- professional development
- conferences and international meetings;
- increasing supervisor understanding and support for O&M services;
- environmental access;
- recognition of O&M as a profession;
- role clarification of O&M and other professions;
- professional standards and certification;
- quality personnel preparation;
- third-party reimbursement;
- O&M not sufficiently available to all who need it;
- growth and quality of professionals.
First Strategic Planning for O&M, Denver Colorado, 2000
The first strategic planning event for the O&M profession was held July 14, 2000 in Denver, Colorado. It was led by Mary Nelle McLennan and organized by the AER O&M Division's Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair (Laura Bozeman, Dona Sauerburger, and Eileen Siffermann) for "Division Nine Day" at AER's 2000 conference ("Division Nine" was formerly the official name of AER's O&M Division).
All members were invited to participate -- the registration fee of $15 ($30 at the door) did not include lunch or any credit.
In a profession that doesn't like sitting in a room for long, it is amazing that everyone came back for more after lunch! Participants were energized, and leaders learned a lot about what issues concerned their members -- the O&M Division worked for the next several years to address each of those issues.
For example, the extent of the problem that O&M practitioners were having with administrators who didn't understand O&M was first revealed at this Strategic Planning. One of the products which were developed to help O&M specialists deal with this problem was a resource page, which continues to be updated with ideas and information.
The Strategic Planning which is currently being organized by the O&M PA Working Group will be the first such event for the O&M profession since 2000. We are excited about this opportunity to engage O&M and GDMI professionals and learn about the issues that concern them, develop goals and a shared vision, and plan how to achieve them.
The articles below are from the Fall 2000 AER Division Nine O&M Newsletter (Vol. 8; No. 1):
[AER O&M] Division Nine Day
Friday, July 14, 2000
For many of us who were present, Division Nine Day 2000 was an historic event which challenged and inspired us, and will help shape our future for years to come. We originally thought a few dozen hardy souls would show up early at the conference to participate in our strategic planning, and were overwhelmed when we learned that 130 people had registered!
Mary Nelle McLennan, who had agreed to lead us in our strategic planning, dug deep within her vast creative and energetic mental resources to figure out what to do with so many people! She somehow managed to lead us in activities that enabled us to reach consensus while still allowing everyone to have a voice and participate to set goals, and develop strategies for getting there. Mary Nelle, how can we thank you enough? There is no equal to you in leadership, enthusiasm, creativity, hard work and fun -- thank you! [In the picture shown here, Mary Nelle is standing to the left.]
Many thanks also to each of you dedicated O&Mers who worked all day long to provide Division Nine with direction that will guide us for the next few years! The results, which are briefly summarized on page 18, are being analyzed in more detail to implement them. And thanks to Margaret Sandberg for spending hours after the conference typing up all the strategies!
Division Nine Day Report -- by Laura Bozeman
[from page 18 in the Fall 2000 AER Division Nine O&M Newsletter]
On Division Nine Day Friday, July 14, Mary Nelle McLennan led more than 100 Division members in strategic planning for Division Nine.
The concerns that were identified as issues to be addressed in the next five years were (in random order):