Wooden Tornado Shelter Withstands High Winds

Wooden Tornado Shelter Withstands High Winds Wooden Tornado Shelter Withstands High Winds Tornadoes wreak destruction across the U.S. every year, killing or injuring hundreds of people and causing millions of dollars in property damage. Some climate experts agree that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of these storms in coming years, putting mora people in harms way.As a result, more homeowners are installing safe rooms in their homes. These shelters are made from steel or reinforced concrete and are typically located in the basement or under the garage floor.The downside is the cost. Installing a safe room can cost as much as $15,000 or more, which makes many people decide to take their chances with the weather.Soon, however, a more affordable safe room may be on the market, made from basic, low-cost construction material wood.A lumber safe-room wall prior to impact testing (top), and with 2x4 missile imbedded in it.A Wood Tornado Shelter?Thats right, engineers at Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, WI, have built an 8-foot by 8-foot safe room prototype out of wood that can withstand winds up to 250 mph.Robert Falk is the lead scientist on the project. The construction concept is based on nail-laminating 2-inch by 8-inch lumber into a tongue-and-groove beam that can be easily carried into an existing garage or basement. These beams are then stacked into a wall to the height needed. Plywood is then attached, further reinforcing the wall. The interlocking plan makes constructing the wall easy and results in a layered system that effectively dissipates the energy of debris impact, says Falk.Falk and his engineers tested the energy of debris impact using a debris cannon. The impact tests meet the ICC-500 standard and are conducted at a level commensurate with a 250-mph wind speed A 15-pound, 2-inch by 4-inch missile fired at 100 mph).The design easily passes the impact test, says Falk. In fact, it took six cannon shots all clustered within about 18 inches of each other to fail our latest design per the criteria of ICC-500. Only the plywood layer cracked and no debris was generated. This is a testament to the energy dissipation characteristics of wood and wood construction.This current model of the safe room is constructed from readily available, low-cost building materials, including construction-grade two by eights, three-quarter-inch CDX plywood, nails, and construction adhesive. Falk is trying to further reduce costs by optimizing fastener and adhesive placement, as well as sheathing type. He is also designing the connection system to secure the room to a concrete slab.We expect to have a full-size safe room ready soon for lateral wind load and impact testing in the next few months, he adds. This should verify the wind load capacity of the design as well as connection performance.Saving LivesFalk envisions having online blueprints that can be downloaded so do-it-yourselfers can build their own shelters. They buy the lumber, take it home, and put it together, says Falk. Thats an important aspect. By providing an economical and easy-to-build safe room, we will increase the number of people who can afford and install one. Another option is providing a kit priced at about $3,000 to $4,000 for wood and materials, including a steel door.Falk is also collaborating with a large wood-products manufacturer to investigate different engineered wood products for a safe-room door. He hopes they can build a wood storm door that will be more economic than currently available steel doors.Robert Bonnie, the U.S. Department of Agricultures undersecretary for natural resources and the environment, is excited about FPLs work. This research is critically important, not only for the direct use of providing safe shelters for people in tornadoes, but also for creating a vibrant wood-products industry, he says.Mark Crawford is an independent writer. For Further Discussion By providing an economical and easy-to- build safe room, we will increase the number of people who can afford and install oneRobert Falk, lead scientist, Forest Product Laboratory

