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2009 ACEC/CO Annual Golf Tournament Round Up

The 2009 ACEC/CO annual member/guest golf tournament was held on August 10th at the Hiwan Golf Course in Lakewood. The tournament benefits the ACEC/CO Scholarship Fund and raised over $8,000 toward the fund. The success of this event is attributed to all the sponsors, volunteers and golfers. URS Corporation team took first place in the tournament.. Read More..

This n' That: In the News

Do You Have a Voice in Congress? And at the State Level?
The good news is that ACEC members have a way to make sure their voice is heard on Capitol Hill:  the ACEC Political Action Committee.  ACEC/PAC is the primary weapon in our industry's political arsenal to help elect candidates to office who support pro-business, pro-engineering positions. Read More..

ACEC/CO Visits Western Slope Members
As a state organization, it is important that we learn about the issues facing our member firms in outlying areas.  Last week, ACEC/CO President Rob Refvem, VP Bill Hoffmann and Executive Director Marilen Reimer met with members in Vail and Glenwood Springs. Read More & View Photos..

ACEC National Committees and Coalitions Come to Colorado

This month ACEC National held its Environment and Energy Committee meeting, as well as steering committees for the ACEC two coalitions - Council of Professional Surveyors (COPS) and new Land Development Coalition (LDC) in Denver.  

Besides excellent education programs, the committee attendees found time for fun with a tour of Merrick’s Ethanol Plant at Coors Brewing Company (pictured left) and dinner at The Fort in Morrison.
Read More..

Call for Nominations for New Faces in Engineering Award
Submit your nominations now for the New Faces in Engineering program. This award recognizes our young engineers for their outstanding work and the impact their work has on society. Read More..

Bi-Annual QBS Newsletter Now Available

Headlines Include:

• House Approves $13.8 Billion ACEC-Backed
  Water Infrastructure Bill, Expands QBS
• City of Fountain Utilities Department Receives
  QBS Colorado 2009 Award
• QBS Colorado Delivers Message to Graduating Engineers
  .. and much more..Click here to view

Membership Notices and Engineers in the News

See our Membership Notices section for new and prospective members and other membership changes, and our Engineers in the News to hear the latest from our member firms.

News from National

EPA Eases Stimulus 'Buy American' Rule
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted a nationwide waiver that dilutes somewhat the “Buy American” requirements for water projects, as originally set down in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), or economic stimulus program. Read More..

ACEC President's Report
News from ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf.  Read More..

ACEC Introduces New Publication
ACEC's newest resource is a special report examining health care coverage from the past, the present, and the future. Health Insurance Coverage for Engineering and A/E/C Firms provides an in-depth look at the challenges A/E/C firms face in providing affordable, accessible, and flexible health care insurance programs. This publication is now available in printed format or as a downloadable PDF.

ACEC/CO Events and Professional Development

Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.

• Wake-Up Call Breakfast Series
  Wednesday, September 2, 7:30 a.m. at Sunrise Sunset Restaurant. RTD Interim General Manager Phil Washington (pictured right) will be presenting. Read More..

• September General Meeting
  Tuesday, September 22, 11:30 a.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton Southeast. President and CEO of the Western Business Roundtable will be speaking. Read More..
  

• Fourth Annual Regional Conference
  The annual regional conference for ACEC Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah will be held on November 12-14 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs.Read More..

Marketing and Business Development

Call for project articles for the 2010 Engineering Colorado Magazine
Don't miss out on this excellent and free marketing opportunity to promote your company through ACEC/CO's award winning annual magazine! Firms are invited to submit a summary of a current Colorado project for publication. Read More..

More Submission Opportunities for 2010 Magazine
ACEC/CO would like to feature brief stories in the 2010 edition of Engineering Colorado that share how current members, retired members and member firms are using their engineering skills to give back to the community. Projects or activities can be local, national or global.
Read More..

Competing for Federal Grants Training
You are invited to participate in this one-of-a-kind workshop August 31-September 4, 2009 at the Fire Operations Center, 375 Printers Parkway, in Colorado Springs. This training will equip you with the skills you need to develop proposals that will be competitive at the national level.
Read More..

Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events

• Volunteer Needed to Help at 2009 Fall Career Fairs
  Take this opportunity to reach out to young people about careers in engineering while also sharing information about your own firm. Volunteers are needed at the ACEC/CO booth for the Fall Career Fairs. Read More..
  
