Letter from the President

As we approach the last quarter of my term as president, I have found myself reminiscing on my early years with SMPS.  As a structural engineer, I had very little training on “soft” skills.  I was lucky that my undergraduate education required freshman writing classes, six liberal arts classes, and a technical writing and presentations class.  However, none of these classes taught me how to walk into a room where I knew no one and strike up a conversation, or how to create a network and utilize it to gather information.  I especially wasn’t taught how to win work.

I joined SMPS seven years ago after my managing director asked if I could help with business development and marketing. Neither of us was sure how to define my role and responsibilities, and with only a portion of my time carved out for this undertaking, there was not much time to learn. 

My managing director was familiar with SMPS and together we joined the Austin Chapter.  Back then, the Austin chapter board consisted of 10 (if they were lucky) volunteers who did everything.  They ran the chapter, communicating with members and possible members, managing finances, pursuing new members, soliciting sponsors, and even creating all the programs.  As a newcomer to the chapter, I was quickly hit up to help. 

As I became involved, I made many friends and my network grew.  However, my SMPS network was not just a group of friends but a valuable resource through which I made connections, learned valuable marketplace information, and grew in my role as a business developer.

As I grew in my role, the Austin Chapter also grew.  Our membership has practically tripled.  We have committees now that plan programs, communicate with the chapter, grow our membership, and gather sponsors.  We have members who have seen the immediate benefit of growing their network and skills by working with others to make the chapter a success.  With their hard work, the board is now able to steer the chapter and develop new initiatives to help the chapter grow and bring greater benefits to our members. 

One of the new benefits that we are rolling out is a mentoring program.  SMPS members who are fairly new to the industry or their position will be matched with more experienced members in similar jobs but different firm types.  This is an opportunity for experienced members to pass on sage advice, save other members from the pitfalls they experienced, share war stories, and help advocate the role of marketers and business developers.  As we help strengthen and empower those less experienced, not only will our networks grow stronger but so will the roles of marketers and business developers in A/E/C firms.

I wish such a program had existed seven years ago.  But by joining the board early, I created mentors of my own.  These are the same people who were running the chapter seven years ago.  They are the ones who somehow had the connections and time management skills to do it all.  I’d like to thank Diane Shelton, Karen Ward, Amy Jones, Michael Brack, Deanna Bounds, and Christine Freeman for being my mentors (even if they didn’t know it) and for making the Austin chapter what it is today.

Paulette N. I. Rudolph, PE, LEED AP, CPSM

Walter P Moore

SMPS Austin Chapter President