ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 30

Presidential address

Engineering Society (IES). Our high performance
sustainable building standard, 189.1, was developed
in collaboration with IES and U.S. Green Building
Council. The U.S. Department of Energy has strongly
supported standards development and funded the
Advanced Energy Design Guide series. I could give
many more examples. All indications are that partnerships will become even more important in the future
and that long-term alliances to work on big, long-term
issues are needed. Our goal here must be to become
better at forming and functioning in those relationships so that the best possible outcomes are achieved.
Also, the initiation of our new Grass Roots
Government Activities Committee is a step toward
partnership with government. Governments, undeniably and unavoidably, are among our main partners.
So, I view what we do in the sphere of government
activities as supporting this goal; not just in the U.S.,
but around the world.

ourselves and others. Who are our members and what
are their needs? How do we structure our Society to
be truly global and financially sound? Our Planning
Committee will be seeking input on these questions
and others from our members, our committees, our
leadership, and also from outside stakeholders.
That is what Society leadership is doing to plan globally for our organization. I also encourage our committees, Regions, and Chapters to consider the value
of strategic planning and to take a longer view of what
they seek to accomplish. If we all lift our gaze from the
ground in front of us—what we will do this year—to our
greater goals, I think we will be much more likely to
achieve them.
ASHRAE knows how to put ideas into practice. ASHRAE is committed
to serve. ~Don Bahnfleth, 1985-86 President

A goal and a plan without commitment will get us
nowhere, because truly worthy goals are challenging
and a plan simply tells us what we need to do. We can’t
Give me six hours to cut down a tree and I will spend the first four
write the will to succeed into a plan. If you look back
sharpening the ax. ~Abraham Lincoln
at themes of previous ASHRAE presidents, the imporGoals reflect our vision and are critically important,
tance of commitment comes up frequently, because
so I have devoted a lot of words to laying them out.
leaders know how important it is. It was at the core of
However, I said at the outset of this address that there
my father, Don Bahnfleth’s 1985 – 86 theme, Committed
are three essential elements of success: goals, planning to Serve.
and commitment. Now it is time to address the last two.
We will reach our goals if we are committed to followPlanning provides our map from the present to the
ing our plans; to working for the public good; to workfuture. ASHRAE has had strategic plans since the
ing together with other organizations, and to accepting
1980s that have served us well. Eventually, every plan
occasional failures as the price of true success. I wish
becomes dated as conditions change and its objecI could confer that kind of commitment on everyone
tives are accomplished. At that point, they have lost
who reads these words, but I cannot. That is what each
their ability to inspire and direct us and it’s time to
of you brings to our organization. It is the renewable
renew them. Our current plan has helped to drive
energy source that has powered ASHRAE throughout
profound, positive changes in our organization, but it its long history, and it is the key to our future.
is at the end of its life. On Sunday, June 23, your Board
More than anything else, I hope that this
of Directors voted to authorize a significant ground“Presidential” theme will inspire your commitment.
up strategic planning effort this year. It will certainly
I will consider it successful if it does not remain my
address all of the issues I have just outlined as well as
theme, but becomes the Society’s theme and, ultiothers.
mately, your theme this year.
We want this to be a strategic plan that is not only
The world needs our Society, our members, and our
challenging, but also realistic, and coordinated with
industry now as much as at any time. We will rise to
a business plan that works. In laying the groundthe occasion and meet the challenges that we face if we
work for a new plan that can guide us over the next
connect dreams with plans to Shape the Next, starting
ten to 15 years we must ask some key questions of
today to create the better future we envision.
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2013

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