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By Katerina Koperna
Jan 06, 2026
Throughout 2025, ASTM International proudly celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Emerging Professionals (EP) Program—an initiative that began as a small pilot and has since grown into one of the organization’s most influential member-development programs. This milestone year provided the perfect opportunity to bring past and present EPs together alongside staff, leadership, and committee representatives at committee meetings throughout the year. Each celebration served as both a reunion and a reminder: invest in people early in their ASTM journey and the entire organization thrives.
The shared goals of the program have always been clear. Committees strengthen their leadership pipeline with motivated, well-trained members. Employers benefit when their rising talent gains an understanding of the ASTM consensus process and leaves the program equipped with personal and professional development tools that set them apart in the marketplace. And, of course, ASTM as a whole benefits from members who become engaged participants earlier and more confidently.
Yet none of this was guaranteed when the EP Program first took shape.
The program’s origin story is one many longtime members remember fondly. On Tuesday, June 16, 2015, during June Committee Week in Anaheim, CA, the very first cohort—just five emerging professionals—gathered for what was then merely a “test workshop.” The energy was high, the idea was promising, and the feedback was positive. To validate broader interest, another pilot workshop with five more EPs followed in November 2016.
That small-scale experiment quickly proved its value. The EP Program was moved under staff-management support, allowing it to grow beyond a concept into a sustainable, carefully designed initiative. With the right infrastructure behind it, the program could now expand, innovate, and respond to the evolving needs of members and committees.
Looking back, it’s remarkable to see how far the program has evolved from those early test sessions. Over the past decade, the EP Program has transformed from a simple workshop idea into a pillar of ASTM’s member-engagement strategy. Through added program components, new workshop formats, refreshed curricula, and continued flexibility, the EP experience has taken on a life of its own. Today, it stands as a celebrated success story across ASTM leadership and the international membership.
Fast forward to today, and the landscape looks different from that first meeting room in Anaheim. The EP Program now hosts five workshops annually—including one international cohort—and welcomes nearly 150 EPs each year. But even as the numbers scale, the program is always about people, not volume.
Every EP who participates receives a tailored, meaningful experience. They dive into the ASTM process with hands-on training, learn about their own leadership styles, connect with staff from across the organization, and meet members of our leadership team. In between the learning and the committee work, they build friendships and find a peer group that often becomes their long-term support network within ASTM.
Behind the scenes, the program’s impact is measurable. From the earliest pilot to today, every EP has been carefully tracked to help us understand long-term engagement. We can see which participants register work items, take on leadership roles, earn committee awards, or move into broader organizational involvement. The data has painted a clear picture: the EP Program identifies future leaders early and gives them the tools—and the confidence—to make meaningful contributions sooner.
If the first 10 years of the EP Program were defined by building and scaling, the next 10 will be defined by sharpening our vision for the next generation of members.
ASTM has always recognized that members are its heartbeat. Their expertise, passion, and volunteer spirit keep standards development moving forward. That’s why ASTM remains committed not only to training the next wave of technical experts, but also to nurturing a community they feel proud to join and excited to contribute to.
Looking ahead, the opportunities are vast. The program is exploring ways to continue expanding, to strengthen global participation, to enhance professional-development components, and to integrate the program even more seamlessly with committee needs. Alongside the EP Program, other NextGen initiatives are poised to grow in tandem, creating a powerful ecosystem that supports emerging leaders from their first committee meeting through their full ASTM career.
As we celebrate a decade of accomplishments, we also celebrate the thousands of volunteer hours, mentorship moments, and collaborative successes that made this program possible. The EP Program has always been about the future, and that future looks brighter than ever.
Together—members, staff, leadership, and the next generation—will continue shaping the standards community for decades to come. ●
Katerina Koperna is staff manager of the committee on amusement rides and devices (F24) and manages ASTM’s EP Program.
January / February 2026
