An open letter to Mark Dorsey, New Executive Director and CEO of CSI
Dear Mark,
Welcome to the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). I am excited to see where you lead us in the future.
You are going to be contacted by CSI members, many CSI members, with lots of thoughts and opinions. Some members will be young and some will be more experienced – again, all will share with you lots of thoughts and opinions (it is what we do). CSI members have a wide spectrum of expertise – architects, builders, product experts, specifiers, and engineers – all with lots of thoughts and opinions (again, it is what we do). These are the leaders of the construction industry. They all have a common character trait, members of this organization love CSI. I am no different – I too love this organization and want to see it grow to be even better than it is today. So like any good CSI member – here are my thoughts and opinions for you:
First, our members love this organization like you have not experienced before. Once you become a CSI member and get involved, you are part of a family. This goes beyond paying annual dues and attending a meeting. The members of this organization want other members of this organization to be successful and for this organization to be successful. We care about each other and will help a complete stranger in the industry – if they have CSI on their business card. We rely on each other for information, advice, and support – and we get it without question. Welcome, you are now part of our family! Just as a heads up, like any family, we have a few members that are a little, lets say different. So careful who you associate with early on in your tenure! You might not become a Kraken immediately if you don’t build the right alliances.
Second, this organization is not just a place to hang your hat as a member. This organization wants members to be involved, plugged in, expressing opinion, and providing expertise. If you understand technical documents, you will be writing for CSI. If you are passionate about education, you will be on a CSI committee. If you blog, you will be presenting at the Construct Show. If you are on social media, you will help others in the organization to get on social media. If you let your guard down, you will be on stage yodeling at Construct. If you know how to shake things up and build community, you will be a Kraken. As our new CEO, we want you to find members with talents and put them to work.
Third and this is important, if you are on twitter, find your family, we are here and active. If you are not on twitter, you will be ridiculed until you get on twitter. This is where #CSIKraken gather, talk, and have fun – join us! Now!
Fourth, we are looking forward to your leadership, vision, and inspiration. Challenge our standards. Push us to into the future. We are here and ready to support you. We might be a little busy having fun, but we are ready to work.
Finally, the CSI staff is amazing. They go above and beyond to support members and we love working hard to support them. Take care of them – they are critical to the success of this organization!
