Dear IFME Members,
As we are coming to a close of this year, it gives me great pleasure to reflect on our collective achievements and milestones. Our members, who come from diverse backgrounds and have a wide range of expertise, have come together to share knowledge, foster innovation, and tackle the evolving challenges municipalities face worldwide.
We had two successful board meetings in Birmingham and San Diego, with many of our members travelling around the globe. The IFME’s world congress in San Diego was a great success and APWA's best-visited conference ever, if I remember correctly.
Furthermore, several IFME webinars (in collaboration with IFME member organisations) were organised, we have an IFME communication plan and the IFME awards are moving forward. Study tours were organised and IFME members visited each other and shared knowledge and experience.
Also, our community on ifmeworld.org had increased visits, and we met new prospective members and made new connections.
In 2024, IPWEA congresses in Melbourne and the IFME World Congress in Utrecht lie ahead, offering more possibilities to meet and exchange knowledge. The strength of our IFME family lies in the collective wisdom of our members.
Although it has been a good year for IFME, it has not always been a good year personally for some of our members. There were personal losses, health issues, and countries that have been or are under attack. Our thoughts are with you, and we wish you strength and resilience during these challenging times.
In conclusion, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to each and every member who has contributed to IFME's success in 2023. Your dedication and passion are the driving forces behind our accomplishments, and we look forward to another year of connecting people and sharing knowledge.
We wish you and your families a healthy and safe 2024, and we hope your organisations will continue to advance municipal engineering!
Sincerely, Your President,
Sanne Hieltjes