STLE in motion
By Rebecca Lintow, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report August 2024
Join us this fiscal year in achieving our strategic plan goals.
STLE staff visited Argonne National Laboratory earlier this year to build stronger connections to the tribology community.
August at STLE headquarters is a time to think about the future. Staff have reflected on the obstacles and successes of the previous fiscal year and set new goals for the year that is just beginning. This year, STLE staff have chosen a theme to represent these goals: STLE in Motion.
STLE in Motion signifies our commitment to progress—not as a destination, but as a perpetual state of movement. As our industry faces new and complex challenges, such as the evolving sustainability landscape, STLE is dedicated to stepping up to the challenge.
The recently launched STLE Sustainability Committee is already off to great start in recommending policies and programs to help educate the public, members of the tribology and lubricants community and policymakers regarding the contributions of tribology advances to a more sustainable future. The committee held a highly attended panel at the 2024 STLE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., and the proceedings will be disseminated to the STLE community in a special report this month.
Sustainability helps us move forward in the STLE 2023-2026 Strategic Plan with new and relevant topics. Staff and volunteers will continue to work toward establishing and promoting the connection between tribology and sustainability, including energy, water and air quality, efficient use of renewable and non-renewable resources and the development of technological solutions to support and accelerate sustainable practices.
Another future-oriented strategic planning goal is the expansion of our scholarship and outreach programs. Over the past several years, STLE has begun to foster a culture of philanthropy among members and industry partners, allowing us to increase our ability to support current and future tribologists. These efforts are supported by our Scholarship and Investments for the Future Fund (SIFF). We have been evaluating additional funding opportunities and will share more in the fall.
STLE staff are committed to staying aligned with our strategic plan as we refine key offerings such as professional development and member benefits. We made some exciting progress in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, including the launch of a new certification platform and new routes to recertification for busy professionals. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, we are focusing on defining the membership value, understanding what the tribology community needs from STLE and enhancing our programming to meet the needs of our audience. You can view the STLE 2023-2026 Strategic Plan at
www.stle.org/StrategicPlan.
Make sure to follow STLE on social media and watch for the hashtag #STLEinMotion to see how we are achieving our goals this fiscal year. And if you happen to meet up with us on your own journey, be sure to use the tag for your social media posts, too. I will be using it as I continue to connect with our members, industry partners and others in the tribology and lubrication community.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Rebecca Lintow at rlintow@stle.org.