June / July 2023 Newsletter

​The Communicator

Outgoing President's Message
​By Hector Casillas, SR/WA
​2022-2023

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

Chapter 57 IRWA Members . . .
Things have been busy this season.  I saw some of you at our 1st picnic, I met new faces at the forum in Oakland, and I’m ready to meet some more at the education conference in Denver.

In exciting news, our Chapter is part of the 2024 Long Beach Education Conference Planning Committee.  If you’d like to volunteer in this committee or fill any of the Board's vacant positions, please see any Board member to get involved.
​
I’d like to wish you all a happy, fun, and safe summer.
​
I'll see you around,
Hector Casillas, SR/WA

Incoming President's Message
By Robbie Hechanova, R/W-RAC
2023-2024

For those I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting, I am Robbie Hechanova, your Chapter 57 President for 2023 and 2024.  I started my right-of-way career in 2010 with Overland Pacific & Cutler in the Real Property Services Department, cutting grass, then becoming an Agent, and then a Project Manager.  Currently, I work for SoCalGas supporting major projects.  Looking back, I would not change the path I took to get here as it played a big part of becoming the person I am today.  As a Relocation Agent, I took my first IRWA course in Relocation where I felt like a fish out of water.  Luckily, there were members taking this class for the credit and assured me that things would start to click.  Sure enough, they did and I continued to grow my right-of-way experience from relocation to acquisition and now pipeline work.  As I continued my journey in right-of-way, I was eventually invited to join the Board where I volunteered to become the Relocation Chair, and then voted in as Secretary for the Chapter.  Over the past few years, I've had the honor of working and serving alongside long time members and learning from the best in the industry.

​As we get back to what feels like a new normal, I look forward to seeing more of everyone at our board meetings and chapter luncheons.  Our upcoming 2023 Education Conference in Denver is one of our major events, which many of us will be attending.  For those of you who have already registered, I look forward to seeing you and for those who still have not registered, I encourage you to do so.  At the conference we hope to get ideas and pick the brains of those who coordinated the event in preparation for the 2024 Education Conference since it’ll be in our very own back yard, Long Beach.

I am excited for this upcoming term, working with the Chapter leadership, and looking forward to serving the "fun chapter" 57.

Cheers!
​Robbie