Kevin Strunk, LPG 906

First, let me wish everyone Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the upcoming year! By way of introduction, although I’ve been active with PGI from it’s inception, this is my first term as President, although I have been VP and Secretary, and have recently been the head of the Legislative Committee. I am an independent consultant (oil & gas, aggregates, wetlands, watersheds, etc.) living in Indianapolis with my wife and three kids. I’m a proponent of building geology into a widely recognized profession. In my off-time, I enjoy many outdoor activities, coach kid sports and play mandolin and guitar (no vocals!)

The past year has been a good year for PGI under the leadership Dave Nance whom I wish to thank both for his hard work as a two-term board member and as 2001 president. Dave spent considerable time getting our website functional (www.pg-in.org) and he has agreed to continue as webmaster. Thanks are also due to Charly Zuppann for his hard work during the last 4 years both as President and head of the constitution review committee. Thanks to Charly for his much welcomed offer to take on the huge task of editing our quarterly newsletter, the PGI Standard. And Thanks to the other departing board members: Bruce Stevens, Debbie Dale and Randy Snellenberger. Join me in welcoming Greg Scarpone, Brooks Bertl, Matt Dagon, Tom Partin and Bob Sonnefield (VP) along with returning board members Roger Anderson, Nancy Hasenmueller (Treasurer) and Maria Mastalerz (Secretary). Feel free to contact any of us about PGI issues or to serve on a committee. Remember, PGI will be what we all make it!

Presidents are supposed to offer visions and goals for their upcoming tenure, and I do have a few. The first is building on our past successes which means helping to plan our three main events of the year: the Spring Awards Picnic (April?), the Fall University Field Trip (September?) and the Annual Meeting (November). The next goals are making sure that the newsletter and website continue to successful (and we can all help by submitting articles and information!). We also need to assist the LPG Board (chaired by Dr. Steinmetz) with a few crucial items: writing an Ethics rule, devising a Geologist-In-Training (GIT) designation, reviewing the definition of Public Practice of Geology, and identifying technical and policy areas where LPG’s are needed. There will also likely be an amendment to the LPG statute offered by the LPG Board in January (see article elsewhere).

I also wish to offer two suggestions for all PGI members: we need to increase our membership from our current 150 to 200 or more in 2002 (nearly 400 LPG’s live in Indiana), and we need to establish better professional networking opportunities for geologists, and internship opportunities for students. All PGI members can help in these areas by promoting membership to colleagues and by thinking of ways PGI could sponsor some functions and expand outreach to all geologists and students.