Leadership, and Professional Recognition
The Minnesota Government Engineering Council (MGEC) is an organization which is supported by member dues and member involvement. Members volunteer their time and talents to serve on the Executive Board, act as worksite representatives, or help teach classes. MGEC organizes a variety of member activities which include worksite meetings, training opportunities, and networking events. Participating in MGEC gives members the opportunity to network and work with members of different state agencies than they otherwise might in their normal daily jobs.
Networking Opportunities
MGEC events provide an opportunity for state employees in engineering and land surveying fields to interact outside a work setting and build relationships. Whether through participation in the PE review classes or attendance at a sporting event, members can meet new people and establish relationships or friendships. Volunteering to help organize an MGEC event is a great way to meet colleagues outside your immediate work area.
Leadership Opportunities
Serving on the MGEC Board is a great way to benefit both yourself and others. As you move through your career you may not be exposed to job duties such as planning, negotiation, finance, scheduling, policy development, human relations, teaching, or other roles. MGEC represents and provides services to more than 1100 individuals; the members of the Executive Board perform a number of tasks which can help build skills and provide experience for your resume.
Any MGEC Full Member is eligible to run for any open position on the MGEC Board. There are Director positions, and Officer positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Past President). More information is available under Membership: Election Information.
MGEC is also looking for individuals interested in being worksite Representatives. We have at least one-person volunteering in this role at most of the larger worksites but could use more individuals. Some agencies are not represented at all, such as the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). If anyone is interested in becoming a MGEC worksite Representative, please reach out to kari.torkelson@mgec.org. Representatives assist with new member outreach, distributing member information as a local point of contact, and helping organize on-site meetings. Representatives are not asked to act on any issues related to labor relations, negotiating, grievances, and other similar MGEC services. This position is a great way to “get started” working with the union and meet new people.
Professional Recognition
Full Members are eligible to be nominated for two awards; award nominations are reviewed annually, and the awards are presented at the annual meeting. The two awards are the Golden Slide Rule Award and the Distinguished Citizenship Award.
The Golden Slide Rule Award recognizes outstanding technical skills, superb writing and publication efforts, and sharing expertise with their peers.
The Distinguished Citizenship Award recognizes outstanding effort in civic or other community service, which has included both international and local service to a community and/or for service to the MGEC community.
These awards provide a unique opportunity to recognize your fellow members of MGEC for their technical or service contributions. Individuals can be nominated by co-workers, supervisors or themselves. Please consider nominating your peers and colleagues; MGEC receives relatively few nominations each year, and we are sure that many of our members are doing work worthy of recognition.