  
• Colorado Construction Days: Need Volunteers
  The 2009 Colorado Construction Career Days event is on October 6 & 7, 2009. Volunteers and financial sponsors are needed to provide activities, equipment, and meet our expected costs to host this unique, fun, and hands-on exploration of careers in the construction industry.Read More..
  
  
• Construction Career Days Magazine
  McGraw-Hill is producing the official publication for Colorado Construction Career Days
  (CCD) 2009. Reserve your ad in the magazine now. Deadline is August 31. Read More..
  
  
• Save the Date: QBS Breakfast Forum
  Tuesday, October 20, at the PPA Event Center. This forum will help you qualify for ARRA funding. Read More..
  
  
• VA Hospital Small Business Outreach
  You are invited to an open house to discuss business opportunities for the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System Replacement Hospital on Wednesday, August 26. Read More..
  
  
• FMI/AMI Executive Workshop
  AMI and FMI invite you to attend "Many Skylines: Future of the A/E/C Industry" workshop on October 29, 2009 at the Embassy Suites, Chicago, O'Hare Airport. Read More..
  
  
• Wall Certificates Now Available
  The Division of Registration has outsourced wall certificates to Wall Certificate Service (WCS), a division of Professional Credential Services, Inc., (PCS). New licensees will be notified on their wallet card license and will be directed to our new web page. Licensees will be able to order and pay the fee online. The fee for U.S. residents is $25 and for international residents there is an additional international shipping fee.
  

2009 ACEC/CO Golf Tournament Round Up

Thank you to all who attended and volunteered at the 2009 ACEC/CO Member-Guest Golf Tournament on August 10. The annual tournament raised over $8,000 for the ACEC/CO Scholarship Fund. This year’s tournament was held at Hiwan Golf Club (pictured left) and was a great day of fun and networking for a good cause.

This year $32,500 was awarded to students through the scholarship program, with an additional $1,000 going to high school students through Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA). This was the largest amount awarded in ACEC/CO history!

Congratulations to the URS Corporation team for winning first place and to David Evans and Associates team for winning second place in the tournament.

Thank you to our 2009 Tournament Sponsors:
Lunch Sponsor: Van Gilder Insurance Corporation
Beverage Cart Sponsor: Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig
Beverage Cart Sponsor: Summit Engineering Group, Inc.
Golf Bag Sponsor: The RMH Group, Inc.
Hole-in-One Sponsor: AECOM
Brochure Sponsor: URS
Sign Sponsor: Ken’s Reproductions
Tees: Xerox

Thank you to our 2009 Hole Sponsors:
Bohannan-Huston
David Evans and Associates, Inc.
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Jackson Kelly PLLC
Kleinfelder
Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc.
Martin/Martin, Inc.
Quicksilver Express Courier
SouthWest Traffic Engineering
TST Infrastructure, LLC
United Reprographics
Vessel Consultants
Volt Technical Services

Do You Have a Voice in Congress?

Congress is now debating several measures that will dramatically affect the profitability of engineering firms: transportation funding to state DOTs, funding for infrastructure projects (including water and aviation), changes to the federal tax code, and of course, health care reform.  Each of these federal issues has far-reaching consequences for us here in Colorado, as well as the entire industry.

That’s the bad news.  The good news is that ACEC members have a way to make sure their voice is heard on Capitol Hill:  the ACEC Political Action Committee.  ACEC/PAC is the primary weapon in our industry's political arsenal to help elect candidates to office who support pro-business, pro-engineering positions.  ACEC/PAC is bipartisan and operates out in the open in full compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act and applicable state laws.
 
ACEC certainly is interested in your support of this critical political program, but federal law first requires ACEC/PAC to seek your approval before soliciting you on behalf of ACEC/PAC.  To see if your firm has given approval for the current year, Click Here .   If it has, you can then go to the ACEC/PAC online contribution center: http://www.acec.org/pacmembers/av_login.cfm

Supporting political programs like ACEC/PAC is the best thing we can do to make sure engineering firms have a voice at the table when key decisions are made affecting our future.  If you have questions about ACEC/PAC, please contact Colorado's PAC Champions Rob Refvem at rob.refvem@fhueng.com or Marilen Reimer at mar@acec-co.org.

You Have a Voice in the State Legislature too!

Besides watching what’s going on at the federal level, we must keep up with the legislation that comes out of the state house.  And it’s much easier to be involved at the state level.  Here are some ways to do this:

1. Get to know your legislators.  If you don’t know your legislators, please go to the Vote Smart web site at http://www.votesmart.org/.  
2. Contact your state senator and representative and introduce yourself as a constituent who is an engineer and business owner.  Right now creating jobs is a big issue so they are listening to people like you! Tell you legislator that you are very interested in legislation that impacts your business and are willing to be a resource on business issues that come across his desk.
3. Plan to attend one of our upcoming legislative breakfasts or lunches.  We have scheduled informal meetings with legislators throughout the state to talk about our issues.

