The American Institute of Mining,
Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Report of the 1998 President Roy H. KoernerThe year 1998 recorded several unprecedented events in AIME's history. I am pleased to report the sale of the United Engineering Center was consummated in October. AIME co-located with the other four Founder Societies from their home of almost forty years to a commercial building at Three Park Avenue in New York City.I am saddened to report the death of two of AIME's best, Alfred Weiss, Executive Director and Secretary, and Richard "Dick" Klimpel, an AIME Trustee from SME. Significant progress was made in the development of a new AIME Long Range Plan and in the implementation of the Outreach Initiatives described at the 1997 retreat. On these areas and on other pertinent developments, I am pleased to report. 1998 Annual Meeting
The
first AIME Annual Meeting held outside the United States was held in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada in March hosted by the Iron & Steel
Society. The AIME Keynote Session, moderated by Leonard G. Nelson,
1997 AIME president, featured three distinguished speakers who addressed
Revolutionary Leadership in Steel. The annual banquet served to
recognize the recipients of Honorary Membership as well as the other
prestigious AIME Awards.
Tradition As part of the AIME
Long Range Plan, the Board approved the recommendation that the hosting of the AIME Annual
Meeting will rotate among the Member Societies. The 1999 meeting will be in
Houston with SPE and the 2000 meeting in Nashville with TMS.
Government Affairs
through AAES
AIME government
affairs activities continued during 1998 through the American Association of Engineering
Societies (AAES), located in Washington, DC.
AIME efforts in AAES involved a total of ten volunteers, each representing a Member Society, serving on the various AAES Councils, Commissions and Task Forces. AIME contributed financially to two projects, the Harris Poll to assess the Image of Engineers in the US and a Pension Study. AIME and the Member Societies are participating in the taskforce to Enhance the Image of Engineers which is an outgrowth of the Harris Poll. Overarching and
Member-Direct Programs
At the August 1994
Board meeting, the Trustees adopted a policy that provides funding to AIME's
Overarching
programs and Member-Direct programs. Overarching programs are defined as those that carry
out the mission of the Institute and includes participation by one or more of the
Member Societies. Member-Direct programs are those carried out by the Member Societies.
The selection of Member Society specific projects and the balancing of programs is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. For
1998, the Board
approved total funding in the amount of $1.1 million of which $65 thousand
was for Overarching programs and the balance for Member-Direct.
Long Range Plan and
Board Retreat
>At
the March 1998 "follow-up" Board Retreat in Toronto, the AIME Board of
Trustees identified three "Outreach Initiatives," to be executed
in Overarching programs. These programs are (1) Professional
Development, (2) Enhance the Image of Engineers, and (3) Bridge Societies to
Industry Leadership. 'Professional Development,' which aims to bring
business-oriented short courses to the Member Societies to support their
membership, has had planning meetings via teleconference and in
Cleveland. 'Enhance the Image of Engineers' is being executed by more
active participation in National Engineers Week, cooperative participation
in programs through AAES and continual review by the Board to support
efforts by the Member Societies. 'Bridge Societies to Industry
Leadership' is being carried out by sharing 'Best Practices' between the
Member Societies, participation in programs with AAES and continual review
by the Board to support Member Societies efforts in this important area.
Inter-Society Affairs
United Engineering Trustees On
September 25, 1997 the Supreme Court of the State of New York approved the
sale of the United Engineering Center (UEC) and the distribution of proceeds
to the Founder Societies. The Court also approved the reconstitution
of the UET into the United Engineering Foundation (UEF). The new
president of the UEF is Barry Bowman, a member of SPE and a twelve-year AIME
representative to the UET board.
Founder Societies As part of the plan
submitted to the Court, the Founder Societies concluded that
the building at Three Park Avenue in New York City will be able to house all five Founder
Societies. All of the societies moved in September of 1998 and the closing
on the UEC sale took place in October. AIME has a sublease from IEEE
and occupies some 2500 square feet or about eleven percent of the 17th
floor.
ABET The Institute also
retained its relationship with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET), as an affiliate body, and AIME is represented by its Executive Director who serves
as an official observer at the ABET board meetings.
JETS AIME
has a seat on the board of the Junior Engineering Technical Society and is the unofficial representative of the
Founder Societies as well as the AIME Member Societies.
Finance You are invited to
review the audited financial statement for the AIME Corporation for 1998 (ending November
30, 1998), which includes required new reporting for the endowment funds of not-for-profit
organizations. AIME assets increased from $15.8 million at the end of fiscal year
1997 to $21.3 million at the end of fiscal year 1998, which includes $5.6
million in undistributed funds from the proceeds of the sale of the UEC.
During 1998 AIME completed the outsourcing of the majority of its financial functions and also changes the investment banking firm which manages the endowment fund. In Memoriam
It is with deep
personal sorrow as well as a great sense of ongoing loss to AIME that I note the untimely
deaths of dear friends and colleagues Alfred Weiss, AIME Executive
Director and Richard R. Klimpel. Both men were past presidents of SME,
were recognized in their respective fields, and each made significant
contributions to SME and AIME.
In Appreciation
It has been an honor
for me to serve as your AIME president, to have had the opportunity to associate with and
be assisted by the many fine people who comprise the AIME family, and to have had the
privilege of representing AIME on many auspicious occasions. I reflect with great
affection on my visits to the local sections and on the opportunity to strengthen AIME's
ties with the Member Societies and with the other Founder Societies.
I appreciate the cooperation of the Board of Trustees of AIME. I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Member Societies' Boards of Directors and their Executive Directors, the staffs of AIME and the Member Societies, committee members and others for their dedicated support during the past year. I also congratulate and pledge my full support to my friend, the 1999 AIME President, Paul G. Campbell, Jr. and the new Board of Trustees. It has been my 'labor of love' and my wish for the future that AIME will continue to carry out its longstanding mission and strengthen the foundational principles that uplift all engaged in the honorable profession of engineering. Roy H. Koerner
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