Vol. 9 Issue 12 December 2009 President's ReportMembership Notices Engineers In The News Programs Wake-Up Call Breakfast Series January General Meeting Future Leaders Program MarketingResources
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President's Report
To a More Prosperous 2010
As we approach the end of a tough year for most of us in the business of engineering, may all of you find the New Year to be more prosperous. Many thought that late 2009 would show signs of recovery. Now many are saying that we have hit bottom and recovery is still further out. If you listen to the shrill voices you wonder if the economy is headed further down. My optimism tells me that our economy will be flat with recovery of markets, both private and public, sometime later in 2010. Read More..
Legislative Update: Fiscal Attack Measures on the Ballot
On December 4th, the Secretary of State's office made an announcement that Initiative #10, the initiative to force over $1.7 billion in public service cuts, qualified for the November 2010 ballot. It is now officially called Proposition 101.They also announced that Initiative #12, the initiative that would overturn the will of voters in localities across the state and put constraints on local government, has also qualified for the November 2010 ballot. It is now officially called Amendment 60. Signatures for Initiative 20 are expected to be approved by the Secretary of State's office shortly.
At their November 17th meeting, the ACEC/CO Board of Directors agreed to support the efforts of “Promote Colorado Communities” to oppose these three ballot initiatives. These initiatives would have harmful impacts on the economy of Colorado and services that the state and local communities provide. The board also agreed to financially support the effort to legally challenge the collection of the signatures to keep them off the ballot. The money spent now to keep these off the ballot will be less than that would be expended to defeat them at the ballot box.
Members are encouraged to educate themselves on these initiatives and support the effort to keep them off the ballot. For more information contact Marilen Reimer at 303-832-2200 or go to the website at: www.protectcoloradoscommunities.com.
Future Leaders: Celebrating 11 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
The Value of Investing in Professional Development
By Nancy Whitsel of Performance Resources Consulting, and ACEC/CO Future Leaders Instructor
In the past, many ACEC Member firms said their engineers were so busy; it was difficult to find time for professional development courses. Now that business is not so hectic, you may have ‘right sized’ your staff to a strong core of key people. This also may be a good time to invest in a training initiative to prepare your valuable employees to practice excellence in project management.
Read More..
In the News
Help us Recognize our Outstanding Women
Do you appreciate being recognized for your most outstanding contributions? Most of us know someone who is deserving of this type of recognition. Please help us identify Outstanding Women in Engineering for 2010. Deadline for nominations is January 15. Read More..
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Provides Energy Incentives for Businesses
The ARRA of 2009 provides a number of energy tax incentives for both small and large businesses. The IRS encourages businesses to explore whether they are eligible for any of the new energy tax provisions as many energy-saving steps taken this year may result in bigger tax savings next year.
Check out the Denver Business Journal's "Regional Stimulus Watch" database of requests for proposals and awarded contracts under the ARRA of 2009.
2009 Salary Survey Available Now
The 2009 ACEC/CO Salary Survey is now available. Click here to review this year's salary highlights and access the order from for the complete survey.
News from National
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 National Director's Report
ACEC National Director Stu Moncial reviews the ACEC Board of Directors meeting that was held October 7, 2009 in Palm Springs, CA. Read More..
ACEC/PAC Contributions Still Being Accepted
Contributions to ACEC/PAC are on the rise, reflecting a growing sense of urgency among industry leaders that we need to maintain an aggressive political program as we head into the campaign season.
View a one-page summary that lists major legislative priorities and benefits to ACEC members to help illustrate the importance and value of investing in ACEC/PAC. Thank you for all you do to make a difference in the future of all ACEC members. Your efforts now will have a tremendous effect on ACEC’s advocacy efforts this year and next.
For members who haven't made their annual ACEC/PAC contribution, we encourage you to do so now.
Membership Notices and
Engineers in the News
Membership Notices
See this section for new and prospective members and
other membership changes.
Engineers in the News
Find out about the latest from our members and member firms making the news.
ACEC/CO Events and Professional Development
Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.
