PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Build on Our Cornerstones
Adam Heft CPG-10265
heft@pbworld.com
Competence. Integrity. Ethics. These are the three cornerstones of AIPG. For over 50 years, our organization has proudly upheld these principles. None of the three are any more important than the others, and all three are inter- related and lend stability in the way our members practice professionally. Just as a tripod without three legs will fall; not adhering to these three principles detracts from a person’s professional practice.
An individuals’ competence is obvi- ously important and is easily measured and appreciated by others. It begins with education and a degree and continues throughout your career. On the job training, successfully completed proj- ects and assignments, and continuing education all contribute to competence. As many of our long-time members can attest, your education doesn’t stop when you graduate with a degree. Rather, it continues, and you will find that if you take advantage of the opportunities, you learn more during your professional career than you did when you were a student. After all, most individuals are only students for four to eight years, but professionally practice for 40 or more years. AIPG offers many opportunities for continuing education, including both Section and National activities such as technical presentations, field trips, short courses, workshops, and webinars. As more states that have professional licen- sure of geologists require continuing education, demonstration of competence becomes increasingly more important. Take advantage of what AIPG has to offer; the benefits will outweigh the costs and time spent in doing so, and both you and AIPG will benefit.
Integrity is being honest, truthful, and doing the right thing even when no one is there to see it or know about it. This appears to be a commonly valued
principle in today’s society, and at the same time seems to be one that is often abused, neglected, or ignored by many. It applies to our actions toward our employer, our clients, our friends, and our neighbors. After all, who wants to work with or associate with an individual who would lie, cheat, or steal from them? It is a measure of trust that others have in us, and comes from delivering sound, competently completed projects to our clients and how we deal with them as we do so. Integrity is something that is built up over time and can take only a moment of poor judgment to destroy.
Ethics has been described as the slip- pery slope between right and wrong. Being ethical has also been considered as following both the letter and spirit of the law. Ethics is perhaps the most difficult of the three principles to quan- tify and for others to decide whether an ethical breach exists. Ethics touches on both competence and integrity; if an individual’s professional practice is not competent or done with integrity, they are also not being ethical in their representation to their client. AIPG is fortunate to have an ethics column that David Abbott has run for many years in TPG and discusses a wide range of situ- ations. AIPG takes allegations of ethi- cal breaches seriously, and investigates each complaint it receives. There have been some disciplinary actions through the years, and these are dealt with in accordance with the bylaws. Of course, the Executive Committee must be made aware of potential ethical breaches; a complaint must be filed, and evidence must be provided. And once this informa- tion has been received, it takes time to conduct the investigation. In some cases, the individual under investigation either resigns their membership immediately when notified of the complaint, or does not renew their membership for the next
year. In either case, this method of end- ing their membership is, in accordance with the AIPG bylaws, considered to be termination with prejudice. Termination of membership also effectively ends AIPG disciplinary proceedings.
AIPG is proud of its many members and the way that they practice geol- ogy competently, with integrity, and ethically. The small number of ethical problems that AIPG has had is a tribute to the quality of member that AIPG has attracted. That said, it is important that our members actively participate in the organization, and if you become aware of potential ethical issues that they be reported so they can be investigated. Remember, communication is key. Only by doing so can AIPG maintain its repu- tation for high standards in this regard.
This is an important facet of our orga- nization, particularly in a time when so many individuals in today’s society seem to have forgotten or ignore these prin- ciples. Practicing competently, ethically, and with integrity represents added value to those with whom we work, and is not necessarily something that hiring or working with a state-licensed, non-AIPG individual would provide. This is another example of why it is important to get the word out about what it is we do, how we do it, and why AIPG is important. Let’s work together to keep the cornerstones of AIPG solid and its reputation strong into the future!
Coming in the next issue of TPG...
Scholarship Winner Essays!
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