Passing an Employment Drug Test

Passing an Employment Drug TestPassing an Employment Drug TestAre you concerned about reisepassing an employment drug test? When and how are job applicants and employees tested? Employers might conduct drug and alcohol tests as a condition of employment, randomly, or because of an accident or injury. They might also perform tests because an employee appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol on the job, if unexcused absence from work or lateness is an issue, or if performance appears to be impacted by drug or alcohol abuse. So, what can you do if you are concerned about passing a drug test? First, you need to understand your rights as laid out by state and federal law and what you can expect if youre screened for drug use. Employer Drug Tests During an Employment Screenings Most state laws allow private employers to screen job applicants for drug use, provided that they give notice that drug testing is part of the hiring process, use state-certified labs and screen all applicants for the same job. However, state laws may restrict the way testing is carried out. For example, some states may allow screening only once the applicant has been given notice about the drug-testing policy and the employer has extended a conditional offer of employment. See your states laws to determine whats allowed in your area. Some employers may even be required to screen prospective employees for drug use before extending an offer of employment. Federal agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense are required to conduct regular drug testing. And, the federal Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act (OTETA) mandates that all operators of aircraft, mass transportation vehicles, and commercial motor vehicles be tested for drug use. Further, private-sector employees may also be tested for drugs or alcohol in the workplace, where permitted by state law. Types of Drug Tests The types of drug and alcohol tests which show the presence o f drugs or alcohol include urine drug tests, blood drug tests, hair drug tests, breath alcohol tests, saliva drug screen and sweat drug screen. Passing a Drug Test The only way to be sure that youre going to pass a drug test is not to have drugs or alcohol in your system. With some drugs, including marijuana, a residue may show in drug tests for weeks. If you dont believe the positive drug test results are accurate, you may be able to have the specimen retested at a lab of your choice at your expense. Check with the company for information on how to request a retest. Heres information on how long drugs and alcohol show up on a drug test Alcohol 12-48 hoursAmphetamines 2-3 daysBarbiturates 1-3 weeksBenzodiazepines 1-4 daysCrack (Cocaine) 2-3 daysHeroin (Opiates) 1-3 daysMarijuana casual use, up to a week chronic use, several weeksMethamphetamine 2-3 daysMethadone 1-3 daysPhencyclidine (PCP) 1-2 weeks Note that hair drug testing may show results that go back farther than what would show up in blood or urine testing. When Marijuana Is Legal in Your State As of 2017, 1 in 5 Americans lives in states where its legal to smoke marijuana recreationally. Eight states and the District of Columbia allow both recreational and medical use of marijuana a further 21 states allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes only. State laws restrict the amount users are legally allowed to possess. However, federal law still prohibits marijuana possession, sale or use. Further, the Justice Department has pushed for an end to rules that restrict the federal government from bypassing state law. Regardless of how the state vs. federal fight shakes out, employers can still screen job applicants and employees for marijuana use even in states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal. That means its possible to lose your job (or an offer of employment) for testing positive for a substance thats legal in your state. How can you be fired for using a legal drug? It all comes down to employment at will. People think that they have all of these job protections, but they really dont, said Adam Winkler, a professor of constitutional law at UCLA, in an interview with The Mercury News. Employment in the United States is at will. That means employers can hire whoever they want, under any conditions they want, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions? Protected classes like gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion or disability. Marijuana is not one of those protected classes, said Winkler. Your best bet as an applicant or employee is to learn about marijuana and employment drug testing, company policy, as well as state law, in order to protect yourself and your career. The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is not a substitute for such advice. State and federal laws change frequently, and the information in this article may not reflect your own states laws or the most recent changes to the law.

Workers in this industry take the longest to get ready for work

Workers in this industry take the longest to get ready for workWorkers in this industry take the longest to get ready for workLadders recently learned that a significant number of people tend to sleep through their alarm clock but once they do get up, who takes the longest to get ready? According to a new survey from Best Mattress Brand of over 1,000 people, those who worked for the government took the longest to get ready at 42 minutes. They were followed by education employees (41 minutes), homemakers (40 minutes), and construction workers (38 minutes).As for who took the least amount of time? Transportation and warehousing workers took the shortest amount of time at 33 minutes. Interestingly, unemployed people took longer than some people going to work.Average number of minutes it takes people to get ready in the morning by industryGovernment and Public Administration (42 minutes)Education (41 minutes)Homemaker (40 minutes)Construction (38 minutes)Hotel, Food Services, and Hospita lity (38 minutes)Medical and healthcare (37 minutes)Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (37 minutes)Wholesale and Retail (36 minutes)Finance and Insurance (35 minutes)Unemployed (35 minutes)Information Services and Data Processing (34 minutes)Manufacturing (34 minutes)Technology (33 minutes)Transportation and Warehousing (33 minutes)By generation, Millennial women took the second longest at 40 minutes but Gen X ladies came in first with 42 minutes. Millennial men took the least amount of time at 31 minutes and Baby Boomer men took the most time at 39 minutes.The survey found that people who were less happy with their jobs were more likely than those satisfied at work to lie in bed after the alarm sounded (11 minutes vs. nine minutes). The status of your relationship could also be a factor in your getting out of bed speed.Divorced respondents averaged nine minutes in bed after their alarms went off, while for married people it was only eight minutes.Salary did not play a role in stayi ng in bedtime interestingly.

