Professional and Career Topics

On several occasions, I've reached out to another ASCE member (often a listed committee chair or co-chair) asking for information about their committee's work, as part of my own committee work. Does the contacted member have an accountability to send a response? At a minimum, this feels like basic respectfulness. What do others think, and what can be done when one is essentially ghosted?

------------------------------
Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
------------------------------

It seems to be a widespread problem. I've tried contacting the ASCE staff member related to the committee as well, but there is only so much they can do if the chair/co-chair isn't interested in or available to interact with you. Chances are if the chair isn't responding they're not doing much anyway.

I just wish they posted meeting minutes on the committee page so I could tell if I'm really even interested in the committee. 

------------------------------
Nathaniel Martin P.E., M.ASCE
Senior Structural Dam Safety Engineer
AECOM
Tampa FL
------------------------------

Hello Mitch.

It is very frustrating if one's professional contact attempts are not responded to in adequate time. 

Having served as a committee chair for the local ASCE Chapter, I often found that emails from "new" addresses often ended in the "spam" folder even though the email was addressed to the unique email address provided by the ASCE chapter. I ended up checking my spam folder daily before deleting. The committee chair you are trying to reach could be having the same issue. I also know from experience that the "public" email address provided by the local ASCE branch is often targeted with legitimate spam. I would suggest sending emails while copying the VP of that committee and/or the local branch president if you feel you are being ghosted.

------------------------------
Anwar Akhtar P.E., F.ASCE
Chief Engineer - Geotechnics
Fugro USA Land, Inc.
Houston TX
------------------------------

Thanks, Nathanial and Anwar, for validating that this is an issue.  It would be nice to hear from a member of the ASCE leadership team regarding ASCE's policy, culture, or expectations for responding to emails from others.

------------------------------
Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
------------------------------

While we are waiting on others to reply, the 2021 thread on how to handle emails has some very useful ideas for those that struggle or want to improve their game. 

https://collaborate.asce.org/professionaltopics/discussion/how-to-handle-emails

This should not be hard.

------------------------------
Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
------------------------------

Hello

Thank you for raising this important point. I agree that responding to emails is a basic professional courtesy and contributes to effective collaboration within ASCE committees.

At the same time, not everyone is always able to attend online meetings or respond promptly, due to work commitments and other responsibilities. This can make timely communication challenging, even with the best intentions.

One possible approach to improve accountability could be using an online group platform, where committee correspondence happens in real time and participants' message status (read/unread) is visible. This could help ensure transparency and encourage timely responses.

Overall, I fully support the principle of answering emails, and I think exploring tools or platforms to facilitate real-time communication might be a practical solution.

Best regards,
Darya Stanskova

------------------------------
Darya Stanskova M.ASCE
Cost Estimator, Construction Engineer, Power Engineer, Project Manager
Fort Myers FL
------------------------------

I would be surprised if committee chairs are getting deluged with emails from other ASCE members. My view is that collaboration is part of the role, and if one is unwilling to collaborate, they should consider moving on or be moved on.  Collaboration is an essential leadership skill and a crucial component of a high-performing organization.  The fact that collaboration is not required of all members in leadership roles should concern everyone.

------------------------------
Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-17-2025 05:40 PM
From: Darya Stanskova
Subject: Accountability to Respond to Email from Another Member

Hello

Thank you for raising this important point. I agree that responding to emails is a basic professional courtesy and contributes to effective collaboration within ASCE committees.

At the same time, not everyone is always able to attend online meetings or respond promptly, due to work commitments and other responsibilities. This can make timely communication challenging, even with the best intentions.

One possible approach to improve accountability could be using an online group platform, where committee correspondence happens in real time and participants' message status (read/unread) is visible. This could help ensure transparency and encourage timely responses.

Overall, I fully support the principle of answering emails, and I think exploring tools or platforms to facilitate real-time communication might be a practical solution.

Best regards,
Darya Stanskova

------------------------------
Darya Stanskova M.ASCE
Cost Estimator, Construction Engineer, Power Engineer, Project Manager
Fort Myers FL
------------------------------