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We completed our 26th International System Safety Conference (ISSC) on August 29, 2008, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. This is the second time the annual Conference has been conducted outside the United States.
Conference attendees accomplished a lot of work during the week of activity. The Conference offered technically excellent presentations, filled with potential benefits to all of us. The Conference Committee also initiated innovations to the conduct of the Conference, and new tools to assist the Society in registration at future Conferences. These were evaluated throughout the Conference to determine potential application for the future. We should not be locked into a particular process or schedule if there may be alternatives that provide better opportunities.
During the weekend, prior to the official start of the Conference, we held our Executive Council meeting, where we dealt with Society business and received reports from each of the Chapters. Several action items came from this meeting, including a modernization of our corporate documentation, which will need your approval in the near future. My goal, as we progress into this new Society year, is to complete these actions, and to have a stable and up-to-date set of processes going forward for the new Society officers and directors to be elected in the spring of 2009.
The annual General Membership meeting was held on August 25, and resulted in some discussion about where we are as a Society in relation to other societies. As we move forward, I encourage each of you to provide your thoughts as to where we have been, and how far we should go in growing our Society. Society growth is very important — not just for the organization to continue as it is, but for the increased application of system safety principles around the world. Our influence on engineering and product safety is part of our heritage as a Society.
To achieve this growth and the increased sphere of influence of system safety will take a dedicated effort of identifying opportunity, planning, execution and some level of funding. If we do not move into other industries and locations, other groups will form to fill the void. I believe we are the best prepared and suited to bring about a strong system safety influence in the world. But we need your input.
This upcoming season is an opportunity to be with family and friends. Please be careful. We have a lot to do together. It is a great pleasure for me to work as your president.
— Jim Wiggins
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