NMSHMM Mission Statement and Chapter History
Mission Statement
The mission of the New Mexico Society of Hazardous
Materials Managers (NMSHMM) is to provide environmental professionals in the
Southwest a forum for professional development, education, and networking
opportunities; and to offer our community environmental, health, and safety
expertise.
Chapter History - A Marriage of Two
Organizations
The New Mexico Society of Hazardous Materials
Managers (NMSHMM) has an interesting history. NMSHMM was formed
in 1998 as the marriage of two parent organizations, the former
New Mexico Hazardous Waste Management Society (NMHWMS) and the
Roadrunner Chapter of the Academy of Certified Hazardous
Materials Managers (ACHMM).
The New Mexico Hazardous Waste
Management Society
The NMHWMS was formed in Albuquerque in 1984 as a
professional organization of persons involved in the hazardous
waste management field. This organizations served as a forum for
interaction among professionals of widely varying endeavors and
perspectives. Membership included members of academia, employees
of our National Laboratories, public employees, and private
consultants. Over the years, the NMHWMS established itself as the
premier professional organization in the state, at one time
claiming over 200 members.
The Roadrunner Chapter of the ACHMM
The Roadrunner Chapter of the Academy of
Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM, see National
Links) was formed in 1997 as the New Mexico Chapter of a
nationally recognized professional organization of certified hazardous materials
managers. The
founders of the Roadrunner Chapter recognized that the goals of
the NMHWMS and the Roadrunner Chapter were similar, and
approached the NMHWMS in 1997 with the idea of forming an
alliance of the two organizations. The NMHWMS accepted the
Roadrunner Chapter as a committee, charging it with
developing additional opportunities for the membership, including
the nationally recognized CHMM certification.
The New Mexico Society of Hazardous
Materials Managers
With similar missions, members recognized the
benefits of the affiliation and also the complications resulting from the two
organizations attempting to coexist with each other. Consequently, the NMHWMS and the Roadrunner
Chapter merged in 1998 to form NMSHMM. The merger, which included a
rewrite of the Roadrunner Chapter’s bylaws, was effected with a
majority vote of the membership. One of the major goals of the new bylaws was to maintain
a membership arrangement that continued to encourage
participation and professional growth of CHMM and non-CHMM
members. The national organization requires each chapter to have
CHMMs as officers. NMSHMM bylaws incorporate this
provision by recognizing two types of membership: "Certified" and
"Affiliate." The only difference between the types is that as
Certified members, CHMMs may hold elective offices. Affiliate members (non-CHMMs) still enjoy all the
benefits of membership, including the opportunity to serve as
Committee Chairs and At-Large Directors, but may not serve as President,
President-Elect, Secretary or Treasurer until the CHMM
certification is obtained.
More Than the Sum of Its Parts
The NMHWMS was a large, well-respected statewide
organization with a proud history. The Roadrunner Chapter of
ACHMM was a new chapter of a highly regarded national
organization with energetic leadership and the support of a large national
network of certified environmental professionals. The end product of the marriage, NMSHMM, is the
premier organization of environmental professionals in the state,
with the backing and support of a national accrediting
organization (the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management [IHMM]), a
national CHMM membership organization (ACHMM) and a reinvigorated membership.
NMSHMM is positioned to lead the development of the
environmental professional in New Mexico well into the future.