How Body Language Can Help You Ace An Interview

How Body Language Can Help You Ace An InterviewHow Body Language Can Help You Ace An InterviewDont rely on words alone- let body language help you get that job.Our body language is something we, typically, dont actively think about. However, it is something that our minds automatically pick up on, whether we realize it or not. Body language is a good way to tell if someone is scared, nervous, excited, happy, etc. These are all things that can affect you during an important interview. Your body language can easily tell the hiring manager that youre not comfortable, leading them to possibly believe you wouldnt be comfortable with the job or the company. You want to take control of your body language, and make conscious efforts to make yourself appear calm, cool, and collected.Make eye contact.Failure to make eye contact is a way to show the interviewer that you are nervous and not very sure of yourself. When you make eye contact, you exude confidence and show that you are comfortable i n the situation and with the interviewer. Be careful not to make too much eye contact, however. If you are staring the interviewer down, they may wonder if you are trying to be aggressive or just arent up to par with social cues. They will also probably feel very uncomfortable and want to end the interview sooner rather than later.Sit up straight.While it may be an easy thing to forget, or hard to control in general, good posture is always a must. If you are leaning back, you may come off as lazy or arrogant. If you are leaning forward, you may seem overly-aggressive. If you are slouching you, may appear to be lazy. The best neutral fleck is sitting with a straight back, showing interest in what is happening around you.Use hand gestures.When youre speaking, go ahead and use your hands, too. When people get nervous, they tend to wring their hands or hide them altogether. This is an easy way to express your anxiety to an interviewer. Hiding your hands can also make you seem subconscio usly distrustful to the interview. Keep your hands out and open. As an added bonus, gesturing your hands while talking is a good way to show interest and passion in what youre discussing.Smile.This should be one of the easiest parts of the body to control. It also doesnt take much effort to keep a small smile during an interview. If you have trouble smiling, or get comments about looking angry with a resting face, then you may want to practice this pre-interview. You want the smile to look genuine- not forced. If you arent smiling during an interview, it could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. An interviewer may think you dont really want to be at the interview, that youre unhappy, that you feel that the interview is a waste of your time, etc.Have a firm handshake.This is actually one of those things that a lot of hiring managers take into account, whether the facts are baseless or not. Having a firm handshake shows that you are confident and in control of yourself. If you hav e a weak handshake, this can often come across as having a weak personality type. Be careful not to be too firm in the handshake, though. You dont want to make it a contest.Keep your arms open.Your arms should remain relaxed at your sides, or with your hands resting in your lap. As mentioned previously, its never a bad idea to use your hands when talking. The one thing you do not want to do is have your arms crossed. Keeping your arms crossed is like keeping a barrier between yourself and the interviewer. It comes across as defensive and resistant. If your arms arent crossed, you are automatically considered mora approachable.Nod while listening.Everyone wants to feel like they are being listened to and appreciated for what they have to say. An interviewer is no different. Nodding your head to signal that you are listening is a good way to keep the interviewer moving along while showing your attentiveness. If you are just staring at the interviewer or not making eye contact at all, they may think that you arent giving your full attention or just dont care much about what is being said.Sit still.Uncounscious fidgeting is something a lot of people do, especially when they are nervous. Make a conscious effort to think about what you are doing. Are you a nail-biter? Keep your hands away from your mouth. Dont jiggle your legs. Dont play with a stray strand of hair. That nervous energy will only translate over into the interview, distracting both yourself and the interviewer from the goal at hand. You want the interviewer to be focused on what youre saying, not on what youre (unconsciously) doing.