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Wake-up Call Breakfast
Wednesday, January 6, 7:30 a.m. at Sunrise Sunset Restaurant. Paul Lambert of Cherry Street Partners will be speaking. Read more.. -
January General Meeting
Tuesday, January 26, 11:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Country Club. Bob Felsburg of Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig will speak and we will also recognize Future Leaders Graduates. Read more.. -
Future Leaders Program
A new Future Leaders series will begin March 2, 2010. Sign up now. Read More..
Marketing and Business Development
Engineering Inc. to Highlight Successful Storm Water Treatment Projects
ACEC National will highlight four Member Firms in its storm water treatment projects feature in the March/April 2010 issue of Engineering Inc., a bi-monthly print magazine. If your firm has been or is currently involved in a storm water treatment and retention project, ACEC would like to hear from you. Deadline is December 17. Read More..
Denver Business Journal's "Forty Under 40"
DBJ's nominations for its 2010 "Forty under 40" is only five weeks away. Nominate someone you know who is under 40 years of age, a recognized business leader and an active participant in the community by Friday, January 8. Click here for more details..
New ACEC/CO Sponsorship Opportunities
ACEC/CO would like to encourage our members to consider sponsoring a meeting and/or event as a marketing strategy to get your name out there and in front of other member firms. Read more..
Additional Professional Development
Opportunities and Events
- Call for Judges/Volunteers for Future City Colorado Regional 2010
Every year seventh and eighth grade students are inspired to become future engineers and scientists via a program called "Future City" that allows them to run a city of the future via computer simulation, research, and model building. Judges and Volunteers are needed for the 2010 Future City Colorado Regional on Saturday, January 23. Read More..
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
- Rocky Mountain Green 2010
Save the date: April 21-22, 2010 Read more..
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from ACEC/CO Board of Directors and Staff!
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To a More Prosperous 2010 As we approach the end of a tough year for most of us in the business of engineering, may all of you find the New Year to be more prosperous. Many thought that late 2009 would show signs of recovery. Now many are saying that we have hit bottom and recovery is still further out. If you listen to the shrill voices you wonder if the economy is headed further down. My optimism tells me that our economy will be flat with recovery of markets, both private and public, sometime later in 2010. I believe that recovery will first appear in the form of consumer confidence. This will not happen until we see the unemployment stabilize and consumers have some confidence that they will not lose their jobs. This will result in a small up-tick in purchases, which in turn will bolster total tax receipts for cities, counties and states. This should eventually assist the housing market and retail. The major concern I hear, from our ACEC-CO breakfast series that we hold with economists and bankers, is that the commercial real estate market may be the next bubble. This will keep the market from recovery for a little while longer. On the positive side, this is a good time to renegotiate your office lease. The talk in Washington is for another stimulus bill or using the TARP pay-back money for infrastructure. This is somewhat good news but I am concerned when I hear that the Washington legislators are again looking for shovel-ready projects. My sense is that there are no shovel-ready projects available. The last stimulus bill pulled all the “shelf projects” that the states had. These were the projects that met the shovel-ready criteria. Some projects met the criteria for fast-tracking the design to get them out in late 2009, early 2010. The work that is needed now is design and planning work to get projects ready for construction. This will take time, but the investment is well worthwhile. This will put engineers to work now and will put contractors to work in the near future. The last stimulus bill did little to help engineering firms and most construction companies as well. What we really need now is to have a re-authorization of the SAFETEA-LU transportation funding bill for the full six-year period. If Congress wants to do additional funding to that bill, fine, but let’s get it done. Re-authorization will eventually put more engineers to work and will do more for the contractor community than any additional stimulus funding. Matt Reiffer at ACEC National and our National President, Dave Raymond, have been working closely with the White House and Congress to extend SAFETEA-LU and to eventually get a long-term highway and transit bill. Their advocacy work on behalf of all of us has been outstanding. The key to advocacy is to have a strong national ACEC-PAC. If you have not contributed, give me a call and I can explain all the advantages by having such a strong PAC. In the meantime, hold on as tight as you can and do the best to position yourself for the eventual recovery. My prayer is that all of our member firms have a more prosperous year in 2010. By ACEC/CO President Rob Refvem |
Future Leaders ~ Celebrating 11 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
The Value of Investing in Professional Development
By Nancy Whitsel of Performance Resources Consulting, and ACEC/CO Future Leaders Instructor
Top Three Reasons Companies Invest in Employee Training: (Scale: 10=Very Important.......1=Not Important) 8.6 - Increase Productivity Source: International Data Corp |
In the past, many ACEC Member firms said their engineers were so busy; it was difficult to find time for professional development courses. Now that business is not so hectic, you may have ‘right sized’ your staff to a strong core of key people. This also may be a good time to invest in a training initiative to prepare your valuable employees to practice excellence in project management.
