As you may have read, the Wilmington Section and the Delaware Valley Section of the AIChE are merging back again. The Wilmington Section’s service area was originally part of the Delaware Valley Section at its inception in 1932. In 1983, the Wilmington Section started operating independently, bringing a full range of professional activities that were propelled by the dedication of many volunteers. Time and seismic changes to our demographics have changed the makeup of the organizations, and it now makes sense to rejoin as one stronger organization. We are thrilled to bring both sections back together, combining our resources to give you the best value for your membership. We believe that this merger will create more opportunities for our members. Integration will allow your local section to pool resources to better serve you and your professional associates in this very important hub of industry and academia. The consolidated leadership is committed to integrating and providing value to members of its entire service area, which now includes the state of Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland, in addition to South Jersey and Philadelphia and its suburbs. Several board members of the former Wilmington Section have joined the consolidated board, ensuring that the needs of the Wilmington geographic area are heard and fulfilled. The consolidated section will be known as the Delaware Valley Section.
The new by-laws have been approved by our Board of Directors and AIChE Local Sections Committee. It only needs the formal approval of AIChE – Career and Education Operating Council. After the approval, DVS will work with AIChE to have all IT systems reflecting the new changes.
Another change worth mentioning is that ChemE students studying in the area are consider members in good standing. We are making an effort to involve students and develop good engineers and leaders by putting together events to support the needs of students and involving students at the board level.
DVS is one of the largest and most progressive sections in the world with a rich and diverse annual program. This is only possible by the participation of our members. We invite you to get involved at the board level. It may sound a lot of work, but our board is very committed and structured that even the smallest help can contribute greatly. Please contact Daniel Sujo, 2014-15 Chair if you would like to learn more about getting involved at DVS.