Leadership Perspective
On Your Mark, Get Set,
Recruit!
Local sections, take note: the gauntlet has
been thrown.
The AIHA Board of Directors has challenged local sections to conduct an unprecedented recruitment drive of local
section members who are not national
AIHA members. The local sections that
recruit the most members to AIHA will be
recognized on the AIHA website and in
The Synergist. Best of all, the winning
local sections will each receive an AIHA
continuing education product to share
with members.
Competition Details
The recruitment drive competition began
on April 23, 2009, and runs through Dec.
15, 2009. For the purposes of this competition, the Board and the AIHA Local
Sections Council have developed a recruiting award structure. Local sections
will compete in three divisions: large
local sections (greater than 100 members), medium local sections ( 50 to 100
members), and small local sections (fewer
than 50 members).
The first- and second-place finishers in
each division receive a 2010 AIHA Tele Web
of their choice. The third- through sev-enth-place finishers in each division receive an AIHA Distance Learning DVD of
their choice. The awards will help augment local section educational opportunities with a tangible, useful asset.
As AIHA national records new mem-
bers recruited by local sections, the com-
petition “standings” will be reported
bimonthly. Local Sections are encour-
aged to solicit new prospective members
using a wide array of methods, including
announcements at meetings, website
postings and electronic announcements
and newsletters.
Local Sections Resources
Electronic and print copies of recruitment
literature have already been e-mailed to
local sections. If your local section has
not received these resources, please contact Thursa La.
Local sections can also download recruitment brochures, recruitment flyers
and AIHA member applications from the
local sections page of the AIHA website.
However, the Local Sections Council encourages local sections to personalize their
recruitment efforts. For example, recruiters
might engage prospective new members in
personal dialogue. Current members should
explain why they belong to AIHA, emphasizing member advantages critical to
the profession and the importance of
membership to their job and their local
communities. A summary of member
benefits is available at www.aiha.org/
Content/AboutAIHA/memberbenefits/
memberbenefits.htm. The benefits are
also summarized on page 30 of this issue.
As the number of retiring members
continues to increase, AIHA faces the
challenge of recruiting new professionals
to join the association. The local section
recruitment drive will only be successful
if we all participate together. Your Local
Sections Council officers appreciate your
willingness to help strengthen AIHA and
local sections.
TheodoreKnutson,MS,PE,isanindustrialhygiene
engineeratKnutsonVentilation,Inc.,inEdina,Minn.
He can be reached at (952) 928-0195 or
theodore.knutson@knutsonventilation.com.
