Once a fortnight our ‘What It’s Like…’ series will interview a member of one of the governance boards, highlighting their work, their role in the Engineers Ireland community and advice for members interested in becoming involved. This week’s interview is with George Chadda, Council representative for the North West Region.
Governing body of Engineers Ireland
Engineers Ireland is governed by the provisions of its byelaws, which are implemented by a Council of members and an Executive Board. Council is the governing body of Engineers Ireland and is elected by the members.
In order to ensure the fullest representation of our overall membership, each engineering division and regional branch nominates a representative to Council.
George Chadda
George Chadda graduated with a degree in communications engineering and is now a Chartered Engineer based in Sligo. A member of Engineers Ireland for nearly 40 years, he first joined the Council of Engineers Ireland in 2006 as the representative for the North West Region.
Speaking about his initial motivation to join the Council, Chadda says representing his region at Council has generally been the responsibility of the region’s chairperson.
'A privilege and an honour'
As such, as the North West Region chairperson at the time, he was happy to take on the role and continues to do so today. “To be honest, it is a privilege and an honour to represent my region.
"In addition, engineering has given me a very interesting and satisfying career and I wanted to give something back to my profession and other engineers. Becoming involved and making that contribution through my professional organisation, Engineers Ireland, seemed like an appropriate way to do that.”
Reminded of his early days on Council, Chadda notes that he was initially unsure of what to expect. “It was quite daunting as you did not know what you were letting yourself in for, what to expect and what you could bring to the table.
"Things have been put in place since then, making it easier for those volunteering their services, including the Sector Handbook which explains in great detail the responsibilities of all of the committee roles.”
The handbook – a set of guidelines for use by the committees of regional branches, engineering divisions and societies – is available here.
Aside from the ‘beginner’s nerves’ of being a new member of Council, we asked Chadda to describe the most challenging aspect of being on Council.
“The challenges vary from year to year but keeping the organisation relevant to the membership is very important at all times. This has never been as important as in the current climate.
"Delivering for members is key in order to assist them with their engineering priorities and in line with delivering sustainable solutions for society.”
That said, the challenges don’t outweigh the benefits and Chadda comments that consistently, the most rewarding aspect of being on Council is “the honour and privilege to represent your region and to have the opportunity to contribute to your professional organisation, all the while supporting the interests of a better society”.
Apprentices and technicians
In considering his experiences on Council to date, he is reminded of an opportunity he had in 2016 to lead a subcommittee tasked with reviewing the position of apprentices and technicians within the organisation and making recommendations to Council based on the results.
“This was a very interesting project that had the potential to shape the ‘extended family’ within Engineers Ireland. Being involved in something of this nature can help you with your CPD [Continuing Professional Development], as well as make a positive contribution to your organisation.”
As a body, the Council has reserved powers including appointing Executive Board members, and approving proposals made by the Executive Board on the annual budget, financial statements and membership subscriptions. The Council generally meets five times a year.
Membership of Council
- The president as chairman
- The two vice-presidents
- The immediate past president
- The chairman of the Finance Committee
- The chairman of the Membership and Qualifications Board
- The chairman of the Board of Examiners
- A representative of each regional branch
- A representative of each engineering division
- Twelve elected corporate members of whom: (a) six hold the title of Chartered Engineer; (b) three hold the title of either associate engineer or engineering technician; (c) three hold the academic requirements for, but are not yet holders of, the title of Chartered Engineer.
Engineers Ireland's 2019-2020 Council
A new Council is established every year, with elections for vacant positions opening in April. Successful candidates are then appointed at the annual general meeting. The new Council takes office following the Engineers Ireland AGM, with its first meeting generally held in June.
For committee members interested in representing their region, division or society at Council, the committees’ Council representatives are elected at their respective AGMs from among their own committee members.
In office for up to three years
Representing your committee on Council is an important role and as the representative you may hold office for up to three years, representing your regional branch or engineering division on Council, keeping your committee up to speed with Council activities and decisions and bringing the views of the group back to Council.
Council elections for 2020-2021 have now closed, but for those who have considered putting themselves forward for Council and haven’t yet decided if it’s a role for them, Chadda has some advice: “I would strongly recommend that you volunteer your services.
"It is a great opportunity to contribute to an organisation that you belong to and where your views matter. You can do this in a very transparent and meaningful way, and it can have a lasting impact on providing a better society for all.”
Engineers Ireland could not function without the active participation of so many of our members who give so enthusiastically of their time and talents to serve the profession. More information on the role of Council and its responsibilities is available in the Engineers Ireland Bye-laws (available here).