I am sure your younger workers will confirm that they place high value on an employer who sponsors professional development and encourages life-long learning. One of the most attractive recruiting and retention benefits is to help your people to identify a career path and provide resources for them to achieve professional goals. Junior engineers will be loyal to a firm that offers opportunities for them to succeed and advance.
An easy and inexpensive way to help build capability of your people as exceptional managers is to enroll your staff in the ACEC sponsored Future Leader Supervisor workshops. The purpose of the Future Leader program is to provide engineers with ‘people-management’ and client service skills. The result of developing superior communication is ability to build relationships through constructive and cooperative interaction. Firms that emphasize best practices of creating long-term business friendship and building a strong network within the construction business will always be ahead of the competition.
At the January 26, 2010 ACEC luncheon, a group of Future Leader engineers will be recognized. We invite you to attend this celebratory event and learn first-hand the value of their workshop experience. After the luncheon, there will also be a podcast available of the speakers discussing the benefits of participating and networking in the interactive workshops.
A new series will start March 2, 2010. Log on to www.acec-co.org to read more about specific topics and what your project managers can gain by attending. To register please call Jennifer Shaw at 303-832-2200 or sign up online. We look forward to welcoming your project managers to these practical and award winning workshops next year. On behalf of the ACEC Future Leader program, we send you best wishes for a happy holiday season and profitable 2010!
© 2009 Nancy Whitsel, Performance Resources Consulting
Help us Recognize our Outstanding Women
Do you appreciate being recognized for your most outstanding contributions? Most of us know someone who is deserving of this type of recognition. Please help us identify Outstanding Women in Engineering for 2010, we are now accepting nominations!
Nominees must be employed by an ACEC/CO member firm, with at least 10 years’ experience in the profession. The Outstanding Woman in Engineering for 2010 will be selected based on her accomplishments in the areas of leadership, success in the industry, outside involvement, and technical achievements. The deadline for nominations is January 15.
One outstanding woman will be recognized and featured in news releases during that week. All nominees will be recognized at the February 23, 2010 General Meeting Luncheon at Lakewood Country Club; the awardee will be featured in a press release during that week. Click here for nomination form or submit your nominations to jennifer@acec-co.org, or mail to 800 Grant St. Suite 100, Denver, CO 80203.
National Director's Report
The ACEC Board of Directors meeting was held on October 7, 2009 in Palm Springs, CA and was attended by Marilen Reimer, Rob Refvem and Stu Monical. Colorado is now tied with Florida for 5th in national voting strength. There were no voting items at this meeting; however there were four discussion items presented. These items were the proposed new budget cycle, a sustainability initiative, an energy initiative and a project management initiative.
The proposed new three year budget (FY 2011-2013) was presented by Terry Neimeyer, ACEC Treasurer and Bart Patton, ACEC Vice-Chairman. This budget will be a voting item at the spring 2010 Board of Directors meeting. The key points associated with the new three year budget proposal are:
- A flat baseline budget with no adjustments other than the annual inflation factor (CPI+1.9%) is being proposed. This matched the current budget approach.
- Keeping the annual inflation factor is essential for ACEC to deliver the same level of services that have been delivered.
This proposed budget will provide for steady advances in meeting the organization’s strategic goals while being sensitive to the current economic climate. Currently the Colorado Board of Directors is not opposed to this proposed new three year budget.
There were three Initiatives introduced at the board meeting. These were:
- Sustainability - presented by Jim Duncan, ACEC Vice-Chairman.
- Energy - presented by Ralph Christie, CEO and President of Merrick.
- Project Management - presented by Ted Williams, ACEC Vice-Chairman.
The three Initiatives all had costs associated with them and these costs were not part of the proposed budget. There were three methods that were proposed to fund the initiatives which were:
- Increase the dues.
