Executive Message

In 1949, a group of eleven geophysicists held a meeting to share their vision of how a society catering to geophysicists should be built. I have just completed my first year as Assistant Director of Member Services and I sometimes ponder if the society has blossomed into what they had hoped for back then. As fifty-nine years have gone by since this first meeting, I am easily convinced that the CSEG has reached further than what was envisioned at that first brain-storming session.

I graduated from the University of Calgary in 2003 and in these past five years that I have been in the industry, my volunteer experience within numerous circles has let me experience and witness the different angles and attributes that exist within the CSEG. Aside from answering some questions emailed to me from members, my biggest task on the executive thus far has been in assisting in organizing a volunteer appreciation festivus. Today, more than 100 names compile the list of volunteers within the CSEG. Each year, this list grows slightly more and I feel that this is definitely something to brag about. The range of groups, committees and events within the CSEG is large and diverse and these groups would not and could not exist without all these volunteers. With more people coming forward to volunteer each year, it is definitely safe to say that our society is quite healthy. New volunteers bring new ideas and thoughts to the table, and hence this is an exciting time for the CSEG since not only will new ideas bring innovation to current groups and committees, these new volunteers may also possess the ideas for groups and events that have yet to form. With a growing list of members signing up to the CSEG, what lies on the horizon in terms of technical and social events proves to be very beneficial to all of us and our work.

From all my volunteer experience, perhaps the biggest insight to how the CSEG is run has been this first year on the executive. I didn’t know what to expect when I was approached by Oliver Kuhn for this position, but sitting in on the monthly meetings has been very informative and in a way I feel that the title of my position (Member Services) should be extended to encompass the entire executive, since the executive committee is really one large member services organ. The executive has been a fun group to work with and is comprised of individuals well-matched to their respective positions.

As I have recently volunteered myself to motherhood, part of my first year and a good portion of my second year on the executive has been, and will be accessed remotely as I am currently off on maternity leave. However, as Director of Member Services, I am easily kept in the loop of news and events and hence look forward to beginning this second portion of my executive term.

P.S. The big event for this month is of course the annual convention, and hopefully you will all be able to get out and enjoy what’s been put together for this year-it sounds like it’s going to be quite the production!