Since the 2010 session will start soon, it is important that we take this time to talk with our legislators.  Please join us in this effort!

 2009 Legislative Breakfast and Lunch Schedule:

ACEC/CO Visits Western Slope Members

As a state organization, it is important that we hear about the issues facing our member firms in outlying areas.  Last week, ACEC/CO President Rob Refvem, VP Bill Hoffmann and Executive Director Marilen Reimer met with members in Vail and Glenwood Springs. On September 24th, we’ll be meeting in Grand Junction.  Quarterly meetings are held in Colorado Springs at CH2M Hill’s office (next meeting is Oct. 14th) and in Ft. Collins at CTL/Thompson’s office (next meeting is Sept. 16th).

ACEC National Committees and Coalitions Visit Colorado

Denver has been a popular destination for ACEC National to hold their environment and energy committee meeting and the steering committees meetings for ACEC two coalitions - Council of Professional Surveyors (COPS) and new Land Development Coalition(LDC).   

Besides reviewing key federal legislation, the Environment and Energy Committee had several agencies give presentations on topics such as water/water supply, renewable energy and related technologies, Section 404 wetlands permit issues, and emerging markets. Kudos go to ACEC/CO members Lauren Evans, Dave Stewart, Ralph Christie and Bill Wallace who were instrumental in putting together an excellent program. Besides the business portion of the meeting, the committee attendees found time for fun with a tour of Merrick’s Ethanol Plant at Coors Brewing Company and dinner at The Fort in Morrison. 

The newly formed Land Development Coalition met to discuss further programs and products that are important to our land development firms.  ACEC/CO is interested in knowing if Colorado members would like to form a similar committee at the state level.  Please contact Marilen Reimer, mar@acec-co.org or 303-832-2200, if interested in forming a state committee.

The Steering Committee for the Council of Professional Surveyors (COPS) discussed the upcoming educational program they are hosting at the ACEC fall conference in Palm Springs on Oct. 7-10.  As with many ACEC coalitions, COPS has developed many terrific products to help firms that do surveying and can be found at http://www.acec.org/coalitions/COPS/index.cfm.

If you are interested in joining any of these ACEC coalitions or committees, please contact Marilen Reimer, mar@acec-co.org or 303-832-2200 for more information.

Call for Nominations for the New Faces of Engineering Awards

Deadline: September 25, 2009
Submit your nominations now for the New Faces in Engineering program. This award recognizes our young engineers for their outstanding work and the impact their work has on society. The award enhances and improves the image of engineering – and it’s a great way to recognize your firm’s young engineers.

ACEC/CO will submit the top awardees to ACEC for consideration for their national Young Professional of the Year Award and the Engineers Week New Faces of Engineering Award. Winners of the New Faces in Engineering Award will be profiled on the Engineers Week web site and in USA Today and other publications.

Nominees must be 30 years of younger as of December 31, 2009, and must have a degree from a recognized U.S. college or university, or from an equivalent international educational institution. Nominees must be employees of ACEC/CO member firms.

 Download the nomination form at www.acec-co.org, click on “Call for Nominations” under “What’s New.” Fax the form to ACEC/CO at (303) 832-0400. For questions, contact Jennifer Shaw at jennifer@acec-co.org or 303-832-2200.

News From National

President's Report

General

• The ACEC Executive Committee underscored the importance of ACEC taking an industry leadership position on the issue of sustainability; a task force was appointed to develop recommendations; and the Board will discuss the issue at the upcoming meeting in Palm Springs. 
   
• Approved Minuteman Fund grants for ACEC/Hawaii to enact tort reform legislation to protect designers on highway project; and ACEC/Indiana for defense of the economic loss doctrine. ACEC/Hawaii achieved an early victory as reported in Last Word, July 23.  

Government Affairs

• Helped to secure House and Senate passage of a $7 billion transfer from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund to prevent looming cuts to state transportation programs.

• Initiated member grassroots effort to encourage Congress to make passage of a six-year transportation bill as a top priority this year.

• ACEC President Dave Raymond appeared in the editorial section of the Washington Post opposing the Administration’s decision to delay action on a new surface transportation program.

