ENVIRONMENTAL CONNECTION / THIRD QUARTER 2025 / IECA.ORG 5 What’s in a Name? critical information and experiences with all participants. And what is the takeaway? A new generation of knowledgeable individuals or possibly the beginning of new and better procedures being developed. Over the next six months, there will be numerous online courses presented by IECA members to highlight new procedures and products. There will also be courses with valuable information to assist in wildfire recovery from urban and forest fires, as well as information surrounding flooding disasters. At the time of this article, six IECA chapters have upcoming regional conferences scheduled. Their agenda and schedule can be found on the IECA web page at ieca.org. If you are a member of one of these chapters, I hope you will spread the news. There are a number of erosion control and stormwater professionals in your sphere of influence who may not be aware of the opportunity that awaits them at these events. The IECA is not just an erosion control and stormwater association. It is a family of concerned professionals who give of their time and energy to help one another and even competitors. The game associated with the name “IECA” is to prepare each member with the tools for success, be it in their careers or community or in reaching out to help individuals in distress. Let’s keep our association’s name associated with being there for each other professionally and personally. Jerry B. Sanders, CPESC IECA President CEO’S MESSAGE I read about an interesting social experiment. It concerned the observation of two sets of groups playing the same game. The first group was told it was a community game. The second group was told the game was a Wall Street game. Although both groups were playing the exact same game, the way it unfolded was strikingly different. When the game was considered a community engagement, participants cooperated and helped each other along. In the one labeled a Wall Street game, they competed aggressively against each other. The name of the game affected the way it was played. When I think about the IECA, I see a group of professionals from a number of different backgrounds, all playing a game of saving and protecting our natural resources. A group of individuals involved in a wide variety of industries and skill sets coming together to share their experiences and their learned knowledge with one another. Individuals from around the world are striving to create a place where others can come and obtain helpful information. Information to further their individual careers, yes. But it’s more so to further the understanding and share the knowledge, procedures and products that are available for each of us to use and implement in our specific area. Earlier this year, the Southeast chapters and the IECA, with affiliated organizations, provided a variety of field days and educational conferences. The field days gave on-site demonstrations of erosion control products and structures, along with implementation procedures. The educational conferences were filled with experts who volunteered to share Jerry Sanders, CPESC IECA President “Let’s keep our association’s name associated with being there for each other professionally and personally.”
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