As one of the 11,000+ CSI volunteer members (and also one of almost 20,000 CDTs), my involvement with the Construction Specifications Institute is because I truly do believe in its Mission: to advance building information management and education of project teams to improve facility performance. I just celebrated my 5 year anniversary of joining CSI last week and in that time, I’ve gained countless valuable friends and had innumerable experiences and memories that will last me a lifetime.
Proper involvement within CSI should go well beyond joining and adding CSI to your business card and email signature. Chapter meetings are a great place to start, with most meeting one day a month. Joining a Chapter committee is another way to get involved, as is passing your Certified Document Technologist (CDT) exam or attaining one of the 3 advanced CSI certifications – the CCPR, CCS or CCCA. The CSI Annual Convention and trade show, CONSTRUCT, may be the grandest experience of them all. A convergence of over a thousand members from all walks of life who congregate to hug, shake hands, learn, share and laugh, happens to take place this year in Baltimore from September 9th to the 12th, 2014. The grand finale of CONSTRUCT is the induction of the new CSI Fellows. Since CSI Fellowship was introduced in 1959, only a few hundred members have been elevated to Fellow. Fellowship is one of the highest honors bestowed by CSI and one of many awards that the Institute bestows on their members. The various CSI Regions and Chapters also give out awards and as CSI members are volunteers and not paid positions, these awards are a true thank you to the work that is put in by the recipient member. I have been extremely fortunate to be active in the Allentown Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute over the last 5 years. A Chapter that now has 2 active member Fellows in Sal Verrastro and Mitch Miller, that is hosting it’s 36th year running a very successful product expo & educational seminars on April 16, and one that has now received five Outstanding Chapter Commendations from the Institute. I believe we have been most fortunate to have an incredible Immediate Past President who also is our Program Chair and Awards Chair in David Wrigley, the Director of Specifications for Spillman Farmer Architects. I consider myself lucky to call Dave a friend and can only fathom the hours he has spent over the last few years alone submitting the Allentown awards into the Region, as well as the Institute so that the hard work of our Chapter members can be duly recognized. Just last week he shared the news that our Chapter received FIVE Mid-Atlantic Region awards, including: Lee Ann Slattery – Winner of the Robert P. Brosseau Memorial Award, Dave Fenstermacher – Winner of the George C. Neuhausel Memorial Award, Jon Lattin – Winner of the Communications Award, Barry Isett And Associates – Winner of the Organizational Certificate of Merit and Mitch Miller – Winner of the Education Award. Being fortunate enough to know Lee Ann, Dave, Jon and Mitch, I know the work that they put in during the day that pays the bills and then the additional time they put in before and after work for the Allentown Chapter of CSI. These awards are a true way for them to receive thanks for all that they do and the time that they spend to contribute to the same Mission of CSI that I live by. I have been extremely blessed to have received an Award from the Allentown Chapter and further, one that could rightfully be given to any active member. As then President of our Chapter, David Wrigley led the awards announcements on June 20, 2012. These words alone are ones that will stick with me for a long while: “This next Award is a very Special Award, because it is given to the person whom the President feels has shown amazing devotion and selfless personal commitment to the Chapter in the administration of the Chapter’s affairs over the past year. Whenever I have asked the gentleman for something, no matter what it was, he got it to me as quick as he could, as correct as it could be, and with his own opinion on what he thought was best and why……I respect that. I said earlier that I thought a sizable portion of the Expo’s success could be attributed to his e-mail blasts and the constant contacts lists he has, not to mention the tweeting and blogging he does on behalf of the chapter. But it is also his unbridled devotion to CSI that has gotten him to where we are tonight. On a more serious note: Last September, we were both at the National Convention, in Chicago. After the convention, we ended up driving home together. He quizzed me and asked me questions about spec-writing and all kinds of other construction related topics, like he was actually interested. We talked almost the whole ride home. I don’t know about you, but spending 11 hours in a sealed vehicle……..talking with a spec-writer…………..is more than most individuals can stand in a lifetime, let alone in one day!! Now if that isn’t amazing devotion and selfless personal commitment to the Chapter, I don’t know what is!! So, in lieu of combat pay…………….. I am very pleased, and happy to present the 2011 – 2012 President’s Award to Mr. Eric Lussier” The plaque above is only a reminder of how great it felt to be recognized for all of my work and effort that I was more than happy to do. The President’s Award was the icing on the cake and the ultimate recognition that we all really do like to hear. Who doesn’t like to hear ‘You look nice today’, ‘You did great work on that proposal’, ‘Congratulations on getting that project’ or ‘I am very pleased, and happy to present……’?!? Take the time and help recognize those CSI members that continue to go above and beyond. The deadline to submit nominations for the FY14 CSI Honors & Awards program (including the Outstanding Chapter Commendation for FY2013 covering data from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) is 5 PM Eastern, May 2, 2014. Recipients will be recognized at CONSTRUCT & The CSI Annual Convention in 2014. Submit your nomination at www.csinet.org/awards. Special honors, including Fellowship, have unique and specific requirements. Download the 2014 Honors and Award Guide (PDF) at www.csinet.org/HAGuide.
