Dedicated to Championing Quality
in the St. Louis Bi-State Region
Message from the Section Chair
The new ASQ year is beginning. We enter this year after having enjoyed some welcome success last year. The St. Louis Section is stable. We have just passed Phoenix section 704 in total membership and we are now the 13th largest section in the U.S. We put on a successful spring conference that drew more people than we ever have before. And we were able achieve most of our goals, which will allows us to maintain our section excellence status. All in all it was a good start, but we are only just beginning.
The Leadership Committee has been meeting since early this year to develop the strategy for the coming year. A strategy designed to continue the best efforts and successes of the past. This year’s Leadership Committee contains some current members, new members and some existing members in new roles that are all actively working to improve our section. This year we are working toward three main goals. First, to grow the section enough to move into 12th place in the U.S. Second, to demonstrate our member’s commitment to quality by increasing the number of senior members, fellows, and those with a certification. And third, to improve the interface our members have with our section. Let’s take a look at what these mean.
We moved into 13th place by shrinking slower (only 2% decline) than others. 9 of the 12 sections ahead of us are shrinking at a faster rate with an average decline of 6% as compared to an average decline of 7% for all shrinking sections. Only 65 ASQ sections (25.6%) grew at all. If we put our minds to it I believe we can reverse the decline and grow our section, overtaking some of the 12 other sections ahead of us. We are just barely leading Phoenix and are 42 members out of 12th place. By adding just 42 members we can achieve our first goal.
Second, I strongly urge all members to demonstrate their commitment to quality by going to the ASQ website and applying for senior membership status. Senior members receive an extra FREE division membership in addition to a certificate indicating their devotion to quality. But more importantly I urge every ASQ member to obtain an ASQ Certification in at least one area of quality. Quality certifications demonstrate to you and your employer that you have mastered the body of knowledge in your chosen area. In today’s competitive market a certification confirms to your employer that you are serious about quality.
Third, technology is increasing at a faster pace everyday. So we have decided to review how our section uses technology such as the Internet, website, and email to keep in touch with our members. We would like to improve the interfaces we use and leverage the power of the internet to disseminate information. We are looking at changes to the website, using on-line credit card registration for membership meetings, and communicating this newsletter via email. Feel free to email me with your suggestions as to how we may improve.
Lastly, I would like to welcome all of you to the first membership meeting of the year. Come to meet old friends, make new acquaintances, and learn about how we can all make a difference using quality to improve processes, performance, and our people.
Ordinary just happens; greatness takes a little effort, sacrifice, and determination.
I urge all of you to make the effort to dedicate one night a month to quality, and display the determination it takes to be better than just ordinary. I look forward to seeing you at our membership events this year.
Chris Anderson, CQA, CQIA
Section Chair, ASQ 1304
Chris@bizmanualz.com