Transition Time: CSI Willamette Valley Chapter Certification Classes

 

After considerable handwringing and stoking of my guilt complex, I have decided to relinquish my role as chair of the Construction Specifications Institute/Willamette Valley Chapter’s Certification Committee, a position I’ve held for the past decade. Unfortunately, because I haven’t been able to find someone to take up the mantle, the chapter will not offer its annual preparatory classes this coming winter for the Institute’s Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) and Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA) certification examinations.
 
The Willamette Valley Chapter certification classes not only prepared students for the CSI-sponsored certification examinations but also served as a foundational training resource for those seeking to enhance their understanding of construction documents and construction contract administration. The classes proved especially beneficial to emerging professionals from all segments of the AEC industry. Many graduates went on to successfully achieve CSI certification.  
 
I’m not sure of the exact number of people who participated in one or both courses but after a run of 41 consecutive years the total must be in the hundreds if not thousands. Suspending the classes will impact anyone who looked forward to taking and hoped to likewise benefit from either set of classes in the near future. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. In their absence, I can highly recommend the Portland CSI CDT study course, which is offered via virtual (Zoom) sessions. The inimitable Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT, is the instructor. Cherise is a senior specifications writer for RDH Building Science, past president of the Portland chapter, former Director-at-Large on the Institute board, and a CSI fellow.
 
I am grateful to all of you who have supported and took part in the Willamette Valley Chapter certification classes over the years. I’m especially indebted to my fellow instructors—most recently Linn West, Larry Banks, Jim Chaney, Brian Hamilton, and Jerry Boucock. Your dedication to advancing the AEC industry is truly commendable, and I have been honored to be a part of this journey with you. I am proud that we provided so many with an invaluable conceptual framework they can rely upon for the remainder of their careers, in a convenient format at a price that was hard to beat.
 
I am hopeful the discontinuation of the annual CSI-Willamette Valley Chapter certification classes will only be temporary. In the meantime, please continue to engage with the WVC, attend chapter events, and make the most of the invaluable networking opportunities offered by the organization.