Things You Wont Like About How Far Back Should You Go on a Resume and Things You Will

Things You Wont Like About How Far Back Should You Go on a Resume and Things You Will The Pain of How Far Back Should You Go on a Resume You get to determine how to describe your previous jobs. Job seekers should always work to avoid making it seem as though theyre constantly going from 1 job to the next. At the end of the day, they need to use their resume to provide the best presentation possible. In terms of prior jobs, most job seekers wish to return as far as possible since they need to impress hiring managers. Use a shorter resume for jobs which do not need much experience and a longer resume for jobs that need a lot of experience. Most job applications request that you list your last few jobs and provide you the choice of adding additional work history if you want. Maybe that experience taught you how you can manage somebody elses lifeso youre able to showcase why youd be a fantastic assistant or basic manager. You might need to leave off work experience in different fields unless its possible to help it become relevant to the job which you are applying for. Top How Far Back Should You Go on a Resume Choices Your Summary is going to be short. If youre able to do that in 1 page, definitely do. You need to be able to say all that in one page. That page should highlight experiences applicable to the position youre applying for and doesnt need to be quite as comprehensive as a CV. Focus on just what the hiring manager would like to see, not on how much information its possible to cram onto it. General recruiters will request that you go back further and add considerably more detail. Eventually you find that you cant incorporate every detail of every job that youve ever held. You may also load your electronic resume onto job search databases and social media sites which will offer your resume greater visibility and exposure. Choosing How Far Back Should You Go on a Resume Maybe that experience taught you the way to manage somebody elses lif e so you may showcase why youd be a terrific assistant or voreingestellt manager. It is essential to show youve got relevant work experience. For instance, if youre working for 20 decades but changed careers five decades past, you might only must demonstrate the previous five years. Based on your usage of the language in your resume, you can get fifteen or twenty decades of your history into your resume or just two or three decades. More than 1 third of workers in the usa are in the gig economy. The majority of your resume ought to be devoted to the past couple of years of your working history this is what potential employers wish to learn about. For instance, if you are asking for a management position, your employer may expect you to have years, if not decades, of experience in your selected field. Not everybody agrees, but a lot of career experts feel that its important to continue to keep dates on your resume. While the normal guideline is to include roughly your last 10 decades of work experience, this might not always make sense. While it might appear a small strange or ridiculous to incorporate an irrelevant position from nearly 25 decades past, I can tell you its actually not that uncommon to come across something in this way. Theres no correct or wrong means to compose a resume. Forget the thought of resume length. You will probably catch the eye of a possible employer if you are able to show youve participated in some kind of volunteer work even on an extremely limited basis. Its imperative that you provide details on why you are attempting to transition at this time because employers have a tendency to become nervous about why you could be unemployed or havent been hired yet. When youre looking for a new job, the normal procedure for filling out an on-line application or dropping off a resume isnt always enough. You should think about your federal jobs resumes as a proposal that youre submitting to be able to work for the government. You also need to list extra coursework if its related to position in question. Writing a professional resume can be a trying practice. There is an assortment of conditions where you may want to do otherwise.

The Confidential Secrets for Data Entry Resume Sample Discovered

The Confidential Secrets for Data Entry Resume Sample Discovered Theres the work description. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. If you are looking for a fresh job and decide to add your most well-known experiences to a present job program, you can wind up with a hodgepodge of information that doesnt relay a prosperous subject matter to possible employers. Staying positive during your job search can be difficult, particularly if you recently lost a job which you loved. Utilizing work application builder might also be a fantastic learning experience in your case. You also need to emphasize your communication abilities. You cannot send the exact same data entry skills resume to different company for assorted job. When publishing the work application for virtually any trainer, it is extremely important to incorporate each one of the coaching related skills in the work application that may force you to stick out from various instructors. Data Entry Resume Sample Features The manner in which you present your resume is how you will be remembered, so you ought to make certain it is polished and professional. Of course you can also be searching for a different job because of personal explanations. So, its time to promote yourself when youre writing yourself. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. Resume builders are a really fantastic benefits in that might help you organize your work application. In the current information-rich world of conducting business, theres a constant demand for new info to be fed into business databases. To begin with, youre in a position to inspect the job posting that the business enterprise creating to discover precisely what is needed for the position. You will be able to likewise say you will be buying different job because of moral facets. Entry orders so resume are prepared to sample into the computer system. Data entry clerks work in numer ous firms, particularly in the banking, advertising, and sales industries. Furthermore, you can look for data entry jobs on Monster. Data entry workers usually have to enter the data at a particular rate above a certain period of time and are accountable for entering a given amount of data daily. In such a situation, acquiring another column for achievements might not qualify as the ideal strategy you need to employ to earn yourself the job. Whether you find jobs as a data entry, or any portion of the country for this matter, will be contingent on your capacity to take the correct type of action. Even resume examples recommend that you consider providing an expert summary that provides a fast hint to recruiters regarding what it is possible to offer them instead of having objective statements stating what you expect of the firm as its clearly not an excellent idea. There are different kinds of Resume Templates based on the individuals interest of what job position which he or she likes to apply.

