CANDIDATE FOR AIPG NATIONAL PRESIDENT-ELECT
Candidate for AIPG National President-Elect
Shanna A. Schmitt, CPG-11781 St. Paul, Minnesota
Hello from the North Star State! I’m honored and fortunate
to be nominated for AIPG President-Elect. Having gained so much professionally through my membership with AIPG, I’m grateful for this opportunity from the Nominating Committee to give back to the Institute. AIPG’s success is due to the extraordinary amount of time and energy our members volun- teer and the dedication of our Headquarters staff; I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you. I love collaborating with other individuals, organizations, and departments, and figuring out what we can do to improve, grow, and turn new challenges into opportunities.
My vision for AIPG is to grow membership by emphasizing
the benefits of national and section-level participation. To support Sections, I will continue to emphasize communica- tion by listening to Section input and assisting in growth and development. Finally, I will take opportunities presented by serving as President to promote our profession – a sincere pleasure to share my passion for geosciences.
My professional path began during eighth grade Earth
Science class when I decided to become a geologist or astrono- mer. In college, I was surprised there weren’t more geology majors - what’s not to love about a major that requires field trips?! In 2003, I began my career as a field geologist at Terracon Consultants, Inc. With the support of my fantas- tic mentor, Paul, and a team of great coworkers, I collected samples, logged borings, and wrote technical reports while traveling all over the great state of Minnesota. Since moving to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in 2006, my work focuses on the redevelopment of brownfield sites, work on Superfund, and coordinating a multisite grant program as both hydrogeologist and project manager. Colleagues and supervisors agree that I have a gift for organizing complicated projects into manageable steps and getting them done. My experience managing timelines and budgets, writing technical guidance and policy, and collaboration with project parties will help me be an effective President of the Institute.
I began attending Minnesota Section AIPG meetings fifteen
years ago. The Minnesota Section monthly talks, socials, and field trips have been fantastic for networking and professional development. I became an AIPG Professional Member in 2006, a licensed Professional Geologist in Minnesota in 2011, and accomplished my goal of becoming an AIPG Certified Professional Geologist in 2015. I know we have many mem- bers that don’t live/work near section meeting locations. In MN, we’re close to making our meetings available on the web and I will share that information so others can benefit as I have. AIPG’s partnership with AGI for the Geoscience
14 TPG •
Apr.May.Jun 2019 “
My vision for AIPG is to grow membership by emphasizing the benefits of national and section-level participation.
Online Learning Initiative (GOLI) keeps improving, and as President, I will prioritize improving the breadth and quantity of our high quality web-based talks, connecting with members near and far.
I’ve served in leadership roles within the Minnesota Section
since 2011 and AIPG National since 2016. I’ve enjoyed learn- ing from other professionals at section meetings and national conferences, exploring local geology on field trips, discover- ing how AIPG partners with other organizations, talking with hundreds of geoscience majors, and advocating for our profession whenever possible. Since 2017, I’ve served on the Advisory Board for the Earth Science Department, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. The connection between geoscience college programs, ASBOG, and our licensure regulations is so important. As President, I will continue to strengthen our relationship with ASBOG and work with the AIPG committee on bringing our new CPG-A membership category into effect.
I hold leadership roles in non-geological capacities, serving
on homeowners associations since 2007 and co-leader of the Minnesota Dystonia Support Group since 2016. My husband has dystonia and we lead state and national advocacy efforts supporting dystonia medical research. In my professional and personal life, I have served in nearly every position within an organization and I have deep appreciation for teamwork and the value of vision.
As President, I will focus on continuing and completing initiatives and priorities already underway, especially devel- opment of the CPG-A membership category, GOLI talks, growing membership, growing accessibility options, enriching and communicating our abundant membership benefits, and maintaining and strengthening cooperative agreements with sister societies within our budget. This will help the Institute continue providing, and even improving upon, all the purposes we promise.
I have much to contribute to AIPG; my years of knowl-
edge, experience, and skills will serve me well in the role of President-Elect. If elected, my drive to seek mentorship and learn, collaboration skills, and work ethic will serve the Institute well. If you have questions for me as you’re filling out your ballot, please reach out. You can email me at shanna.
schmitt@state.mn.us. Thank you for your consideration - I appreciate it!
www.aipg.org
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