- Fund from reserves.
- Fund in the future from increased revenues contingent upon economic upturn.
The Sustainability initiative is being proposed to establish ACEC as a leader in the area of sustainability. This initiative would build programs around providing a clearing house for federal and state legislation and information on green design, providing education around sustainability, and establishing standards or a “score card” for evaluating infrastructure projects. This initiative is expected to cost approximately $275k the first year and $150k the following years. This cost is mostly designated around hiring a high level staff person to champion this effort. This initiative did receive support from the Board, but there was concern over how this initiative would be funded since these costs are not part of the budget proposal.
The Energy initiative is being proposed because the energy sector has become more prominent in legislation and potential new or enhanced energy markets are developing for member firms. This initiative would create a dedicated energy committee that would coordinate and focus ACEC’s efforts in the advocacy arena through legislation and regulations to enhance market opportunities for the industry. This committee would also develop and deliver business education, training, market analysis and partnering opportunities with public agencies. This initiative is expected to cost approximately $175k the first year and $135k the following years. This cost is mostly designated around hiring a high level staff person to champion this effort.This initiative did receive support from the Board, but there was concern over how this initiative would be funded since these costs are not part of the budget proposal.
The Project Management initiative is being proposed to provide more focus and comprehensive effort around project management since member firms have identified effective project management as key to their business. This initiative would establish a project management forum and a project management academy. This initiative is expected to cost approximately $150k the first year, $90k the second year and $70k the following years.This initiative did not receive support from the Board. The general thought was there are several other companies that are providing this service to our members and it would be a duplication of effort.
The next National Director’s meeting will be held in Washington DC in April 2010 during the spring ACEC Conference. If you have any questions or would like to give input on any of the items or initiatives presented here, please feel free to email or call me.
Stuart Monical, ACEC/CO National Director
General
- Participated in White House meeting on the health care reform; and opposed the House-passed health care bill’s onerousbusiness mandates.
Government Affairs
- Renewed national grassroots effort to encourage the Senate to pass a $40 billion water infrastructure bill.
- Launched grassroots effort with ARTBA, AGC and other stakeholder groups to pressure Congress to pass a new six-year surface transportation program.
- Awarded Minuteman Fund grant to ACEC/Washington for an amicus brief to oppose the liability of engineering firms for construction site safety of client employees.
- Awarded Minuteman Fund grant to ACEC/Wisconsin to help defray costs of fighting the state DOT’s unilateral efforts to reduce contracted fees of engineering firms.
- Assisted several ACEC state organizations with analysis and talking points for responding to proposed reductions in engineering contracts by their state agencies.
- Advocated QBS for contractor selection in public comments submitted to Federal Transit Administration on proposed changes to its project management oversight program.
- Lobbied the Small Business Administration to credit work subcontracted by primes toward federal agencies’ small business goals.
- ACEC/Oregon made its 2009 ACEC/PAC goal, joining ACEC/Wisconsin, ACEC/Hawaii, ACEC/Indiana, ACEC/Nebraska, ACEC/Alaska, ACEC/Tennessee, ACEC/South Dakota and ACEC/Massachusetts; half of all states are 75% or more toward their goal.
Institute for Business Management
- Offered substantial discount on engineering contracts through the ACEC Bookstore including 10% discount on all EJCDC documents.
Melissa Chalona of CTL Thompson, Inc. was recently appointed by Governor Ritter to serve on the Regional Air Quality Council
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Lauren Evans of Pinyon Environmental was recently appointed by Governor Ritter to serve on the Transportation Environmental Resource Council (TERC).
Colorado State University and the Boettcher Foundation named the Great Hall in The Institute of Learning and Teaching Building after alumnus Russell George, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Russell George Great Hall was dedicated at a ceremony at TILT on the university's historic Oval.
John Madia recently joined CH2M Hill's Denver headquarters as senior vice president and chief human resources officer.
Keith Prokuski and Dave Wilk recently joined Shaffer Baucom Engineering & Consulting. 
John Simmer was recently elected to serve on Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc's board of directors.
Hayes Lenhart recently joined Wright Water Engineers of Denver as a storm water engineer.
John Radcliffe of Nolte Associates Inc. was recently appointed to principal.