Bringing a Winning Mindset to the Interview

Bringing a Winning Mindset to the InterviewBringing a Winning Mindset to the InterviewSo far everything has fallen into place for your dream job. Your kick-ass rsum captured the attention of the hiring manager. You nailed the initial phone screen, and now youve been invited in for an in-person interview. You know how critical it will be to prepare for the interview, but where do you start? How do you ensure you will present your best self in the interview?fruchtwein savvy job seekers will naturally prepare for an important job interview by researching the company, studying the company website, familiarizing themselves with the job description and essential job functions, and practicing answering difficult interview questions.But, to truly prepare for a job interview, its crucial that you take some time to prepare the appropriate mindset. Here are 5 important things to remember as you prepare for the job interview.They already like you and believe you can do the jobThe hiring manager has already read your rsum, and in fruchtwein cases, hadspoken with you via telephone. Its clear that you can do the job and have something valuable to contribute to the success of the company.If not, they wouldnt be talking to you. So, you can step into the interview with complete confidence that you are actually being considered for the location. They didnt grant you the interview just to be nice.They really want to meet you. In fact, they may be as excited about what you have to offer as you are about the opportunity.They want you to do a good job on the interviewA lot of job seekers view a job interview as a big test that they will be very lucky to pass. When they think about job interviews, their palms sweat, and their stomachs turn as they imagine being grilled with tricky questions that they must answer correctly in order to pass. Step back and view the situation from the standpoint of the hiring manager.The hiring process is stressful for everyone, especially the hiring mana ger. Vacancies on a team affect productivity and morale. Filling the position with a great candidate is their focus. And they have a good feeling youre the stellar, high-performer they will be excited to add to the team.Hiring managers have no interest in interviewing (and deflating the confidence of) nervous job seekers for sport.The interview is about what you can do for themWhen it comes to preparing mindset for an interview, this idea is paramount. The hiring manager is going to ask a lot of questions that seem like they are about you What do you look for in a job?Why do you want to work for us?How long will you stay with us? These questions seem like they focus on what you want and that is true, to a point. But, as you answer these questions, you must convey that what you really want is to contribute to the success of the organization and to be a part of a team.Making a contribution and being a part of the companys success must be mora important than getting your foot in the do or and advancing your career. Responding to questions in a manner that conveys an over interest in personal security can be detrimental to your success.The interview is mora like a blind date than a sales callWhile its important to sell yourself in a job interview, an overly salesy mindset can convey an attitude of desperation. A job interview is much like a blind date. The hiring manager expresses interest in you, and you express interest in the company and the position. The interview is an opportunity for each of you to confirm mutual interest and determine whether or not that interest merits taking things to the next level.Communicate your interest and put your best foot forward, but do not oversell. Desperation is never attractive on a blind date and certainly not in a job interview. And remember, your first dates are more successful when you are interested in learning more about the other person.So prepare to ask thoughtful questions and engage in meaningful conversation with t he hiring manager.Be yourself and answer questions honestlyAt the end of the day, the best answer to any question is the answer you arrive at most authentically and organically. Too often, job seekers will go into an interview believing they need to answer questions with the correct answer or that they need to embody a particular image or persona to win the job. In any other professional situation, they show up with complete confidence, but in a job interview, for some reason, they believe they need to play a particular role.This faulty mindset likens the job interview to a game or contest, and those who play it are seldom winners. Consider for a moment that you are impressive enough without having to be anyone other than who you are. In other words, the hiring manager really wants to know what you think and what you have to say, so speak with self-assurance. You want to leave the interview believing that you presented yourself confidently and feeling good about the conversation, no t wondering if they would have liked the real you better.Viewed properly, a job interview is really just a conversation between two qualifikation colleagues or strategic partners. It is an opportunity to learn, to share ideas, and to meet other professionals. With the appropriate preparation and mindset, the interview process can be a valuable way of building your professional network, even