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 Working within any industry that has tried and true roots, the need for a change of ways only seems to be pushed by the atmosphere around you. In our ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, we seem to remain firmly implanted in the footsteps of those before us and content to not waiver off course. Nowhere has this been more true than in my experience in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Policies, SOP’s, methods and more have led many companies to many years of success. And why bother to change and adapt to the world around you? The mantra ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ has worked for so long, many principals and presidents have seen no reason to adapt. That was then, this is now. The scary thing is ‘then’ was barely ten years ago, if that. Our world is changing around us daily, if not hourly. It is impossible to keep up with the start-up and technology driven age we are living in. What once could take years of concept, research, design and delivery has been compressed into what seems like mere days. Think tanks and crowdsourcing is the new norm and the power of one has now become the power of many. No longer is the need for change inevitable, it is mandatory. This all hit home harder than ever last week in Nashville, while attending #CONSTRUCT, the Construction Specifications Institute’s (CSI) annual convention and affiliated Trade Show from Hanley Wood. After Institute President Casey Robb impressed the need to ‘Step up your game with CSI’, the keynote address was delivered by Ira Blumenthal and entitled ‘Change is Inevitable: Building Your Brand for the Future’. In a well researched and passionately delivered address to the general assembly of CSI members, Ira’s presentation really hit home on the absolute need for change. Starting off with asking ‘How many people flew here today?…….on Eastern Airlines?’, many thought-provoking messages were hammered home on not just how the AEC industry has changed, but on how the world has changed and how FAST it is changing. Remember when McDonald’s rolled out the McCafe to keep up with the coffee industry? They are now selling the 2nd most coffee in the industry – all because of the need to adapt to their industry around them. The change in the world may have hit home hardest when the following ‘critical mass’ slide was shown (as seen above) ‘Critical mass’ for the sake of this presentation was the adoption of new technology by 50 million Americans. What once took 25 years to reach 50 million users in television has adapted through just one year for my social media medium of choice, Twitter. Facebook may have taken 2 years to reach ‘critical mass’, but now there are 1.15 BILLION users as of June 2013 – over 15 percent of the WORLD population. While Twitter and Facebook may not be at the backbone of your organization, or even used by your marketing team, it is a great indication on how things are indeed changing around us. Change isn’t easy, whether it is personal changes that you need to make within or to your company as a whole. However, change is not only inevitable and mandatory. As Ira said, ‘most people and organizations change because they are forced to change. Why wait for a fire to install smoke detectors?’ His answer: ‘we become paralyzed by our paradigms.’ The mentality of ‘This is the way we have always done it’ is the mindset of extinct organizations, like Eastern Airlines. Simply put by Ira, ‘Ignore change, and you will die.’ The message sent was widely received by all: 500 plus members of the Construction Specifications Institute; an organization 65 years in the making in perhaps one of the most changing industries out there: AEC. Don’t be afraid to break some rules, alter the guidelines and invent something new. ‘But this is how we’ve always done it’ is not how your organization is going to bring itself into 2014 and beyond. Whether to build a better building or deliver your product, you can’t be afraid to ask questions, form allegiances and raise the bar. I came home from Nashville with one of Ira’s messages flowing through me: ‘Your history means nothing. Today and tomorrow, you must do it again and do it better.’ Think big and raise the bar – it is how you change and grow that matters today. (Note: I would be remiss if I didn’t give a hat tip to @KaitlinSolomon3 of CSI who put together a great Storify summary of September 25, 2013, which you can see here and to my fellow Tweeps for their Tweets of a great keynote: @DStutzman, @TheGainesGroup, @LizOSullivanAIA, @cheriseschacter, @m2architek, @rietta_mccain, @matt_porta, @speclawyer and @vivianvolz) 
