Dear Members:   In our recent Winter 2024 Newsletter we included Bob Forbes’ article on his Ankle Replacement Surgery that failed to include Bob’s email address and inadvertently disabled a link Bob included to a third-party resource on ankle surgery.   We thank Bob for bringing these errors to our attention. A good lesson learned. We’ll work to tighten up our quality control process. Thanks for your understanding. Here is the correct version.

CH2M HILL Alumni Association’s Newsletters are always rated highly by CHAA members. One reason is because they provide updates on what the organization is doing.  But the real reason is that they share the thoughts and activities of the CHAA members themselves. It is you who make the news!

In a team effort we scrambled to pull together the Winter 2023 Newsletter and learned a lot in the process.  That team suggested several ways to improve the planning, development, and publishing of CHAA Newsletters going forward.

First, provide a simple, easy way for CH2M HILL alums to submit news items. To that end, we are offering this “Got News?” button with guidance on how to prepare and submit your input.

Secondly, following a request in the newsletters, we are excited to announce that Bill Van Wagenen has stepped up to lead the Newsletter Team. Bill is a proven project manager and will engage our team of reporters, editors, graphic designers, and web development staff to move your story from draft to publication.

And finally, this is where you, our roaming Reporters, come in. If you have an idea for a story or news item, you can take one of two paths:

  1. Write it yourself and email the final draft (with photos) to Bill at vanwagenenjr@gmail.com and David Dunagan at d_dunagan@msn.com or …
  2. Email Bill and David your rough draft, notes, outline, or whatever else you have and attach photos. Our team will then develop the story for you.

We are especially interested in stories about:

  • Hobbies and related adventures
  • Travel, vacations, outings
  • Reunions, retreats, gatherings, events
  • New careers, personal awards, and recognitions
  • Community and educational service
  • Where the legacy of CH2M HILL lives on
  • Reflections on CH2M HILL projects, people, or events
  • Biographies and obituaries
  • Family milestones
  • Publication of books or articles
  • Suggestions for books, movies, documentaries
  • Tips for estate planning, moving, downsizing.
  • Family news of military or first responder service
  • Other topics of interest to our readers—let your imagination wander!

Some guidelines for your consideration:

  • Tell your story clearly and concisely, with as much detail as you think our readers would appreciate.
  • Describe the main events and include names of main characters, as well as the location and dates of the story.
  • Summarize unusual features, surprises, or obstacles overcome.
  • Tell us what made the story memorable.
  • Include 3 to 8 photos, with captions, that highlight the story. Typically, captions identify people and places; however, they can also be used to add humor or call attention to something interesting about the photos.
  • Insert sub-headings where there are logical breaks in the story. Examples: Getting Ready for the Trip, Hello Airport! An Unexpected Detour, The No. 1 Highlight, Returning Home. Those are just basic examples. Dream up your own original sub-headings to let the reader know what’s coming next.

As always, if you have questions or suggestions, please drop Bill a note. We look forward to many interesting articles for CHAA Newsletters.