A year-long effort by the EERI Board of Directors and Staff, and facilitated by EERI Member Lucy Arendt, has culminated in the new 2026-2028 EERI Strategic Plan for the Institute.
The new plan focuses on three interconnected goals that are designed to sustain the Institute’s vitality and expand its impact. This plan will build long-term value for our members, strengthen the Institute’s financial base, and amplify our role as the global leader in earthquake resilience.
- Engaged Membership – Enrich engagement, retention, and value for members at every career stage.
- Sustainable Resources – Ensure long-term financial strength and sustainability.
- Expanded Visibility – Amplify EERI’s presence and influence within and beyond the earthquake resilience community.
Each of these goals have specific objectives and outcomes that can be viewed in the plan, but I’d like to focus your attention on the “Engaged Membership” goal. It focuses on enhancing member engagement, professional growth, and retention through meaningful experiences, leadership development, and peer-to-peer connections. We are reimagining our events, meetings, and programs to emphasize relevance, inclusivity, and innovation. We plan to improve our pathways for leadership through the new Housner Leadership Certificate, chapter roles, and mentorship programs. In particular, here are a few actions we are beginning to work on:
- Redesign the Annual Meeting to include an open-call for technical abstracts, interactive workshops, technical showcases, and more. Later this year, we will be seeking individuals to join our 2027 Annual Meeting Organizing Committee to help with the design of these activities. Reminder, the 2027 Annual Meeting will be in Bellevue, WA from June 14-18, 2027!
- Launch and grow a new Housner Leadership Certificate for mid-career professionals, delivering the first program starting in 2026. Read more and apply today!
- Explore a new Learning For Earthquakes initiative, aligned with our Learning From Earthquakes (LFE) program, to integrate lessons across multiple hazards and develop new LFE Subcommittees to connect cross-disciplinary members.
This work will strengthen the EERI membership base, grow participation across chapters and disciplines, and build a clearer value proposition for every career stage. I hope you like these ideas as much as I do!
Please keep an eye out in our newsletter and emails to learn more about these engagement opportunities and the many other components that will be rolling out in the coming months as we kick start our work on this new plan.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the plan and your ideas for keeping EERI vibrant – there will be opportunities to provide feedback during our virtual 2026 Annual Business Meeting this spring or in-person at the 13NCEE in Portland in July! Don’t forget that the 13NCEE early bird registration deadline is quickly approaching on Feb 28.
Ellen Rathje, EERI President
