It has been a week since I returned from the Knowledge and Communities meetings at IMECHE in Chicago and I want to share three quick thoughts with you.

1) In a marathon session of the Board on Global Communities, Section Funding was finalized and then certified the next day at the Knowledge and Communities Sector Board meeting. Your funding checks are being issued as I send you this.

The Southeast District F Section Funding - 15 Sections rated Excellent (Full Funding) - 5 Sections rated Good (75% Funding) - 10 Sections rated Fair (50% Funding) and 11 Sections were Funding Withheld. These Funding Withheld Sections will be eligible for Section Revitalization Funding support and I am trying to work with their leadership now.

2) There seems to be some confusion about which of the ASME Southeast District Student Professional Development Conferences (SPDCs) Student Sections must attend this spring. The Student Leadership may be contacting you.

During the old regional era student conference activities were pretty much locked in. Not so in the Southeast District. We are going to have two SPDCs:

University of South Carolina in Columbia SC - March 23-24
University of Florida in Gainesville FL - March 29-30

The Student Sections can go to either of them - their choice, no strings.

If neither of the these SPDCs dates or locations are workable they can request that I let them go to SPDC's in the North American Northeast District A and Mid-Continent District B.

The intent of the District system is to allow the Students as much choice as possible.

3) Fellow Awards are out. The ASME should have more of these folks. Midlands Section, Washington DC Section, Virginia Section, Greenville Section, East North Carolina Section, Highland Rim Section, Baltimore Section, Delaware Section and Florida Section all have new Fellows in them. Remember, you get credit for this in the Merit funding!

Best of luck as your program year progresses.

Richard