• Outlined ACEC’s concerns with the current draft of the AASHTO Audit Guide in a letter to AASHTO’s Executive Director John Horsley and FHWA’s Chief Financial Officer Elissa Konove.

• Successfully overturned an Air Force bridge inspection solicitation that failed to comply with QBS.

• Supported  ACEC/Nebraska’s request to FHWA for a two-year evaluation period of a potential change in state conflict-of-interest policy, which would have prohibited firms from performing both design and construction inspection on the same project.

• Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced the Qualified Personal Service Corporations Clarification Act of 2009 (HR 3255), to preserve the ability of engineering firms to use the cash method of accounting.

• ACEC International Committee meeting at ACEC headquarters featured a presentation by the U.S. Executive Director’s office at the World Bank on how U.S. engineering firms can identify and win international opportunities in their earliest stages.

• ACEC Federal Agencies and Procurement Advocacy Committee hosted representatives from the Department of Homeland Security to discuss plans and programs for design firms.

Institute for Business Management

• IBM’s designation program (MgtEng, ExecEng, and MgtPro) will be launched this summer to provide recognition for member achievement in continuing education, and will dovetail with implementation of the on-line records-keeping capability of NCEES-ACEC Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP).

• The 2009 Professional Liability Insurance Survey of member firms, published in Engineering Inc, July-August, showed that frivolous lawsuits had increased substantially.

• Provided members with e-links to federal agency websites that track economic stimulus money for engineering and construction projects.

• Released Health Insurance Coverage for Engineering and A/E/C firms – Challenges and Strategies, an analysis of healthcare and health insurance options for firms – as the first in a series of business issues reports; available through the ACEC Bookstore to members for $29 as a download or $49 in printed format.

Engineers in the News

URS Corporation recently held a silent auction through its Employee Volunteer Program, raising more than $4,200.00 for charity.  Both the URS Division and the Washington Division of the firm participated. Westcore Properties followed suit by donating an additional $5,000.000 to be allocated equally among the five recipient organizations.The organizations that received the proceeds from the fundraising event include the Alzheimer’s Association, Brent’s Place, the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Children’s Hospital. 

Jamie Eichenberger with Richard P. Associates has obtained his professional engineering license from the state of Colorado. Jamie has over four years of experience in water treatment and distribution systems and collection system design. He received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and a Masters of Science in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Aqua Engineering, Inc. would like to announce that Richard (Rick) Aust, P.E., Partner and Vice President will be retiring from the company this summer. He is going on to pursue his other water passion: boating.

In Memory of Bill Clevenger

We are saddened to hear of ACEC/CO Past President Bill Clevenger passing on July 9, 2009 in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. He was 90 years old. Bill was born on September 12, 1919 in Wheatland Wyoming. He was raised in Sunrise, Wyoming where he attended grade school and High School. He attended the University of Wyoming where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1943.  Bill then served three years as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers.He was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant and married his life-long partner, Jan Tucker of Spokane, Washington. The next ten years, he worked as a soils engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado.

In 1973, Bill became Chairman of the Board of Woodward-Clyde Consultants.He served as President of ACEC/CO in 1966 and ACEC National President in 1977. He co-authored a book, Earth and Earth-Rock Dams, published in 1963 by John Wiley and Sons.  The book is still popular and continues as a text book in college courses.

A Celebration of Life gathering was conducted on August 8 at the family cabin on Priest Lake, Idaho.  Donations in his name may be made to the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071. Our deepest condolences go out to Bill's family and friends.

Marketing and Business Development

ACEC/CO's Engineering Colorado 2010 Call for Articles

Don't miss out on being a part of ACEC/CO's 2010 edition of Engineering Colorado, the council's annual award winning magazine. The 2010 edition will again feature member firm projects. Firms are invited to submit any current Colorado projects on the board and/or under construction for the feature.To participate, submit a 250-word summary of the project and indicate if pictures will be provided to Robyn at robyn@acec-co.org by August 31. All projects submitted by the deadline will be included as either full-page features or sidebars, including photographs.This is a free marketing opportunity to expose your firm visually through this widely-circulated industry magazine.

2010 Magazine Submission Opportunity

Philanthropy: How Engineers are Making an Impact - ACEC/CO would like to feature brief stories in the 2010 edition of Engineering Colorado that share how current members, retired members and member firms are using their engineering skills to give back to the community. Projects or activities can be local, national or global.

