Leadership Elections
January is the time that SPE elects its leadership. At the Council meeting this month, Councilors will cast their ballots for a number of leadership positions.

Leadership at the global level within SPE is extremely important, and volunteer time continues to put constraints on the time people have to give to SPE at this level. I am always impressed when I visit with individual SPE boards at the local or divisional level, and feel that many who serve SPE there can and should be strongly encouraged to consider higher offices within SPE.

I believe that one of the reasons people tend to shy away from this type of opportunity is that there is some confusion about how to go about getting involved at the global level. To that end, this article will briefly outline the process and opportunities that are available to any SPE member, and especially to SPE members who have already been involved in Section or Division governance. Article.

Executive Director

Year-End 2007
SPE is in the midst of closing out 2007, so we do not have any hard and fast numbers to share with you as of this writing. Auditors will be in our offices the first week of February, and we should have final numbers for 2007 in advance of the next issue of Leadership e-News.

Coming Soon – The SPE Store Catalog for 2008!
The SPE Store Catalog – your must-have technical resource – will be available in February. Whatever your role in the plastics industry, you’ll be sure to find the training and educational resources you need in the 2008 catalog. Stay tuned for further information next month.

Reminder: February 17-24, 2008 is National Engineers Week
National Engineers Week celebrates the many contributions engineers make to our quality of life. There are numerous ways you can make a difference in the engineering profession and in National Engineers week. One way is to develop awareness of engineering in your local area. For further information about National Engineers Week, click here. For activities for students, check out “Discover Engineering” by clicking here.

Meeting Space Request Forms Now Available
Holding a board, business, TPC meeting or reception at ANTEC 2008 in Milwaukee? Download the meeting space request form, complete it and return it to Lesley Kyle by February 8. Meetings may be held at the Midwest Airlines Center, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, or the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

Matrix Meeting Reminder
ANTEC TPCs are reminded to mark their calendars and plan on attending the virtual Matrix Meeting on Wednesday, January 23, at 1 p.m. Eastern. For more information, contact Peter Boergermann or Lesley Kyle.

Student Author Travel Fund Contributions Sought
Through the generous support of SPE's Sections and Divisions, the Society is able to provide financial assistance to student authors who present technical papers at the ANTEC 2008 Conference. Some of these authors are unable to attend without supplemental travel assistance from SPE. Interested in contributing toward the Student Author Travel Fund? Click here to download the travel fund donation form, or contact Lesley Kyle for more information.

ANTEC 2008 Registration Site Open
The ANTEC registration site (including Plastics Encounter and SPE Seminars) is now open for business! Access to online registration is available via the ANTEC homepage.

Education Awards Deadline Nears
Reminder: Applications for the Husky Section Education Award and the Chase Student Chapter Education Award are due by February 6, 2008. If you have questions about either award, contact Laurie McDougal.

Call for Parts for the 2008 Product Design Awards
SPE has issued a Call for Parts for the 2008 Glenn L. Beall Product Design Awards, presented in recognition of innovation in the design of plastics parts. One award is presented for consumer products; one is presented for industrial products.

Parts submitted for consideration must have been first offered commercially no earlier than January 1, 2006. Judges will review parts for their optimum utilization of plastics, creativity and originality, value to the end user, and their impact on the plastics industry. All nomination forms must be submitted to SPE Headquarters by February 15, 2008. An entry fee of $100.00 must be submitted with the nomination form. (Note: the entry fee is waived if the nomination is sponsored by an SPE member.)

The product/part to be judged must be shipped, at the nominee’s expense, to the site of Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC 2008 being held in Milwaukee, WI from May 4-8. Parts will be judged prior to the opening of ANTEC (SPE’s Annual Technical Conference) and will be on display during exhibit hours. Nominees must provide for return shipment of submitted parts. Details will be provided to nominees upon submission of the nomination form.

Awards will be presented at the SPE Celebrates Banquet on Sunday, May 4, 2008, in Milwaukee, WI. The award consists of a $2,500 honorarium and a plaque.

