Welcome Letter – AEG President, Maddie German

AEG 2022 ANNUAL MEETING “After you, Mr. Papagiorgio!” Welcome to the 2022 AEG Annual Meeting and Viva Las Vegas! I am privileged to welcome you all to AEG’s 65th Annual Meeting! This will be AEG’s third Annual Meeting held in Nevada; we visited Reno in 2002 and Las Vegas in 2005. We have a “stacked deck” of technical talks, field courses and networking events for your enjoyment this week. Las Vegas is more than lights, shows, casinos, and quick weddings. Sin City was founded in 1905 as a stopover on the railroad line between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and has become a convention destination, home to the Stratosphere observation tower at 1,149 feet, and contains an abandoned town underneath Lake Mead. On the geologic and environmental front, Las Vegas averages less than five High Rollers Unite… inches of rain per year, is home to its own landslide complex and shear zone, and is a short “dice-roll” from “a pair” of epic destinations: the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. Our Exhibitor’s Hall has a high “chip-count” of vendors providing new technologies, products, and services as well as other organizations, colleges, and universities who work hard to “buy-in” to the applied geology field. Many of our exhibitors showed up “in spades” this year and are also sponsors helping to “bankroll” this meeting and AEG. I encourage each of you to “wager” some time with our Exhibitors and make a point to “go all-in” and meet a group of folks you haven’t met before. Our Technical Symposia are “high-rolling” with symposia on dams, landslides, geologic and seismic hazards, and tunneling to name a few. These technical presentations are a sure-fire way to earn the “payout” of continuing education for your license as well as, “raising-the-pot” with the newest technologies and case studies. The “jackpot” for these talks is “head and tails” above any slot machine, “…you know, put in a dollar, win a car. Put in another dollar, win another car....” AEG is “dealing-out” six field courses where everyone is a winner! Regardless if you are interested in the inner workings of the Hoover Dam, want more information about the groundwater recharge well field, choose to cruise Lake Mead, or marvel at Earth’s natural wonder on the Grand Canyon Skywalk, we have something for you. Step outside for “big money and no whammies” there is plenty of room to explore! I want to “double down” with gratitude for the amazing volunteers who have been working diligently to make this meeting possible. The 2022 Annual Meeting Planning Committee has met regularly and worked tirelessly to schedule technical sessions, guest tours, and special events to make this annual meeting a “big winner.” The Student and Young Professional Support Committee has arranged a “full-house” of programs to help our younger members meet other young professionals, network with more seasoned professionals, and provide travel funding and opportunities to attend. The Meetings Advisory Committee has helped promote the meeting and provided the “winning-hand” with the Reasons to Convince Your Boss to Attend the AEG Annual Meeting flyer and informational webinars for the speakers and moderators. I also want to thank all the individuals, companies, and Chapters that have “anted-up” for various aspects of the meeting or who are exhibitors. Without commitments like yours, these annual meetings would not be economically feasible and/or the quality would suffer. I also want to wish “lucky-sevens” to the many speakers, symposia organizers, field course leaders, and session moderators who have gone “double-or nothing” giving their time and without whom this meeting would not be possible. Finally, I want to thank you and all our attendees for your participation in what promises to be another outstanding Annual Meeting. There is no “game-of-chance” here, take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and share your experience with committee members, Chapter officers, Regional Directors, and members of the Executive Council. It is my pleasure to welcome you all “Into the Wild!” Cheers and “may the odds be ever in your favor.” Maddie German AEG President, 2021–2022