Thoughts on Ops Talk

Thoughts on OpsTalk

BY CHUCK MORRIS

It has been quite a few years now since Ernie Lambert and I, as well as a few others, met with David Langstaff from DEL Communications Inc. It was a cool and rainy fall day in a hotel in Richmond that David flew out to meet with us. We were looking for something to present our association to the province with, something that would be our ‘flagship’, so the province knew who we were.

Discussions about what it could and would look like took place, as well as brainstorming for a name. We were familiar with DEL Communications as we had seen a number of their publications for other associations. It looked like a good venue to expose more of our association to our members and more importantly, to others in the education facilities management sector.

An idea was conceived, a platform devised, a name was chosen, and that was the start of a beautiful relationship. From the first issue we, as the executive of the association, saw what DEL could provide to us. We began working with them on each and every issue to enhance the magazine, to broaden our audience, to address our supporters, and to strengthen what we saw as an association of educational facility managers – a body of professional people working together ensuring safe and healthy facilities for education.

Over the course of its life, Ops Talk has evolved as an association trade magazine to something that provides more than the usual. That evolution is because of the great work DEL Communications has devoted to the magazine and the energy our association continues to pursue. It is because of its relevance, its current topics, and how Katrina Senyk, our editor, helps us keep it pointed in the right direction! Katrina, who is based out of Winnipeg, exemplifies and confirms what our desires were a number of years ago when we first met with

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David. It is because of her and her team that the magazine has truly grown to reflect who we are and what we are here for. It is a true collaboration between SPOA and DEL that we have a magazine that truly is our flagship!

Ops Talk not only features articles about important issues for readers, but also allows for input from our members on topics with which we deal on a daily basis. That provides a great opportunity for sharing of knowledge and experience amongst all of us.

Ops Talk goes to every public school district in British Columbia, to many private schools, colleges and universities, the Ministry of Education, and a number of other relevant addresses outside of B.C. It is a source of current information and offers direct solutions for members, all the while acting as a marketing messenger for our association. What could be better?

When you read your next issue of Ops Talk, give some thought to what goes into making this magazine. Think about the articles and the other contributions you see between the covers. Give thanks to the vendors we all deal with, as without their support, we would be very hard-pressed to continue with such a flagship for the association!

As one of those who sat in on the inaugural meeting to develop this magazine, and as someone who reads it cover to cover each issue, I am proud of it. I encourage all of you to think about what you are reading, what it means to your daily life, and what it means to SPOA. Thank you for continuing to support Ops Talk, thank you for contributing articles, and thank you to David and Katrina and their team at DEL Communications for showing us off! Well done!