FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Chapter 20 President: Matthew Hagelin
Greetings Chapter 20 Members!
Spring is finally here – I think!? In Minnesota, it seems the spring renewal can sometimes take a little time to come around. This year is certainly no exception! For me, this time of year always seems to contribute to a spirit of optimism and appreciation. I hope you all are feeling a sense of revitalization and motivation as we Minnesotans in Chapter 20 awaken from the long winter and spring seasons.
It was great to see several Chapter 20 members in St. Louis for the Region 3 Spring Forum! Huge thank you to Chapter 37 and their sponsors for a fantastic event. We had a schedule packed with activities to learn, take care of business, and reconnect with colleagues. Also want to give a big thanks to the presenters Jason Murray and Mitch Bruckner from Rail Pros, and Wendy Cromer from Security Title Insurance Agency -- I think all in attendance will agree that these were very relevant topics to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in our day-to-day work. If you haven’t been to a Spring or Fall Forum or it’s been a while, please consider attending! Check the IRWA Region 3 website for updates and details - www.irwaregion3.com/. Chapter 20 hosts the 2023 Region 3 Spring Forum!
In the spirit of awakening, we have a few things rolling here at Chapter 20 in the coming months. At our May Board and Member meeting, we are voting on the next crop of Chapter leaders for the Board of Directors. Please come and join us as we celebrate the members that are moving our Chapter and organization forward. This summer, we will be hosting our IRWA Chapter 20 board meeting and free member event in Duluth, Minnesota this year! Dates haven’t been pinned down quite yet; however, we are shooting for the first week of August. A GREAT time of year to be in Duluth and taking in the sites with some great people. Stay tuned for more details on our website at https://irwa20.org/.
The Chapter is formulating a plan for 9-hole FUNdraising golf event in conjunction with our September board and member meeting. All proceeds will benefit the Right of Way International Education Foundation (RWIEF), who supports our organization by reducing barriers and diligently enriching the level of education available to our members. We plan to hold this in advance of the MNDOT Right of Way Professionals Workshop at Breezy Point Resort on September 20th. Mark your calendars -- we will get more information uploaded to the website as things take shape.
Hope to see you all at our May Chapter meeting! Until then, stay safe and be well!
Regards,
Matthew Hagelin, SR/WA
2021-2022 SPONSORS
2021-2022 EXECUTIVE BOARD
- Director: Benjamin Tozer
- President: Matthew Hagelin, SR/WA
- President Elect: Brian Mielke, SR/WA, R/W-NAC
- Treasurer: Sean Lawler, SR/WA
- Secretary: Faye Gillespie
MAY BOARD AND MEMBER MEETING
Mark your calendars for our next Chapter Meeting which will be on Wednesday, May 18th in the 2nd Floor WSB University Conference Room at WSB. Their office is located at 701 Xenia Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55416
- Location: WSB, 701 Xenia Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55416 - 2nd Floor WSB University
- 10-11:30 board meeting
- 12:00 member lunch and speaker as usual. (Speaker is planning on starting about 12:30 after Matt addresses the membership)
- Speaker: Richard Scott, BNSF - Railroad 101 - Construction & maintenance agreements and the permit/easement request process flow.
- To Register, click here!
Rich has been with BNSF going on 9 years. He has served in various engineering and support roles in that time, and currently works as the Assistant Director Public Projects for BNSF’s north region. He and his team collaborate daily with federal, state, and local agencies to implement infrastructure projects that drive safety and service outcomes for the public and BNSF. In his spare time, he prefers boats over trains, and you might find him on a lake near you.
We look forward to seeing you!
THE 68TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
MARCH BOARD AND MEMBER MEETING RECAP
We had a great meeting at the HDR offices in Minneapolis in March. Thank you HDR for sharing your wonderful new space with us! Also want to send our appreciation to Bolton & Menk for allowing Brian Simmons, PE to come and speak about the evolution of drones and UAVs in our industry.
IRWA REGION 3 SPRING FORUM RECAP
The Region 3 Forum was held at the Drury Hotel in St. Louis with events starting on Sunday, April 24th. The Forum was held on the 25th and was followed by Course 902 on Tuesday. Highlights included:
- Networking at Bar Louie on Sunday evening. The event was well attended and included opportunities to connect on both a personal and practice level
- Introduction of an updated professional certification program
- Introduction and remote presentation by incoming International Secretary Candidate
- Railpros presentation regarding rail requirements (on both them and when request to railroads) and example processes and contacts
- Title and title insurance presentation on some best practices and pitfalls to avoid by Security Title
- Monday night’s Young Professionals event at Two Plumbers was another opportunity to connect with professionals in our region and enjoy a relaxed evening between the forum and Wednesday’s Course 902, Property Descriptions.
Overall, this was a welcome opportunity to return to in person forums and reconnect with old faces, meet some new ones and learn about our industry and practices. It was also well attended and we look forward to continuing to grow our knowledge and connections moving forward!
IRWA CHAPTER 20 SURVEY
I respectfully ask for your participation and genuine feedback. We will be taking the feedback and discussing at the next few Chapter 20 Board meetings where we will begin to outline any necessary steps to ensure to that purposeful action turns to meaningful member value. We have something special here at Chapter 20 and we want to continue to build on all the great years we’ve experienced. Survey is 12 questions – should take 5 minutes or so to complete. To complete the survey, please click here!
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
As of May 5, 2022 Chapter 20 has 121 members including are our newest members to IRWA:
- Cody Lee Dierks from Vanguard
- Benton Johnson from WSB
- Skyrae Dodge from MN Power
- Gage Ritchie from MN Power
- Debra Kellner from MN Power
- Mike Putney from MN Power
Please extend a warm welcome to them. We look forward to their participation in Chapter 20.
If you have any questions about your membership, please feel free to contact Ben Barker at 612-581-6572 or bbarker@wsbeng.com.
RWIEF - THE SKINNY ON SCHOLARSHIPS
Most of us know that the Right of Way International Education Foundation is the non-profit funding mechanism for right of way education, providing funds for new courses, updates of existing courses and other education initiatives. Not as many of us remember that RWIEF supports three scholarship programs, click here to get the skinny!
UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
- May 24th, 2022 - Course 213 - Conflict Management - Golden Valley, MN
- May 25th - 26th, 2022 - Course 203 - Alternative Dispute Resolution - Golden Valley, MN
- Course 218: Right of Way Acquisition for Electrical Transmission Projects – July(ish) More Information Coming!
Both courses qualify for potential MN RE Continuing Education credits! Course 213 could be 7.5 credits and Course 203 for 15 credits
For more information on our upcoming education opportunities, visit our Chapter's Education Page or contact Chapter 20's Education Chair, Shawn Zepper.
Candidacies/Designations
- Craig Knudsen - Dakota Electric Association - SR/WA & R/W-EC Re-certification
CHAPTER 20 BLOG
Chapter 20's Blog was created to foster meaningful communication and sharing of information between our Executive Board, Committee Chairs, Chapter 20 Members, and all others who wish to participate. Please visit the Blog often as Committee Chairs and Executive Board Members post updates, news, and other relevant information pertaining to the Right of Way profession.