 It seems like just a few weeks ago I was in Phoenix for the first time. Then a few weeks before that was Chicago. It turns out that PHX was 1 year ago this month and the Windy City was one year before that. It is incredible how fast time has flown over the last few years. My daughter has become a Tween, my once newborn son has entered the ‘Terrible Two’s’ and we now have a 1 month old daughter on our hands. They say the older we get, the faster time goes. I’m not so sure I’m ready for that. I am ready to go to Nashville this month, though. The reason being for the same event that I went to Arizona last year and Chicago the year before that: CONSTRUCT. The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Annual National Convention and Tradeshow attracts the ‘Who’s Who’ from the AEC community. Especially those that look to educate themselves and others all while meeting up with friends that get together all to sparingly. Camaraderie is strong and the willingness to share is even stronger in CSI. Dozens of the AEC industry’s thought leaders are set to speak with over 50 seminars slated over four days this coming September 24th through the 27th. That is coupled with a Tradeshow that is truly about learning, sharing and educating. Complete with a Learning Pavilion and hundreds of exhibitors eager to share the latest in building products, CONSTRUCT has quickly become my only can’t miss convention of the year. My schedule is fairly full from the start on Tuesday morning, September 24th, straight through to Friday, September 27th. Seminars on specifications, marketing, relationships and more fill my time. Thursday could be a highlight of the stay with not only a TweetUp at 2pm in the CSI Booth 435 , but also a private event at the Country Music Hall of Fame hosted by the Nashville Chapter of CSI. Thousands will be converging on Nashville for this event. While most are strangers to each other, all have the mission of CSI in mind: “to advance building information management and education of project teams to improve facility performance”. Those that I feel closest to are connected through the digital realm. We may not share a Chapter, but we do share the mission and the love of social media. Through Tweets, webinars, LinkedIn Groups, TweetChats, Facebook posts and more, a core group of CSI Tweeps keep in touch digitally, but utilize CONSTRUCT as our reunion and homecoming all tied into one. The big event has not even started and plans are underway for TweetUps, blogging panels and perhaps the Grand Finale – a post CSI Honors & Awards Gala on Friday night. Keep your ears peeled for details on that! It’s not too late to attend this can’t miss event. It’s only three weeks out and we all know how fast time goes by. Visit http://constructshow.com for more information on attending. If you can’t attend, be sure to tune into the #CONSTRUCT hashtag.  I’ve only briefly had the chance to return to the local playground so far this year. As much as I would like to say it was for myself, it wasn’t. Reid (seen left), who just turned 2 in March, is the ultimate joy to be with and it is amazing to watch him grow right before my eyes. It seems like just a few weeks ago we brought him home from the hospital. Now he is almost completely self sufficient and I expect him any day to ask me for the car keys. Thankfully we’re not at this point yet and every once in a while we are reminded that he is only 2 and needs us close by. He likes to slide and climb and isn’t quite big enough to get fully into it, but he also likes to swing. I’m very much looking forward to him being big enough to hold on for himself and ask me to push him. Once in a while, we all need that push.
Whether it’s on a figurative swing or literal swing, sometimes we just need that person behind us encouraging us to go higher. Perhaps it’s your boss, your sales manager, your wife, your girlfriend, your mother or even your son, but we all need that push – that encouragement – to go further, higher, harder or more. As a fairly independent person, I’ve never been one to reach out for help or a push. More often than not, I’ve needed that push but have been to strong willed (which sounds so much better than stubborn) to ask. There are numerous things I could use a push about. I’ve been meaning to push myself to write more and had actually wrote in my 2013 goals to do so. It doesn’t take much poking around my blog to realize I didn’t do to well at that. Well, perhaps I finally got the push I needed today. For now the details will remain nameless, but let’s just say that you should be seeing a fairly regular blog post from me. We’ll say monthly and go from there. Time to get on the grown up swing. Can you give me a push?  Receiving an email recently from CSI mentioning their ‘Spring Membership Drive’, I immediately thought of NPR. How could you not? Frequent NPR listeners know there are multiple times a year where your favorite program (mine are ‘Car Talk’ and ‘Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me’) is preempted for the push to collect money. Without public funding, NPR runs wholly on it’s listeners and relies on contributions to keep things going.
I began to think about this more and how NPR and CSI correlate more than just two acronyms that I’m familiar with. My fiance, Annika, is an avid NPR listener. NPR is always on in the background when she works from home and we joke that almost all of her conversations start with ‘I was listening to NPR and….” NPR is her source of information and news and her go-to source for such. On the flip side of the coin, a majority of my conversations do start with “I was at a CSI meeting and” or “I was reading a post from CSI member on Twitter and”….CSI has turned into my source of news information for what I care most about. Whether it is the latest construction industry standard or one of the more popular products to be used in the industry, my source revolves around the Construction Specifications Institute. I’m not sure if Mitch Miller is my Carl Kasell or if Joy Davis is my Terry Gross, but I can tell you that they are both two resources that I rely on in CSI and I hold in very high regard. Indeed, both CSI and NPR rely heavily on their members for ‘funding’. CSI is a national association of volunteers and their 140+ Chapters are much akin to NPR’s local community stations, like Vermont’s Public Radio (VPR). Well, just like the time of year where NPR reaches out for help and funding, CSI is doing much the same. After years of telling herself she was going to become a member of VPR,. Annika did just that last year. Perhaps you’ve been doing the same thinking in regards to CSI. ”I’ll do it next year” or “Maybe when they offer a ‘special’. You may not get a mug or a nice Euro bumper sticker, but if you do take advantage of the special CSI Spring Membership Drive between now and March 31, 2013, you will save 20%. Head over to www.csinet.org/join by Sunday, March 31 and pay only $192 for national dues. You don’t have to join a local Chapter, but I would heavily encourage you look into your “VPR”. To save your 20%:
Is society to blame for the “I want it and I want it NOW’ entitlement that some people possess? Technology is speeding out of control and has put us in the fast lane for everything. The answer you seek once took extensive research and perhaps a visit to a library – whether the architectural library or the community library – and that answer is now at the tip of your fingers.
Google has completely changed the way we live, whether you are a user or not. As I tweeted this morning “Google is the modern day Big Brother. They are EVERYWHERE. Matter of are you trying to hide or be found?” Even if you live completely off the grid, I’m not even sure you can hide from Google. How easy is it to be found nowadays? While addressing Christmas cards last night, I was missing a few addresses. Within 3 minutes, I had the 3 addresses I need. So, if you can’t hide, you might as well try to be found. Being in construction sales and marketing, it is my job to be found. Whether a specifier needs an architectural specification or an interior designer needs samples for their charette, I need to be Googleable, as do my keywords. When one of these parties reach out, what is the proper expectation for my response time? With smart phones, tablets and constant internet connectivity, my job is no longer 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. Even though that is what I am paid for, my job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. And if I don’t make myself available 24/7/365? My competitor most likely will. Even though the specifier or interior designer gives a window of opportunity for me to respond, I know the early bird still gets the worm. It goes along with search engine results when you are looking for something. How often do you click through to page 2? Chances are, you are clicking on page 1 and you are finding what you are looking for within seconds. This all ties back to our instant gratification society that we now live in. The internet and social media are entirely to blame for the ”I want it and I want it NOW’ entitlement that we live in. You can embrace it wholeheartedly or you can continue to live in denial. Our constant connectivity is not going anywhere and if anything, is getting worse. Our car dashboards are no longer just speedometers and odometers. Google Glass is on the horizon. You can choose to accept it all or get left behind. I choose to live and accept the former and am excited at the continued possibilities. 
