Over the past few years, led by the SMRP Outreach Directorate, the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals leadership has been crafting positions, strategy and communications in an effort to have a voice heard in legislation and program development that impacts the maintenance, reliability and physical asset management community. Topics of interest range from energy and transportation infrastructure to education and safety. After the first of the year the Committee held regular meetings discussing strategy and identifying specific House and Senate committees that were addressing issues and legislation that had a direct impact on the reliability, maintenance and asset management topics.

The Washington DC team included (in the order of the picture at the top of this post): Craig Seibold (SMRP Chair, Newmont Mining); Bob Kazar (SMRP Vice Chair, Roll Global); Carl Schultz (SMRP Outreach Director, Advanced Technology Solutions); Howard Penrose (SMRP Secretary, Success by Design); Larry Hoing (SMRP Treasurer, Wells); Jon Krueger (SMRP Executive Director, Kellen); and, Parker Wishik (SMRP Government Affairs, Kellen). The stated purpose for the visit was to introduce specific government organizations and committees to SMRP as a not-for-profit body that had a wealth of experience within their membership to support and provide information for policy decisions.

All groups were very excited about the cross-section of SMRP in individual members, executive member companies, educational organizations and consulting organizations. Most committees were excited to learn about SMRP as a new resource on these topics. As a a non-profit organization the Society is seen as more neutral, and therefore, have more weight.  A few of the committees we met with:

• House Committee on Education
• House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
• House Committee on Homeland Security
• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Senate Committee on Appropriations
• US Department of Energy – Office of Energy Efficiency

Topics we were specifically questioned about:

• Workforce training and apprenticeships
• Job creation
• Reliability and safety
• Energy efficiency and reliability of energy efficient directions
• Commercial and industrial reliability and energy programs
• Accredited certification
• Energy production and grid/smart grid
• Infrastructure
• Railroads, roads and transportation, including aircraft
• Security and reliability, including internet and networks

This experience provided significant exposure for both SMRP and all member organizations to our government policy makers.  We all look forward to a greater opportunity in the future to assist in shaping the way our country proceeds with maintenance, reliability and physical asset management.