A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON MEMBER VALUE The second pillar of ASNT’s 2022–2026 Strategic Plan is to improve member- ship value by providing essential content and engagement experiences. The membership experience has been shaped by a number of social changes over the past 20 years, which ASNT must factor into its approach. For example, how people choose to affiliate with professional societies has moved from a deep, long-term commitment to short-term, transactional inter- actions to satisfy specific needs. Instead of accessing professional information at local meetings or through encyclopedic publications replaced every five years, members now access up-to-the-minute information through the vast resources available online, often for free, and sometimes from dubious sources. People now learn skills through short on-demand courses rather than in lengthy in-person courses. Credentials are shifting from knowledge-based paper exams to proctored online exams and performance-based competence demonstrations. Our members face numerous challenges, the most important being obtaining recognition and appreciation for the essential role they play in the bottom-line profitability of their companies as well as the health and safety of industries and nations. A second critical challenge is mastering the rapidly advancing technologies used in NDT, including AI and machine learning. NDT employers face huge challenges in recruiting, preparing, and retaining high-quality talent. Without access to talent, employers struggle to maintain effective employer-based systems while meeting client demands, which in turn creates economic pressures and sometimes leads to wrong ethical decisions. This all occurs within an increasingly complicated system of codes and regu- lations that are often contradictory and do not necessarily add quality. While ASNT is an individual member-based society, we must still concern ourselves with the needs of our members’ employers and the overall field (such as manu- facturers and educators). In this way, ASNT often resembles a trade association. With a keen eye on these needs, ASNT is rapidly reshaping itself—sort of like retooling the factory to meet new customer requirements. First, we are quickly becoming a digital-first society, delivering timely content to members when and where they need it. Second, we are updating how we manage content to effectively serve member needs. We can no longer afford to spend five years updating books which fewer people purchase. We must be nimbler than that. Third, we are expanding professional development opportunities that help members learn the professional skills they need, delivered at times and in places in which they need them, often through digital media. Fourth, we are creating new ways for people to connect to the people and organizations that matter to them. One such way is through online communities (think Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter rolled into one, but without the commentary from your weird uncle). Fifth, we are creating new ways for people to volunteer with ASNT, shifting away from long-term roles that require extreme time commitments to short, focused projects with well-defined expectations. Our members cannot take on “second jobs” as volunteers for the Society—this type of traditional volunteering is unsustain- able and no longer fits within our members’ lifestyles. Last, ASNT will be standing up for the people and entities in the NDT field through active PR and government relations programs. The world needs to know and appreciate the essential role NDT plays in the success, safety, and health of communities and industries. These are ambitious plans, and we are committed to making them our reality. Won’t you join us in our efforts? NEAL J. COUTURE, CAE ASNT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NCOUTURE@ASNT.ORG LEADERSHIP | SCOPE With a keen eye on these social changes and emerging needs, ASNT is rapidly reshaping itself... A P R I L 2 0 2 2 • M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N 75 The American Society for Nondestructive Testing asnt.org ASNT MISSION STATEMENT ASNT exists to create a safer world by advancing scientific, engineering, and technical knowledge in the field of nondestructive testing. SOCIETY OFFICERS Michael V. McGloin, NDT Enterprises CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD John T. Iman, VMI–A Varex Company PRESIDENT Danny L. Keck, KCS Enterprises VICE PRESIDENT John Z. Chen, KBR SECRETARY/TREASURER DIRECTORS AT LARGE Marwan Basrawi, DiTECHT Science & Technology Consultancy Tsuchin (Philip) Chu, Southern Illinois University James (Gerry) Churchwell, Shawcor Inspection Services Roger W. Engelbart, Boeing Research & Technology (retired) Sebastian Z. Fernandes, Petrofac Cindy Finley, UTEX Scientific Instruments Lawrence W. Gill, General Dynamics Electric Boat Ahmed Arabi Hassen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory John J. Kinsey, TRC Solutions Clyde W. May David H. Mitchell, Sr., Arcadia Aerospace Industries Ricky L. Morgan, FlawTech Anish Poudel, Transportation Technology Center Inc. Timothy Scott Roach, Tenaris