I am honored to serve this Association in the upcoming term as the newly elected President of the AMTA Board of Directors. I’ve served on the AMTA Board for the last two years and their extraordinary dedication to the industry and the level of support AMTA receives from its members is impressive. It is ultimately the dedication of both that has made AMTA the defining voice of the membrane industry and I will work to strengthen that role during my term as President.
In July 2012, the Board held a strategic planning session in Fairfax, Virginia to outline short and long term goals for the organization. Meeting the needs of our members was the primary consideration as we identified a number of priorities including: on-going support of our affiliate organizations to address regional concerns, expanding our focus to include “produced water” and other industrial uses of membrane technology, and the continuation of our relationship with AWWA in holding a joint conference.
In 2013, AMTA and AWWA will unite again in hosting our Joint Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas February 26-28. I hope the concept of a combined event benefits our membership in creating a single, definitive conference focused on membrane technology. The organizing Committees are working hard to finalize the program and review the large number of abstracts received. The quality of these papers and presentations will ensure that this conference offers the most compelling information available on contemporary and innovative new technologies and applications.
In addition to our annual conference, AMTA also holds a number of regional workshops across the United States throughout the year, many in collaboration with one of four affiliates including: Southeast Desalting Association (SEDA), South Central Membrane Association (SCMA), Southwest Membrane Operator Association (SWMOA), and the newly added Northwest Membrane Operator Association (NWMOA). The goal of our workshops is to keep members and industry professionals updated on the latest technologies and regulations and create an open venue to network and share valuable lessons learned. Please check our Calendar of Events for upcoming Workshop scheduled in your region.
As always, we appreciate your continued support and I look forward to meeting you at one of our events in the very near future.
Mehul V. Patel, P.E.
AMTA President
