The path to becoming STLE president
Peter Drechsler | TLT President's Report May 2011
Take it from me—it all starts with one small step.
The answer is simple—get involved with any of the many volunteer opportunities STLE has to offer.
It is almost hard to believe my term as STLE president is nearing an end. I want to take this opportunity to recap my incoming remarks. “There is no secret to becoming the president of STLE,” I said during my inauguration in Las Vegas last May, “It’s all about volunteerism.”
In my first TLT columns I wrote about the efforts of our volunteer leaders at the section level and those of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) in organizing STLE annual meetings. But STLE volunteer efforts do not stop there.
Did you know there are a multitude of ways to get involved with STLE? It’s just a matter of finding where your passion lies. Between the industry councils, technical committees, administrative committees and ad hoc committees, there is certainly something to match your interest.
When you look through the STLE 66th Annual Meeting & Exhibition Program Guide that will be distributed in Atlanta at this year’s event, you will see the breadth and scope of our technical committees. STLE has 15 technical committees, and their members have a passion for their particular subject matter, from bearings and bearing lubrication to environmentally friendly fluids to wear.
Speaking of the STLE 66th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, we are on track for another successful event with a projected attendance of more than 1,100 tribologists and lubrication engineers from around the world. With some 400 technical presentations and 10 one-day education courses, there is certainly something for everyone. And where else can you network face-to-face with some of the most brilliant minds and thought leaders in the field of tribology and lubrication engineering?
Again, this would not be possible without the efforts of the AMPC, STLE’s Education Committee and all of the industrial councils and technical committees that help develop the meeting’s content. I would like to thank all of you who have been involved in making this year’s meeting such a great event for our industry.
Of course I would be remiss if I did not mention the support of the local sections (Atlanta and the Carolinas). The efforts of our local sections are what make STLE annual meetings so memorable. The golf outing, Welcoming Party and other activities are all supported by section volunteers. While the task of hosting an STLE annual meeting might seem daunting for a local section, the experience can be quite rewarding. Thanks to all of you who worked behind the scenes to make this year’s meeting so memorable.
While our industry councils and technical committees focus on lubrication problems or the theory and practice within their particular areas of interest, the administrative committees focus on areas of governance, finance, membership, publications, technical conferences and other educational activities of the society. To learn more about any of these teams, log on to
www.stle.org and click on the Committees & Councils tab. You can contact the committee chair or any of the committee members to get more information or express your interest in joining.
In all my years being involved with STLE, the one thing that I have noticed is the passion and enthusiasm of our volunteers. The benefits of volunteerism are many. You will learn leadership and communication skills that will carry over into your business activities and develop friendships that last a lifetime.
So how can you become the president of STLE? The answer is simple. You start with one small step—get involved with any of the many volunteer opportunities STLE has to offer.
Again, my heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers who help make STLE such a great and worldwide-recognized society.
Peter Drechsler is a senior tribology specialist with The Timken Co. in Canton, Ohio. You can reach him at peter.drechsler@timken.com.