I’m quickly approaching seven years working in and around indoor sports flooring with Advantage Sport USA. Seven years of projects of all shapes and sizes ranging from 250 square foot residential basements to 30,000 square foot college field houses. Seven years of existing conditions, renovations, rehabilitations and new construction and the one constant that rears its ugly head on almost each job are the environmental conditions,including concrete moisture vapor emissions. There are more than a few instances that can lead to high moisture in a concrete slab. Whether it is lack of a quality vapor barrier (or lack of one entirely), a fast track installation with insufficient time for the concrete to dry, an inoperable HVAC system (or again the lack of one altogether) or a plethora of other events. No matter the occurrence, it all equates to the same headaches after the fact. Normally fingers are pointed, voices are raised, materials are ripped out and unnecessary time and money is spent to potentially replace flooring that perhaps should have never been installed to begin with. Industry-speak may call it “flooring failure” but most of the time the flooring is performing exactly as it is supposed to. The adhesive on the other hand, may be completely failing. As the built environment strives to become “greener”, VOCs have been lowered in flooring adhesives in order to make them compatible with indoor regulations. As the adhesive industry has moved towards water based and acrylic based solutions, they have become much more susceptible to concrete moisture vapor emissions. Even though the norm in the industry has raised from 3 lbs of moisture to 5 lbs, as per ASTM F1869-11 (Standard Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride), that limit can take substantial time to achieve. Speaking of norms in the industry, growing acceptance has moved away from calcium chloride testing (a snapshot of what is happening on the slab) to relative humidity (RH) testing (what is going on inside the slab). Testing as per ASTM F2170-11 Standard Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes has become easier and easier with recently developed equipment, including testing probes that can be left in the slab. Even the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA) has gone from not accepting RH testing to ONLY accepting RH testing previous to the installation of wood gym floor. Visit the MFMA website for more information. There are multiple solutions on the market. The cheapest is normally waiting for the concrete to dry. Abrading the top layer of the slab can help speed us this process, however most floor coverings require a smooth, steel trowel finish for installation, so the abrading would have to be covered with a Portland-based cement. Costlier solutions can include topical moisture mitigation systems and depending on the city you are working out of can be extremely pricey. Some flooring manufacturers offer solutions such as on slab moisture barriers or are moving to adhesive free installations or adhesives that allow a very high rate of MVER. The one true method to ensure a proper floor installation is information. You need to know your flooring, know your adhesive, know your thresholds of moisture vapor emissions, know your moisture testing, testing companies and protocols, know your installer, know your time constraints, know your materials. There is no tried and true answer or solution when it comes to concrete moisture. Moisture is always present in concrete slabs and by accepting it is there and how you can live with it could be your best bet. Take an hour of your time and join the CSI Specifying Practice Group Meeting this Thursday (December 6) from 3-4pm ET as David Stutzman, CSI, CCS, AIA, SCIP, LEED AP and Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS lead a CSI discussion on “Slab Floor Moisture.” To join the webinar, please use this link. For more information on CSI and five different practice groups, please visit the CSI website. Should you not be able to attend the webinar, you can join in on a tweetchat by using the hashtag #CSISPG, which is where you’ll find me @EricDLussier  If CONSTRUCT 2010 in Philadelphia was getting my feet wet (with an exhibit hall pass only) and 2011 in Chicago was jumping in head first (with a full education package) then I would view CONSTRUCT 2012, held in Phoenix from September 11th – 14th as a leisurely paddle down a stream, even if it did host my first Gala.
The week approached incredibly fast and passed just as quickly. Looking back now, 2 weeks after returning to PHL from PHX, I can summarize the week with one word: comfortable. This would certainly not be the case without the people that make up the Construction Specifications Institute – CSI. Without these people the conference could be clunky, lonely, perhaps even boring. However, it is none of the above because of what the members bring to the Institute and to the Conference. From the greeters at the Phoenix Convention Center, to the team members of Hanley Wood, to the presenters and exhibitors at CONSTRUCT and most importantly to the attendees of the Conference, my week in Phoenix was like slipping into your favorite sweatshirt during the first chill of fall – comfortable. From seeing old friends (those that I know from way back in the day in Philly 2010) to meeting new friends that were just an avatar in my Twitter-based world until recently, CONSTRUCT has become the CSI water cooler for me – the place that I go to connect with everyone IRL – in real life. Social Media, while seemingly having “taken off” in the last year, has been an important part of my life for the past 3+ years. However over the last year the relationships have certainly “taken off’ with roots being firmly planted on a laptop screen, or on my smartphone or tablet. PHX CONSTRUCT was all about meeting some of these people IRL. From Kaitlin Solomon (@KaitlinSolomon3), Paul Gerber (@PaulDGerber), J. Peter Jordan (@JPeterJordan), Paul Treanor (@CONSTRUCTshow) and Liz “Don’t Call me Sullivan” O’Sullivan (@LizOSullivanAIA) to new Fellow John Guill (@SpecMonkeyNorth), Carol Hagen (@CarolHagen), Brok Howard (@BrokHoward) and Cherise Schacter (@CheriseSchacter) and more, it was like an instant reunion, despite having never met any of these people before. Social Media may be the new cold call, but