Colorado Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Pam Hutton, the first woman to hold the position of chief engineer at CDOT, has been named the 2009 winner of the Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award from the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This award was established in 1957 to honor the long-time chief of the Bureau of Public Roads and is focused on highways. It is considered to be the highest award made to an individual by AASHTO.
Phil Voegtle has been promoted to director of architectural and engineering technical services for Aurora-based Merrick & Co.
Kristen Fox, associate principal at Monroe & Newell Engineers Inc., recently earned LEED accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Michael J. Barnes has joined Kennedy/Jenks Consultants as a senior project manager in the Water Environment Group.
Neil Jaquet, former Colorado Water Congress president and real estate manager with Coors Brewing Co., is now working with Denver-based water engineering firm Wright Water Engineers.
JVA Inc. announced that Scott Weisbeck has joined the civil department as a senior project manager.
Dennis Jackson has joined Denver-based CH2M Hill as a senior utility management consultant for the Water Business Group.
Natasha Hernandez has joined the RMH Group as an engineer.
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Marketing and Business Development
Engineering Inc. to Highlight Successful Storm Water Treatment Projects
ACEC National will highlight four Member Firms in its storm water treatment projects feature in the March/April 2010 issue of Engineering Inc., a bi-monthly print magazine. If your firm has been or is currently involved in a storm water treatment and retention project, ACEC would like to hear from you. The project can be in an on-going phase or recently completed.
To submit a project for consideration, please e-mail the following information to Engineering Inc. Staff Editor Andrea Keeney at akeeney@acec.org by Thursday, December 17:
- Project name and location (firm may submit up to two projects)
- Brief project overview, including any unique aspects (limited to one page)
- Name, title and phone number of the Member Firm executive who will be interviewed for the profile.
If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Keeney at akeeney@acec.org.
New ACEC/CO Sponsorship Packages Available
ACEC/CO is pleased to present you new sponsorship packages for you. Being a sponsor of a meeting or event will give you the opportunity to get your name and company before our membership. Sponsorships allow ACEC/CO to continue to provide quality programs and activities at a reasonable price. Click here to view sponsorship packets and more information.
Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events
SMPS Upcoming Events
- Professional Growth Breakfast: Implementing SWOT Analysis for Improved Proposals
Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your firm or project team will give you a remarkable advantage in a market that grows increasingly competitive. Learn how to successfully conduct a SWOT analysis, identify when it's helpful or appropriate to use one, and why the process is so vital to marketing and proposal preparation. This event is Tuesday, December 15, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Oxford Hotel. Register online at www.smpscolorado.org.
- Webinar: Business Development for Project Managers
What is the SMPS Webinar Series? An interactive, 90-minute seminar series conducted via audio teleconference and the Internet and hosted by industry experts covering industry hot topics, best practices, and specials interests. This event is Tuesday, December 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Northern Colorado location - Neenan, 2620 E. Prospect Rd, Ste 100, Fort Collins. Register online at www.smpscolorado.org.
Call for Judges/Volunteers for Future City Colorado Regional 2010
Every year seventh and eighth grade students are inspired to become future engineers and scientists via a program called Future City that allows them to run a city of the future via computer simulation, research, and model building.
A key component of the competition is allowing them to interact with community members as judges and volunteers on competition day. Judges are not limited to engineers - city planners, community builders and volunteers, and business leaders are also needed to make sure questioning covers all aspects of running a city. There are also opportunities to judge the student's essay's prior to the competition as well.
If you are interested or know of folks who might be interested in interacting with students, please forward this request for judges to them. Fill out this form and return it via e-mail (fcjudge@futurecity-co.org), fax (720-872-8809), or postal mail (11129 York Way, Northglenn, CO 80233).
This year's Colorado Regional is Saturday, January 23, 2010 at New Hope Baptist Church. Majority of the volunteers will be needed from 7:30 AM until 12:00 noon.
If you have questions about this request, contact Dave at 720-985-5327 or e-mail fcjudge@futurecity-co.org.
Rocky Mountain Green 2010: Save The Date
USGBC Colorado's Annual Green Building Conference will be held April 21-22, 2010 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Sponsorship, booth, and early bird registration information is coming soon!