Applications are available on the SPE website or may be requested from Gail Bristol at SPE Headquarters (+1 203-740-5447).

Board Elections
Don't forget that January/February is the time of year to conduct elections for your 2008-2009 Board of Directors. For guidance on how to carry out an election, please review the Section or Division leadership guides. These resources are available on the Leadership Services page (click on the Operations/General Information category). If you would like to conduct your elections via an online ballot, SPE Headquarters can help! Please contact Tricia McKnight for details.

The very reasons for delegation go against our natural business instincts:
     · No one likes to be told what to do.
     · No one likes to relinquish control.
     · No one likes to admit they need help.

What we don’t realize is that we delegate things every day – why doesn’t it bother us to drop off our dry cleaning or call the plumber to fix our clogged sink? If you apply the same thinking to aspects of your job, you can identify projects that are perfect to delegate and get great results. Click here for insights to help you overcome your hesitation to delegate.

Council Materials
By now, all Councilors should have room reservations and travel arrangements squared away for the January 25-26 Committee and Council meetings in Savannah, GA. If you have not yet notified Marie Salzo that you will be attending, please do so immediately.

Councilors have been provided with a website link to all the backup materials required for the meetings. Some additional materials (especially committee-related materials) will be added as they become available. Click here for the latest schedule of meeting dates/times/rooms.

Transportation in Savannah
The Hilton Garden Inn does not provide free shuttle service from the Savannah airport. They recommend that you use a taxi. Once at the hotel, if you or your guest wish to tour the historic district of Savannah during the day, the hotel provides a shuttle at specified hours. Check at the front desk for details. Cabs are also available from the hotel to the historic district for approximately $7.00 each way.

Student Housing Announced for ANTEC
A block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee has been set aside for students. The single/double occupancy rate is $129. For more details, click here.

Student Chapter Awards
Reminder: Applications for the Chase Student Chapter Education Award and the Outstanding Student Chapter Award are due by February 6, 2008. If you have questions about either award, contact Laurie McDougal.

GPEC^® 2008 Student Poster Presentations
This year, the Society of Plastics Engineers Environmental Division will be hosting its annual Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC^®), the leading environmental conference in the plastics and polymer industry, in Orlando, Florida, March 10-12, 2008 at the Florida Hotel & Convention Center. The theme of GPEC 2008 is “Sustainability and Recycling for a Greener Environment.”
 
Students (undergraduate and graduate) are invited to submit posters for presentation at GPEC 2008. A manuscript is not required. Cash awards will be presented to presenters of posters of exceptional quality. Click here for submission criteria.

Monthly Reports for February 2008
Monthly reports for February 2008 will be posted on February 4th. Membership Chairs will be notified via email when the reports have been posted to their data download web page.

Tools for Membership Chairs
We recently heard from an individual who said, “I am the membership chair for my group. Are there tools available to guide me?” The answer is YES! The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Membership Chair Guidelines provides you with information regarding your role and responsibilities as a Membership Chair. The membership area of the Leadership Services page on SPE’s website offers many training tools and information to help make your job a little easier. In addition, the Leadership Services Department at Headquarters has the specific purview of providing support to volunteer leaders, and staff is available to answer any questions. Membership Chairs can contact Tricia McKnight, Senior Leadership Liaison (+1 203-740-5430) or Tobi Gebauer, Senior Manager, Membership (+1 203-740-5457).

SPE 2008 Spring Seminars
Do you or some of your employees have a goal this year to seek additional training? Then be sure to check out SPE’s Spring 2008 Seminar Catalog on the SPE website. It offers fundamental, intermediate and advanced instruction provided by experts in the plastics industry. And don’t forget - as an SPE member, you receive a discount on every course you take!

Employment Anniversaries
Congratulations are extended to SPE staff celebrating employment anniversaries this month: Kimberly Wakuluk (12 years), Jeff Tremonte (10 years), Susan Oderwald (7 years).