One of the many benefits of ASNT membership is affiliating with a local section where you’ll gain a network of industry colleagues. As an ASNT member, you belong to a community of professionals who share common goals, interests, and commitments. By joining a local section, you will also make valuable connections, share knowledge, and discover new professional opportunities.
However, none of these activities would be possible without the facilitation of a volunteer section officer.
Section Leadership
Typical section leadership includes a chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and directors. These leaders play a vital role in ASNT’s volunteer structure, they are also key to the success and longevity of a section.
Section leaders often serve as ASNT’s “boots on the ground” by facilitating member engagement. “Meeting new people within the same genre of work is always a plus, getting to share NDT ‘war’ stories, and networking. But the greatest gift I have obtained [from section activities] was learning some great leadership traits over the years,” said Tara Kavanaugh, chair of the Metro New York/Northern New Jersey Section.
Volunteering as a section leader is often a stepping-stone to serving at the national level or even leading a national committee. “Volunteering for ASNT provides members limitless opportunities for developing leadership skills, building a stronger professional network, and giving back to the NDT profession,” said ASNT Director of Membership and Engagement Heather Cowles, CAE.
Transforming with Technology
During the pandemic and due to social distancing guidelines, section leaders turned to technology to reinvent a typical meeting. Sections utilized virtual options to accommodate section meetings, presentations, and to network.
“Even in the midst of a pandemic, ASNT volunteers continue to show up. It’s because of them that we have mentors and resources for tomorrow’s leaders,” said ASNT Program Specialist Jessica Ames.
ASNT Virtual Section
If you are not close to a local section, you can affiliate with the Virtual Section to attend meetings. The ASNT Virtual Section was launched in the middle of 2020. These online meetings offer additional opportunities to engage with other members whether a local section is an option or not. The Virtual Section is not intended to replace local sections—members can affiliate with both.
The ASNT Virtual Section brings educational programming and networking opportunities to ASNT’s highly dispersed members.
Whether you are a member of a local section or not, all members can attend the ASNT Virtual Section meetings. Click here for more information about the ASNT Virtual Section.
For more information about local sections, click here.
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Cindi Leeman is the ASNT Educational Materials Supervisor and editor of ASNT Pulse; cleeman@asnt.org.
There are a number of ways to get involved with ASNT and contribute to the NDT profession. We encourage you to explore these opportunities: