"Collaboration: Gateway to the Future!"

The theme of the CUPA-HR National Conference and Expo 2008 is "Collaboration: Gateway to the Future!" The theme affirms what our association founders discovered when they first met in Illinois in 1946 — planning for the future while meeting the demands of an increasingly complex and challenging world requires the power of sharing ideas and working together.

Adjacent to our conference hotel is the Gateway Arch, which truly is a monument to collaboration. In designing the monument, Eero Saarinen borrowed the arch concept from the Eads Bridge located to the north and employed the orthotropic design from the steel plate girder bridge located south of the arch. Saarinen wanted the arch constructed of stainless steel and consulted Fred Severud to study its feasibility from the structural engineering point of view, demonstrating the need for the skills from more than one discipline. Finally, a project of this magnitude required the labor of many — the structural men, electricians, steamfitters, sheet metal journeymen, and others who risked life and limb in using their skills to meld all the component parts together. Although it was estimated that 13 workers might lose their lives on the project, through collaborative effort there were no fatalities. The dedication and determination of the designers, engineers and workers echo the pioneer spirit.

I hope you will join us in St. Louis, where we will collaborate often during three days of professional development and networking. Together we will share methods and best practices along with innovative ideas that you can take back to your institution.

Our three keynote speakers will inspire you; a record number of exhibitors will share their solutions to all your institutions' needs; and networking opportunities will foster the professional relationships needed to guide you and your institution into the future.

From formal educational sessions to informal collegial exchanges, the 2008 National Conference will meet your career development and networking objectives.

I look forward to seeing you in St. Louis!

Kirk Beyer
2008-09 CUPA-HR President