President's Message -Wrapping Up 2018!
Kevin Vaughn - Sika
They say time flies when you're having fun and that is doubly true when you assume a leadership position within a volunteer organization. What an amazing experience it has been so far and I am so thankful for all the great people I have had the opportunity to work with during the first half of my term as President of the Puget Sound Chapter.
The term started with a bang with our Member Mixer at the Washington Athletic Club. It was a very well attended event and everyone seemed to enjoy the informal social atmosphere. Most of our Board was in attendance and each was able to give a brief update of their respective committee assignments.
The following month, we held our meeting at Gordon Biersch over the lunch hour and were treated to a presentation by Dale
Alberda, AIA
from
nbbj
on the Amazon Spheres project. It was a riveting presentation and filled with amazing insights into a project that will surely be as iconic for the city of Seattle as the Space Needle. Audience participation was strong and Dale was peppered with questions until we literally had to end the meeting so our speaker could get back to work.
Our next meeting was just as interesting and certainly fun as well. We met at the McMenamins "Six Arms" on Capitol Hill for an incredible happy hour featuring great beer and delicious Scooby Snacks, as they are known. Shortly after, we rang the bell and helped our guests make an orderly transition to the nearby Melrose Market Studios for a joint presentation by McMenamins and Andersen Construction on the process of historical renovation at Tacoma's Elks Temple. Both presentations were fascinating and the audience was given a behind-the-scenes look at what is involved in taking old properties and turning them into popular NW destinations known for food, drink and entertainment. The group was also introduced to The BLOCK Project by Bern Troyer of BLOCK Architects...look for additional volunteer opportunities for CSI members to give back in the coming future with the skills we have to share with our community!
Our final chapter for 2018 has not yet been written. We will be getting together in December to celebrate the holidays at a location we hope to share shortly. Like our event in September, this will include dinner and be more of a social function. There will be plenty of activities for members and guests to enjoy and it will be great way to wrap up a very fun and educational year! We are also planning to raise funds for the NW Harvest and to donate CSI's profits from the evening to the organization. We have supported NW Harvest since the 90's and hope you will bring your holiday cheer and cash, check, or charge to add what support you can share this year. For more information on the organization or to donate online:
https://www.northwestharvest.org/donate
.
For 2019, we are putting some great programs and events together, so stay tuned. If any of you have requests for programs moving forward, please send them our way!
Happy Holidays and to you and yours!