if you dont land the job. And, it might even be funBringing a Winning Mindset to the InterviewSo far everything has fallen into place for your dream job. Your kick-ass rsum captured the attention of the hiring manager. You nailed the initial phone screen, and now youve been invited in for an in-person interview. You know how critical it will be to prepare for the interview, but where do you start? How do you ensure you will present your best self in the interview?Most savvy job seekers will naturally prepare for an important job interview by researching the company, studying the company website, familiarizing themselves with the job description and essential job functions, and practicing answering difficult interview questions.But, to truly prepare for a job interview, its crucial that you take some time to prepare the appropriate mindset. Here are 5 important things to remember as you prepare for the job interview.They already like you and believe you can do the jobThe hiring manager has already read your rsum, and in most cases, hadspoken with you via telephone. Its clear that you can do the job and have something valuable to contribute to the success of the company.If not, they wouldnt be talking to you. So, you can step into the interview with complete confidence that you are actually being considered for the position. They didnt grant you the interview just to be nice.They really want to meet you. In fact, they may be as excited about what you have to offer as you are about the opportunity.They want you to do a good job on the interviewA lot of job seekers view a job i nterview as a big test that they will be very lucky to pass. When they think about job interviews, their palms sweat, and their stomachs turn as they imagine being grilled with tricky questions that they must answer correctly in order to pass. Step back and view the situation from the standpoint of the hiring manager.The hiring process is stressful for everyone, especially the hiring manager. Vacancies on a team affect productivity and morale. Filling the position with a great candidate is their focus. And they have a good feeling youre the stellar, high-performer they will be excited to add to the team.Hiring managers have no interest in interviewing (and deflating the confidence of) nervous job seekers for sport.The interview is about what you can do for themWhen it comes to preparing mindset for an interview, this idea is paramount. The hiring manager is going to ask a lot of questions that seem like they are about you What do you look for in a job?Why do you want to work for us? How long will you stay with us? These questions seem like they focus on what you want and that is true, to a point. But, as you answer these questions, you must convey that what you really want is to contribute to the success of the organization and to be a part of a team.Making a contribution and being a part of the companys success must be more important than getting your foot in the door and advancing your career. Responding to questions in a manner that conveys an over interest in personal security can be detrimental to your success.The interview is more like a blind date than a sales callWhile its important to sell yourself in a job interview, an overly salesy mindset can convey an attitude of desperation. A job interview is much like a blind date. The hiring manager expresses interest in you, and you express interest in the company and the position. The interview is an opportunity for each of you to confirm mutual interest and determine whether or not that interest merits taki ng things to the next level.Communicate your interest and put your best foot forward, but do not oversell. Desperation is never attractive on a blind date and certainly not in a job interview. And remember, your first dates are more successful when you are interested in learning more about the other person.So prepare to ask thoughtful questions and engage in meaningful conversation with the hiring manager.Be yourself and answer questions honestlyAt the end of the day, the best answer to any question is the answer you arrive at most authentically and organically. Too often, job seekers will go into an interview believing they need to answer questions with the correct answer or that they need to embody a particular image or persona to win the job. In any other professional situation, they show up with complete confidence, but in a job interview, for some reason, they believe they need to play a particular role.This faulty mindset likens the job interview to a game or contest, and thos e who play it are seldom winners. Consider for a moment that you are impressive enough without having to be anyone other than who you are. In other words, the hiring manager really wants to know what you think and what you have to say, so speak with self-assurance. You want to leave the interview believing that you presented yourself confidently and feeling good about the conversation, not wondering if they would have liked the real you better.Viewed properly, a job interview is really just a conversation between two potential colleagues or strategic partners. It is an opportunity to learn, to share ideas, and to meet other professionals. With the appropriate preparation and mindset, the interview process can be a valuable way of building your professional network, even if you dont land the job. And, it might even be fun

Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future Part Three

Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future parte Three Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future Part Three Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future Part ThreeJuly 14, 2017 Keith Roe, ASME Immediate Past PresidentTo the ASME CommunityGreetings once again Allow me to pick up where we left off last time in this third article of the series Im eager to continue sharing the story of this year as well as where Im very pleased to say were heading.As mentioned previously, the team effort to execute the new Enterprise Strategy adopted by ASMEs Governors last year is all about Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future. We are working to put the pieces in place which together will make for a cutting-edge Society for the 21st century.As we finalize and commence implementation of the newly developed Integrated Operating Plan, which is based on the 10-3-1 (10 year3 year1 year) goals supporting ur technology-based strategy, we knew it was vital to integrate ur constituencies into the process. To make that happen, five Presidential Task Forces have worked unflaggingly in fiscal year 2016-17 to review the work ASME does on behalf of engineers in five critical areas Industry Leadership Engagement Strategy Planning Student Early Career Group Engagement/Alignment and Building a High-Performing Board. Theyve looked both at how we do it and how we can do better. These teams have analyzed ASMEs strengths and challenges and, with the fiscal year now recently concluded, have been presenting their top recommendations for how ASME can raise its game in each of these areas as we implement the strategy and build our expanded prowess in each of the five priority technology areas. Im excited to share each Task Forces recommendations, which will form the basis of our game plan for the next chapter of the ASME story.Sector Management Committee (SMC) Group Engagement/AlignmentThe SMC Group Engagement/Alignment Task Force (chaired by Rick Marboe) was formed with the understanding that every stak eholder at ASME should be linked efficiently and effectively with all resources ASME has to offer, including support systems, access to resources, leadership opportunities, and support for their career path. In recent presentations to the BOG, the Group Engagement/Alignment Task Force argued that the best ways to make these more accessible will beTo create a group engagement organization to develop rules of engagement with Sectors and the Committee on Finance and Investment (COFI)to oversee training of groups for alignment with ASME mission and strategyTo institute new Group Leader training along the lines of the previous Leadership Training Conference (LTC) and Volunteer Orientation Leadership Training (VOLT) to support leaders understanding of strategy, to communicate roles and responsibilities, and to create a common vocabulary for new geschftlicher umgang developmentTo create and deploy electronic or web-based tools for participants to self-track their interests, with regular updates phased in over timeTo create a product and/or program development fund to seed development of new events, with a replenishment mechanism and minimum balance controlled by the Board of Governors.Industry EngagementThe Industry Leadership Engagement Task Force (chaired by Stacey Swisher Harnetty) addressed a broad range of areas critical to ASMEs future success and vital to engaging industry leadership in ASMEs future how to support and advance the five core technologies product and standards development and training materials optimal support for public events and conferences determination of public policy priorities optimization of work with academia and how to build and optimize avenues of engagement for industry leaders around the world. Out of this universe of important work, the ILE Task Force believes that the highest-priority items must beTo bolster awareness of ASME and its work among global leaders in engineering by creating more industry-facing awards to recognize i ndustry leaders and leading companiesTo expand our leadership pipeline globally and strengthen the ASME team by forming rtlich or international Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) where we determine market opportunity is greatest and by targeting alignment and increased activity for specific local sections to those areas.Student Early Career EngagementThe Student Early Career Engagement Task Force (chaired by ASME Past President Terry Shoup) took on the issues that are central to our future how can we harness the energy and spirit of our Student and Early Career Engineers by creating and providing rich opportunities to make a difference for the world, to network with colleagues, and to find mentors and guidance for the path. With a total of over 30 recommendations, Terrys team has offered three top recommendations which will be the first we implementTo redouble our efforts to understand the issues that are most important to our youngest membersTo seek increased input and feedback on o rganizational leadership decisionsTo institute flexible membership dues and dues incentives to improve and broaden our engagement of engineers in the early stages of career building.Strategy PlanningThe Strategy Planning Task Force (chaired by John Goossen) has led the way this year in determining what will be needed in a continuing way in order to implement the vision as articulated in ASMEs new strategy. For an organization like ASME, regular leadership turnover is a significant challenge to strategic continuity. The SP Task Force has proposed three deliverables which I think will go a long way toward getting us thereThe creation of an annual process for maintaining, updating and communicating ASMEs strategic plan to the wider ASME communityInstituting a sustainable entity to engage the board, staff, and volunteers on strategy development, monitoring and implementation andCreating a mechanism or process by which the BOG can closely monitor ASMEs short-term and long-term progress towards each of its strategic goals.High Performance Board of GovernorsLast but surely not least, the Task Force for Fostering a High-Performing Board of Governors took on the re-engineering of what is arguably the central driver of all Society work. It is my own view that no organization like ours can achieve greatness without a governing body that operates at world-class levels. If we want to play at those levels competing with other global organizations that operate in our space, we simply have to start with a high-performing Board of Governors. This group, chaired by Bill Wepfer, articulated a set of six recommendations which, taken together, will contribute strongly to taking our Boards functioning to that placeImprove speed, efficiency and clarity for all in-person Board meetingsComplete the full articulation of all Board roles and responsibilitiesImprove the efficiency and effectiveness of the Board of Governors (BOG) and its committees operations and processesReview and enh ance BOG training for all current and incoming members, to improve individual members effectivenessReview and improve the Board nominating process so as to evaluate and recruit the strongest possible Board candidates equipped with necessary skills, experience, and depth and perspective.Overarching Goal Unparalleled Opportunity in a Cutting-Edge Engineering SocietyThe grand challenge of all of this years work has been to safeguard the heart and soul of ASME while building the foundation for the future of ASME strengthening our technology base in vital technologies, crafting new and enhanced programs, building our IT and other supporting infrastructure, and elevating the strength and effectiveness of our Board of Governors. One might say that we are working to build a vigorous hybrid we seek to make a historic and successful professional-networking-learning Society even more successful by helping it become, at the same time, an agile, high-performing, technology-driven, customer-orien ted organization inspired and guided by an historic mission.As this transformative year in the life of our organization enters its next phase, I believe we are well on our way. The strategy/technology work, the development of the 10-3-1 Integrated Operating Plan, and the Task Forces have provided a unique platform this year to set us on the road to success towards our strategic objective to become the go-to organization to address key technology challenges in the public interest. The new leadership is in place and moving forward under President Charla Wise and our new Board of Governors. But to make it real, were going to need you. How will you be a part of ASMEs bright future? I hope youll be inspired to get involved and make a difference.Thank you again for the honor of serving you this past year as your President.With all my best wishes Keith Roe, ASME Immediate Past PresidentRead Part One and Part Two of Roes series on Building ASMEs Foundation for the Future.

