SAMPE Journal - July/August 2023 - 7

What have you learned by volunteering?
I've had many different roles within SAMPE. Here are a few and what I learned:
Los Angeles Chapter Secretary:
*
I learned that just documenting action items wasn't enough; if you want follow through, make sure they are sent out to
the attendees.
* A corollary, you soon learn to distinguish the people you can depend upon and those you cannot.
SAMPE Finance Committee and then Treasurer:
* Here I gained insight into the activities of the Business Office (which where different from what I had assumed and very
important in the volunteer/staff partnership)
*
I also learned how to develop and use Profit and Loss statements, how to budget and how to categorize and explain
expenses in terms that members could understand.
* Answering questions about/ defending the budget was an interesting learning experience.
SAMPE International Leadership (Executive Vice-President, President, Past President):
* These positions allowed me to develop leadership and management skills and practice their application. Though
management and leadership skills are often lumped together or the terms are used interchangeably, they are
actually two distinct skill sets
* They are both necessary for any endeavor that requires coordinating group activities and are applicable whether you
have a fancy title or not.
*
I also learned that listening to our US and non US membership is critical. They have important ideas that can help
execute the basic reasons for SAMPE's existence.
Conference Committees, was Treasurer for SAMPE in Las Vegas and General Chair for the 1989 Electronics SAMPE meeting:
* Here I learned to set a clear, common goal for conferences and to make sure people share that goal
*
I also learned to encourage the creativity of volunteers
* Very important and not necessarily obvious, I also learned how to integrate volunteer efforts with those of the SAMPE
Business Office to execute a conference.
How did you get to " retired? "
My Bachelor's degree was in Chemistry, a major selected because it was technical (to
please my Dad) and I really liked my high school chemistry teacher. As it happens, this
was a very good choice as it is the foundation of all material science.
During college, I got a position at SRI International, first for a summer job and then an
internship for school credit in the fall quarter, both positions in the Organic Chemistry
Group. I realized from this experience that while I love chemistry, I don't like what
chemists do for a living. The environment simply did not play to my strengths.
After college, with $600 in the bank and a $300/month apartment, I went back to SRI
International and was offered two positions in the Polymer Chemistry Group. I took
the one with Milan Maximovich who had contracts with the US Air Force Materials
Laboratory and NASA to evaluate resins and develop processes to make carbon fiber
reinforced composites. I learned a LOT, both within the company and with my SAMPE
attendance.
" Having
retired, if I'm
not having
fun, I'll get out
of the way. "
This led to being hired by Aerojet ElectroSystems, which I call a happy accident. They wanted someone with composites
background (they really needed someone who could design and analyze, NOT me) and I wanted to do more than just
composites... this allowed me to get an overall system grasp of materials and processes for satellites.
As related above, my next sojourn was The Aerospace Corporation where every few years I transitioned to a different position
(this kept me from being bored). I retired from Aerospace after 31+ years.
What's Next?
As a professional volunteer, I believe SAMPE is still a great environment to gain the knowledge and practice the skills to make
any physical object. The foundation is materials and processes.
Being retired means I don't need a network for my next job, but DO need a network to help do useful things.
Being retired means I don't have to learn what's ahead in the field, but I do find it very interesting. Recently, I broke a tooth
and while it was still in place, it was wiggly. When consulting with the dentist, I described the concept of a doubler to stabilize
things until I could get my tooth replacement effort underway. It worked!!
Being retired means I don't have to spend my time on leadership and management any more, I can spend my energy with
my true love, the technical stuff, our people, and smooth effective operations. Some of my targets, helping the Technical
Committees, developing training for conference committees, a way to integrate the people, affiliations, presenters, exhibitors
to provide support to decision making, an overall logic to all of our electronic presence and willing to provide mentorship as
requested.
www. sampe.org
JULY AUGUST 2023
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SAMPE JOURNAL |
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SAMPE Journal - July/August 2023

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