Letter from the President – FELI

It has been an extraordinary honor and privilege to be a part of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI), Class of 2022. FELI is a leadership program that puts training into practice. It was created to transition engineering professionals into community professionals and leaders within our societies, communities, and workplaces.

Through its initial 10-month class, FELI enhances the leadership skills of its participants and sets out a clear pathway to put these skills into practice serving our profession and our communities. Each FELI class engages in a community project as part of their program.

My class teamed up with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Feeding Florida, and MATHCOUNTS to build bunkbeds for underprivileged children and feed the hungry. We hosted four build days in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach building a total of 87 beds. Building materials and bedding was ordered through Sleep in Heavenly Peace using the money raised during fundraisers. To engage the next generation of engineers, FELI has worked alongside local MATHCOUNTS Chapters and mathletes at each build. Additional proceeds from these fundraisers have been donated to local Feeding Florida food banks.

I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in Legislative Days at the State Capital. The two-day event included legislative issue discussions, networking, and meeting with legislators. This truly has been an amazing experience and I encourage you to get involved with organizations that help you give back to the community and help empower you personally and professionally.