January 2017 Executive Director’s Blog

Hello CSSGA members and mining professionals.  Welcome to 2017 and the first blog of the year.  I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Christmas and Holiday Season.  Now, it’s off and running for the new year, with new challenges and ambitions.  Here is what’s underway at CSSGA:

We start the new year with an entirely new Association Management System (AMS).  This new system becomes our entire interface with members like you, so it is an important part of the association.  This system allows us to continue gaining efficiencies, while controlling costs and delivering value to members.  Hopefully you have seen communication from Annelise regarding the new system and the need to register under your member company.   Think of this registration/log in like one you might have with Amazon or a similar site.  You can log in, register for events, pay invoices, review past activity, etc., all in one system.  While we have heard of some glitches, the system appears to be working well and we hope you are patient thru this transition.  Contact us if you need help.

The new year also brings a new legislative session.  YES, MORE POLITICS!!  One of the main areas of focus is to push hard for a referred referendum regarding infrastructure funding.  We will be driving to get a measure through the House, Senate and Governor, which would then go to the voters next November.  We will be meeting at the capital Monday mornings during the session to keep on top of this, and the entire docket of legislation.  Let us know if you can participate.

Lastly, working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Reclamation and Mine Safety (DRMS), we have successfully obtained funding to transition our Part 46 MSHA training to an online Learning Management System (LMS).  This will include new video upgrades, and the ability to view the training on line much like a pay-per-view approach.  The current system is on DVD, and many computer companies are phasing this out.  We must keep in step with technology.  Once complete over the coming months, this new system will allow us to provide valuable safety related products to members, as well as the entire aggregate mining industry.  Look for further information to follow in ’17 once the program is ready to launch.  The DVD’s will continue to be available for old-schoolers, at least for now!

In closing, I want to thank Annelise for all her hard work in 2016, and all our dedicated members for your support.  I look forward to working on the pertinent items facing our industry in 2017.  Happy New Year!

Todd R. Ohlheiser

Executive Director