Rebranding to Build a Strong Future

Rebranding to Build a Strong Future

The Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers (MnSPE) is becoming Engineering Alliance Minnesota to better serve its members and Minnesota’s broader engineering community.

“Most people don’t automatically join their industry’s professional organization anymore,” explained MnSPE executive director Mary Detloff. “Today you have to demonstrate your value not just in your products and services, but also in how you communicate and in the opportunities you provide your members to engage with your association and with one another.” Formed in 1939, MnSPE currently represents approximately 900 engineer members around Minnesota. Members come from all disciplines of engineering (such as civil, chemical, and electrical) and all areas of practice (such as private, education, and industry). MnSPE’s traditional niche in this vast marketplace has been focused on engineers who have obtained a professional engineering (PE) license or who aspire to be licensed. That means their members have a degree in engineering and have passed an exam that elevates them to the next level.

In order to better serve such a diverse membership and identify the best path on which to build a solid future, MnSPE conducted an in-depth study of its members and other relevant demographic groups in the industry to identify what members value the most, where barriers to engagement exist and where opportunities to grow are most achievable.

“It’s the perfect way to kick off the next decade of our association’s history: reinventing ourselves to serve the changing needs of our members.”

“We wanted to figure out what makes our association indispensable to our members,” Detloff said. “The study challenged us to look at our gaps and opportunities, and that led in part to a rebranding initiative.” Beginning this month, MnSPE will become Engineering Alliance Minnesota, with a new name that invokes partnership and collaboration and is more inclusive and welcoming to the entire engineering community. Rebranding revealed how MnSPE can successfully build a strong future and move forward in a new and exciting way, while remaining true to and reaffirming their commitment to their legacy of the last 80 years.

The rebranding initiative clarified three core areas of focus for the future, with each one centered on a portion of the association’s value proposition. The first focuses on the promotion and protection of the PE license that has been at the center of the organization’s identity for decades. The PE licensing process occurs at the state level and helps protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The second core focus area is providing accessible, relevant and affordable continuing education, an area in which MnSPE has been an industry leader for over a decade.

“Once our members pay dues, most of our continuing education is free to them as a benefit of membership. Apparently this is known as the ‘Netflix membership model.’ We’ve been doing this for over a decade, but it was only in the last year that I heard it referred to it as the Netflix model. Who knew we were quite so cutting-edge?” Detloff said with a laugh. Most of MnSPE’s CE programs are available via webinar as well as in-person. They are also recorded and available online for members to access on demand. This accessibility adds value and increases the association’s relevance, especially with licensed Professional Engineers who are required to obtain 24 hours of CE credits every two years.

The third core focus area is the least established: workforce development. Focusing especially on students, younger professionals, women, and minorities, the association has been working to attract a more diverse membership and giving them the tools and support they need to succeed and stay in the profession. Programs like Minnesota MATHCOUNTS, scholarships through MnSPE’s foundation, and strategic partnerships with STEM-related organizations will help support everyone in the industry. “Our members tell us all the time they can’t find enough people to fill open jobs,” Detloff explained. “Our workforce development focus will help create a stronger and more connected engineering community, especially with younger engineers or those still considering their career options, while still supporting our more traditional membership.”

“It’s exciting because we’re still going to be who we’ve always been, but we’ll also do new things – and it will all be offered in a fresh way that creates a stronger community, offers new opportunities for engagement and improves the value of membership in MnSPE,” Detloff said. “It’s the perfect way to kick off the next decade of our association’s history: reinventing ourselves to serve the changing needs of our members.”