it’s also the new water cooler, bar stool, message board, and “blind date” all mixed into one. As a relative introvert, I have found it becoming increasingly more difficult to meet people as the years progress. Having been a lone employee who works from a home office over the last four years in Pennsylvania, CSI has become my neighborhood bar, coffee shop, library and grocery store. It doesn’t seem to matter the persons occupation, economic status or firm seniority, by just being a CSI member, you have something immediate and important in common. So I could continue and talk about the wonderful city that Phoenix was – how the food was great, the people were terrific and the amenities were fantastic or about how great the CONSTRUCT presentations and exhibit hall was and it would all be true. But to me, PHX was about the people. The incredible crew from CSI Allentown that were there with me – now Fellow Mitch Miller, our current President Tina Montone, Lee Ann Slattery, Rob Sarnowski, Tim Sisock, Sal Verrastro, Dave Fenstermacher to fellow PA CSI folk John Groff, Bill Brightbill, Jan Meyers, Charlie Beauduy and Mike Lechleitner there were plenty of now local friends that I got to see over 2000 miles from home. Factor these folk in with the previously mentioned Twitter folk that I got to meet for the very first time and top them off with being able to spend some time with Joy Davis (THE woman behind the CSI Social Media community) and I deem CONSTRUCT PHX 2012 an absolute success. Nashville 2013 is on my calender (as it should be with yours – September 24th – 27th) and I’d hate to make time go by any faster then it already is, but I can’t wait for it to get here! Between now and then, I hope to see you at a meeting.  It wouldn’t be like me if I didn’t wait until almost the last second. Despite the fact that I had my airfare booked from PHL > PHX for September, I finally pulled the string and booked my attendance and hotel for CONSTRUCT. Having never been to Arizona (and really only west of Chicago once – to Seattle), I am looking forward to Phoenix for more reasons than one.
The CONSTRUCT Show, now produced by Hanley Wood is formerly the CSI Show. This will be my 3rd year attending the Exhibit Hall and 2nd straight year attending for the seminars and education. Attendees of CONSTRUCT are Architects, Engineers, Specifiers, General Contractors, Project Managers, Building Owners and professionals such as myself in the building team. Under one roof and in one City you can meet more people in one day that a year’s worth of meetings and work can get you. CONSTRUCT is a registered AIA/CES provider and each class is 90-minutes. Focusing on subjects such as sustainability, specification intent, contracts, building envelope, moisture, modern technology and more, the chances are strong that you will find numerous sessions that interest you. Flight is booked, attendance is booked and hotel is booked. Looks like I’m as good as there. I hope we have the chance to meet at #CONSTRUCT if you make it. Drop me a line in some social medium at @EricDLussier I’m planning on seeing the Diamondbacks host the Dodgers on Tuesday night if anyone is interested. Don’t wait too much longer! Wednesday, August 15th is the last day to save over $100 on your attendance. Take advantage now at http://www.constructshow.com/index.aspx 
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is a national association of volunteers, including specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, product representatives, manufacturers, owners and others who are dedicated to improving the communication of construction information through many methods including certification (have you looked into getting your CDT?), standards, education and more.
The mission of CSI is to advance building information management and education of project teams to improve facility performance. While this mission should be achieved by every party working towards a common goal, it cannot occur without clear, complete, correct and concise communication. Anyone that has gone through their CDT certification with CSI, knows that these are the Four C’s of construction specification writing. However, this is also how a successful project is attained. With the four C’s of communication, each party involved (see the above list of CSI volunteers for reference) does his or her part to satisfy their roll to the absolute best of their ability with the Project in mind. While I was instructed early on in my membership (through a very intelligent individual who is about to become a Fellow) that CSI is “how it is supposed to be and not necessarily how it is”, I have learned that over 13,000 people who volunteer their time, energy and information truly believe how it is “supposed to be”. Communication is key and one thing I have learned in my three years with CSI is you can count on clear, complete, correct and concise communication with another member. Whether you are discussing the latest standard , Code, Project or material or talking about the weather or your favorite sports team, what you hear from a fellow CSI member can be held in high regard. CSI is nothing without these volunteers. In what sounds like the Boy Scout law, these thousands of people are trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, and most of all from my experience KIND. While having the opportunity to attend meetings with all seven CSI Chapter in PA (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Central Penn, North Central Penn, Railroad and my home chapter of Allentown), I have never felt more welcome and at ease in a room, knowing that each person attending works with the mission in mind. While I can go and on and on, I need to stop somewhere and present my call to action. CSI is once again offering a special membership discount that is based solely around Social Media channels. I implore you to take this opportunity and save 20% on the National Membership. Of course, I also recommend you join a local chapter, where you can attend local education sessions and networking opportunities. Additional chapter dues are not included in this promotional offer. Please, take advantage and don’t miss this special offer! #joinCSI at www.csinet.org/join by Wednesday, June 20 and pay only $192 for national dues — a 20% savings.
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