What’s in a name? Expanding the community of chemical technical professionals

Seven years ago, I joined a national American Chemical Society committee for the first time. For years, I applied to serve on a national committee that had a competitive roster of applicants, but I had limited visibility into the committee’s needs and charge. I could not seem to secure a spot. At the time, I didn’t have a broad network. I sought guidance from individuals with more national-level experience. After I talked with some excellent ACS mentors, they recommended a different committee that was better aligned with my interests and was seeking my skillset. Leveraging their advice, I applied the following year and successfully joined the recommended committee. That committee, which was called the Committee on Technician Affairs (CTA) at the time, quickly became a passion for me and gained my immediate loyalty. When I joined the committee, I learned that the committee’s name represented only a small portion of