The 2021 ISRI Fall Meetings began Monday, Oct. 18, in Charleston, S.C. The meetings ran through Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Education and Training Committee
The Education and Training Committee meeting began with a convention update from Rebecca Turner, ISRI’s vice president of education and events. She noted that registration for ISRI2022, March 21-24 in Las Vegas, will open soon and discussed some of the sessions that will be held at the convention.
Turner shared that ISRI has partnered with Scrap University to offer a Certified Scrap Metal Professional course. ISRI is also debuting an hour-long, on-demand course on Safety in Scrap Recycling. This self-paced course is authored by Tony Smith, ISRI’s vice president of safety, and concerns recognizing hazards in the workplace, targeted to supervisors. Find more information on both courses here.
Jennifer Betts, a Scrap University faculty member and vice president of business development, metals at Argus Media, discussed the importance of the Certified Scrap Metal Professional course to the committee. Turner noted that once attendees complete the course, which includes all the modules, knowledge checks, and a final review that requires an 85% or higher, participants will receive a certificate. She added that the course is currently in the process of being translated to Spanish.
The committee reviewed ISRI’s executive management programming, designed to prepare members for executive leadership roles. The 2022 program is budgeted to be held at ISRI’s Washington, D.C. office in July. The committee will reach out to the Young Executive Council for guidance into the programming.
ISRI’s 2022 online course programming was discussed. ISRI plans to develop two new online courses and is looking for suggestions from members regarding the content. Committee members provided some suggestions and recommendations.
The committee announced that the Shredders Operations Forum will be in-person in 2022. They are searching for a shredder to tour and open to suggestions from committee members. They also discussed plans to bring back the Metals ID seminar in 2022.
Closing Board of Directors Meeting
ISRI’s Board of Directors received updates from divisions and committees present in Charleston, S.C., for the 2021 Fall Meetings. Electronics Division Chair Craig Boswell of HOBI International presented, and the board approved a motion for ISRI to support the Repair Association, which is pushing legislation to make permanent software backups and restoration for repair purposes under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA).
It was announced that Andrew Cohen of Metal Conversions will chair the ISRI Specifications Working Group.
From the Education and Training Committee, Co-chair Steven Touch of SA Recycling told members of two new offerings in ISRI’s online course catalog: Safety in Scrap Recycling and Scrap University Presented by ISRI. More information on both courses will be provided in the coming days.
During the good-and-welfare part of the meeting, Southeast Region President Barry Wolff of Charleston Steel & Metal Co. praised the friendships and camaraderie ISRI enables. ISRI Chair Gary Champlin asked for a moment of silence for Gen. Colin Powell, the former secretary of state who died Oct. 18 from COVID-19-related complications.
The board will meet Jan. 11 in Washington, D.C. at a time and location to be decided. The upcoming meeting will be board-only; there will not be committee and division meetings.
Photo courtesy of ISRI.
