifestyle of today’s busy professional engineer, by providing tools and opportunities via the new MSPE website and other on and offline tools to streamline communications.