Sections and Chapters are the geographical member units of the Association. They plan, organize and present activities that focus on local and regional environmental issues. They hold luncheon and dinner meetings, technical seminars, annual conferences, specialty conferences, workshops, continuing education courses, social outings, publish newsletters, launch outreach activities and provide funds for scholarships.
These activities enable Association members to meet more frequently and to discuss common problems and solutions with colleagues "operating right in their own backyard".
Becoming involved at the Section or Chapter level is easy to do. A phone call to a Section or Chapter officer results in attending a meeting or participating on a program.
If a current Section or Chapter is not conveniently located for you, starting a new member unit is relatively simple, provided you have enough interested members. The procedures are available from Member Services, 1-800-270-3444 (+1-412-232-3444 outside North America).
If your interest in being involved at the local level is greater than just attending local events, you may wish to consider becoming an officer in your local Section or Chapter. All officers must be full members of the Association.
The Association encourages participation by its members on the international level. Members make things happen in the Association. They request and conduct meetings, conferences and workshops on topics that they believe are important, they join the various Councils and/or committees, write articles for the Journal or EM, present papers at any of the various Association programs or serve on the Board of Directors.
Many people join the Association because of its technical accomplishments, programs, and reputation. The quality and amount of technical, scientific, and managerial information they get and give enhances their effectiveness and furthers their professional development.
At the heart of the Association's technical organization are the Technical Coordinating Committees. They provide leadership in developing the Annual Conference technical programs and many specialty conferences, publications, papers, and discussions of technical and managerial topics.
Any member may participate in any coordinating committee by contacting the Group Coordinator, Division Chair or Committee Chair. To get the most out of your committee participation, the Association recommends:
Participating on a Technical Coordinating Committee is the a benefit of Association membership. It provides opportunities for the exchange of technical, scientific and managerial information.