Announcement from President Kellogg

Donation Request for Campaign 4000

To:        AAEE Membership

From:     Stephen Kellogg, PE, BCEE
              President, AAEE

Subject: Donation/Pledge Form Request for Campaign 4000

At our recent Board of Trustees meeting, your Board unanimously passed the Academy's first ever five-year Strategic Plan. It is a blueprint for growth designed to double the size of the Academy over the next five years. In a survey of the membership this objective was identified as a high priority so that AAEE could continue programs like Board Certification of Environmental Engineering professionals, the Engineering Excellence Awards, ABET accreditation essential to ensuring the quality of future environmental engineering graduates, academic outreach to engineering students, career placement assistance, and increasing environmental engineering's profile in our society.

This Strategic Plan was first mentioned in the Winter 2007 issue of the Environmental Engineer on the President's Page entitled "Moving Forward." In the Spring 2007 issue this same topic was discussed in a message entitled "Funding the Plan." AAEE is stronger in terms of membership and finances than it has been in more than a decade. We have asked for help from the membership historically through difficult times. Many of you responded and helped us keep the business of AAEE ongoing. We are now operating from a stronger foundation and with a vision.

Campaign 4000 is required to provide AAEE with a reserve to fund the tools necessary for upgrading our communication systems, academic outreach, hosting local and regional meetings, and promoting the value of Board Certification to the engineering community. It is a one-time campaign with a goal of raising $150,000 over three years. The first ten percent of this goal has been achieved by pledges from your Board of Trustees. The mechanism for funding is a three-year pledge of $333 per year for a total of $1,000. While the commitment by each individual contributor is relatively modest, the impact to an organization like the AAEE is very significant. The Academy operates with a very limited budget, modest staffing, and a lot of volunteer effort.

If successful, the campaign will seed the growth required to implement our plan. A growth in new membership at a rate that doubles our membership to 4000 will result in a strong cash surplus negating the need for additional future supplemental funding. New members at these levels will result in cash surpluses exceeding 10% to 20% of our annual budget. Healthy and viable organizations make an impact through sustainable growth. This pledge will allow the Academy to secure our future and increase our outreach.

The American Academy of Environmental Engineers has been in existence for over 50 years. AAEE has accomplished many things and implemented some excellent programs for the profession. This bold initiative and commitment on your part will secure our future in fulfilling the promise that the founding fathers intended, "to achieve excellence in the practice of environmental engineering to ensure the public health, safety, and welfare to enable humankind to co-exist in harmony with nature." There has never been a stronger environmental need to fulfill this promise with major global challenges. The best vehicle to meet these challenges is utilization of highly qualified Board Certified professionals.

Please sign the enclosed Donation/Pledge form and make your personal impact on this mission. My commitment to you is that your President and Board of Trustees will utilize this investment wisely through increasing membership and expanding our programs so that the investment results in long-term sustainability for both AAEE and recognition of our profession. Very few investments at this level have the potential to make such a significant impact on our environment and way of life. Thank you for your support.

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