Criteria:
Word count: 250 – 300 words
Photo:  Send one photo, size 4X6, 300 dpi jpeg that shows the project or activity

Submissions should include:

• Description of the project or activity
• Passion behind the purpose (why the project or activity was selected by the individual or the firm)
• Outcome of support
• Name of person and/or firm, phone number, email contact and professional registrations and affiliations

Submit to:  Robyn at robyn@acec-co.org by Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 for consideration to be included in the magazine.

Competing For Federal Grants Training

You are invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind workshop, Competing for Federal Grants, coming to Colorado Springs August 21-September 4, 2009. This program will equip you with the skills you need to develop proposals that will be competitive at a national level. During the training you will develop a work plan for proposal development, write key proposal sections, review proposals drafted by peers, and have your own work reviewed by others. Upon completion of the workshop, graduates receive a full year of free follow-up services through the alumni Membership Program. This includes professional proposal review and access to comprehensive online databases of foundation, corporate and government funding sources.

Enrollment is limited to 25 participants, so enroll early! To register call the Grantsmanship Center at 800-421-9512 or at 213-482-9860, or you may enroll online by clicking here.

Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events

Volunteers Needed for Spring Career Fairs

ACEC/CO needs volunteers to work the ACEC/CO booth for the 2009 Fall Career Fairs. Take this opportunity to reach out to young people about careers in engineering while also sharing information about your own firm. There are a number of spots that need to be filled so please review the schedule and sign up sheet or contact Kim at kimbrezall@acec-co.org to volunteer. We thank you for your support and for keeping the future of engineering in mind!

Colorado Construction Days: Need Volunteers

The 2009 Construction Career Days Committee and the construction industry are preparing to host 1600 students from schools all over the state at the 2009 Colorado Construction Career Days event on October 6 & 7, 2009 at Adams County Fairgrounds. Volunteers and financial sponsors are needed to provide activities, equipment, and meet our expected costs to host this unique, fun, and hands-on exploration of careers in the construction industry.

Be a Champion of Construction Career Days by supporting the event at any level that works for you. No amount is too large or too small. Those who provide their logo and web site link will see them displayed on the web site.

You can also help by providing a hands-on activity, volunteering your time, or encouraging others at your organization to get involved. For more information view volunteer form here, or contact the Event Coordinator at cccdcoordinator@agccolorado.org, or visit our web site at www.coloradoconstructioncareerdays.com. If you are interested in providing a hands-on activity please contact Kim at kimbrezall@acec-co.org.

Construction Career Days Magazine: Reserve Your Ad Space Now

Looking to grow your business or organization? McGraw-Hill is producing the official publication for Colorado Construction Career Day (CCD) 2009. Magazine distribution will include high school counselors across the state, the entire readership of Colorado Construction magazine and the approximate 2000 high school aged attendees of this year’s event. Additional distribution will go to area associations and job fairs.If you are involved in education,training or hiring talent, contact McGraw-Hill to plan your advertisement today. Click here to view flier and and contact information.

Save the Date: QBS Breakfast Forum

The ARRA-QBS breakfast forum is Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. at the PPA Event Center, 2105 Decatur St., Denver. This Forum will help you qualify for ARRA funding. Federally funded projects must follow the Qualifications Based Selection process and this forum will help you to understand and facilitate the QBS guidelines. For more information or to register contact Sue Bertram at sue@bertramlaw.net. To learn more about Qualifications Based Selection visit our web site www.acec-co/qbs. This forum is offered free of charge and is sponsored by QBS Colorado. Please RSVP by October 16th.

VA Hospital Small Business Outreach

If you own a commercial construction related business, you are invited to attend an open house to discuss business opportunities for the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System Replacement Hospital in Aurora, CO. This event will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Police Protective Association (PPA) Event Center, 2105 Decatur St., Denver. Refreshments will be served. RSVP by August 22 online at www.ghphipps.com/event/openhouse/.asp or by phone at 303-389-3880.

FMI/AMI Executive Workshop for the A/E/C Industry

AMI and FMI Present "Many Skylines: Future of the A/E/C Industry." You are invited to attend this workshop on October 29, 2009 at the Embassy Suites, Chicago, O'Hare Airport to explore the future of the A/E/C Industry and help prepare your firm to leverage its uncertainties. Discussions and presentations will be anchored by the renowned futurist and author, Watts Wacker, who will present Once Upon the 21st Century. This is a one-day event limited to 75 participants. It is designed for firm leaders who seek to prepare for success in the coming decade of the 21st Century. Click here for more details and registration information.

800 Grant St Suite 100

Denver CO 80203

303-832-2200; Fax 303-832-0400

www.acec-co.org

acec@acec-co.org