The cities with the happiest (and unhappiest) workers in the U.S.

The cities with the happiest (and unhappiest) workers in the U.S.The cities with the happiest (and unhappiest) workers in the U.S.Some cities have it better when it comes to work. Workplace insights platform Kununu came up with a study of the happiest (and least happy) cities for people to work, based on 87,000 workplace reviews uploaded to kununu in 2018.Happiness was based on four things interactionwith their coworkers, to what extent they are trusted to work independently, support from management, and overall company culture.Miami, gemma Angeles, and Raleigh, North Carolina were the top three places to work and New York City was dead last.Some of thetop-rated cities are dominated by high wage industries like tech and finance and therefore tend to receive high satisfaction ratings too, kununu Director of Global Communications Johannes Prller told Ladders. However, while a competitive pay rate is a great way to attract new talent, you cannot buy employee motivation.Creating a stro ng culture with good teamwork, offering a challenging work with a purpose and giving employees autonomy is equally important to retain your best talent in the long-run. And of course, high quality of living with nice weather and beaches certainly doesnt hurt either.The happiest cities for workers in the U.S.1. Miami, Florida 3.992. Los Angeles, California 3.953. Raleigh, North Carolina3.904. Louisville, Kentucky 3.885. Omaha, Nebraska3.866. San Jose, California 3.857. Sacramento, California3.858. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma3.849. Seattle, Washington3.8310. Fresno, California3.82The unhappiness cities for workers in the U.S.50. New York City, New York 3.5349.Oakland, California 3.6048.Memphis, Tennessee 3.6347. Houston, Texas 3.6446. Dallas, Texas 3.6745. El Paso, Texas 3.6744. Colorado Springs, Colorado 3.7043. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 3.7042. Albuquerque, New Mexico 3.7141. Charlotte, North Carolina 3.71