Once again, the leaders of BCxA committees, Chapter Boards, and the International Board met recently to kick off the year. This annual event allows the BCxA Leadership to hear from one another about the Association's goals for the near term and vision for the future. Meeting this year virtually with shorter, more focused breakout discussions provided meaningful content and discussion for all attendees across North America.
BCxA President Ryan Lean opened the meeting with a look at the goals and themes for 2021. Chief among them is the idea that commissioning is the profession that will most quickly support re-opening our economy. It is a long overdue recognition of the work that commissioning providers have been doing to support indoor air quality for decades.
Next-Gen Professionals Program. With all this new work, we need to keep up the momentum of our Past President, Dan Forino, in developing our next generation. This development includes revising our training programs to meet the needs of young professionals, and continuing to expand programs like the BCxA “20 Under 40 Recognition.”
Education Committee. The Education and Training Committee is evaluating paths forward for new entrants to the commission profession, including those transferring from trades and other professions, as well as recent college graduates. We are exploring how to help guide them through our training and education programs to accelerate commissioning career skills and knowledge.
Owners Committee. The BCxA has always strived to provide a big tent, inviting all stakeholders into the Association. By having stakeholders from all segments of the built environment, we ensure a more holistic approach to our Best Practices. This year, we are adding an Owners Committee to help bring to light their concerns and ideas to improve the commissioning and contracting process.
Best Practices Committee. This next year, our Best Practices Committee will be evaluating the need for Building Enclosure Commissioning Best Practices and any updates to our current best practice documents. Our Best Practices documents are foundational documents for the BCxA and as such, are under constant maintenance. Whole Building commissioning includes more than just MEP but also enclosure, fire life-safety, cybersecurity, lighting, indoor air quality and so much more. The future for commissioning is changing as rapidly as technology and we need to stay ahead of the curve.
Advocacy Committee. Another core activity for the BCxA is our advocacy work. This last year was the first year of our newly formed Advocacy Committee. This year's focus is to build awareness through FAQs that explain the true meaning and intention of Third-Party Commissioning, both as defined by the BCxA Essential Attributes and how other organizations interpret it. The Committee is also building a database of building codes and standards that directly affect commissioning practice by city, state, and province. We will need your input as we work to make this project available to our members.
Diversity. Our nation saw a lot of change this past year, causing all of us to see things through others' eyes. We saw the rise of the “Me Too” movement and “Black Lives Matter,” and anger and protests from those trying to effect change. As we individually examine our own values and biases, the BCxA is also looking at how we treat diversity, equity, and inclusion. Like many of our member companies, we are looking to evaluate our policies and cultural norms, and explore where we can improve. We don't have all the answers yet, but we are focused on making positive improvements. This is a big topic and one that all of us need to help define. We look forward to your input as we move forward.
Thank you! As we approach the beginning of the end of this pandemic, hoping for a quick move to the next chapter, we want to take this moment to thank all of you for your support, your continued renewal in your membership and your exceptional voluntary efforts to “drive the built environment to the highest levels of optimization” (our mission), to achieve “a built environment worth inheriting” (our vision).