Mass Transit - 8

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

On the importance of
professional associations

When a crisis strikes, you can depend on your industry associations to help pull you through.

uring the past few weeks, as COVID-19 has become more widespread
and the measures put into place to "slow the spread" and "flatten the
curve" have grown more restrictive, our attention has turned to those
frontline workers who serve in healthcare, supply chain, restaurant,
grocery and transit industries, as well as those who work as first responders. They have received and should continue to receive our gratitude for
helping keep both the United States and Canada functioning through this crisis.
However, there is one group of professionals who have worked tirelessly on our behalf and
received little of the thanks: Our industry associations. During normal times, our associations work to share best practices, provide networking and learning opportunities and
advocate for the interest of their members with elected officials. During times of crisis, they
shift to become central hubs of information, providing their members a platform to share and
brainstorm solutions and help in a collective recovery effort.
I started my career in late August 2001. The tenth day of my employment was Sept. 11, and
while the world sat stunned, the industry I was involved with at the time had several strong
associations working to mobilize recovery efforts, organize blood drives and create educational events built around resiliency.
While the crisis experienced in 2001 was all about coming together, our current crisis is
about staying physically apart, which makes the efforts of our industry associations more
important now than perhaps ever before.
I realize I'm being vague by not naming these organizaWe are all walking on tions, but it's out of fear that I will leave out a key contributor and, thus, lessen that contribution. We are all walking
uneven ground and on uneven ground and these professional associations are
these professional helping us navigate.
Usually, with extreme business conditions comes extreme
associations are
cost cutting. It's a good business move and many of us are
helping us navigate. trying to find what can be shelved for next year or removed
completely. My ask is this: If memberships in professional
associations are at risk, spare them a second thought. Understand the value these memberships bring to you personally
and professionally, as well as to your company.
At times of crisis, our professional associations rally
to support their members - us. It's in the time directly
following a crisis where they need our support through
continued membership and involvement. If we commit to
doing this, we and our industry will be made stronger for
the next crisis.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor
 mwanek@masstransitmag.com  224-324-8532  linkedin.com/in/mischawaneklibman

Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | APRIL/MAY 2020

Editorial
Advisory Board
Andrew Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
The Rapid
Gary Thomas
President/
Executive Director
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Keith Jones, P.E.
General Manager
DC Streetcar
Matthew Tucker
Executive Director
North County
Transit District

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mischawaneklibman http://www.MassTransitmag.com

Mass Transit

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Mass Transit