Vol. 10 Issue 5 May 2010 Committee Spotlight
Programs May General Meeting Expert Witness Practices Seminar Resources
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President's Report
Last year, Rob’s opening remark was that “the 2009-2010 year will be interesting and challenging”. His statement rang true, and I expect the 2010-2011 year will continue to be challenging. My perception from conversations with business owners in Colorado and elsewhere is that the construction industry may not have reached bottom yet. Most of us are directly affected by the built environment which has been greatly impacted. As consulting engineering services are employed, we will then see contractors busy again. Yet if money does not become available, nothing will happen.
Read More..
Annual Meeting Recap
The 2010 ACEC/CO Annual Meeting was a special night of celebration. Held on Friday, April 16, at the Lakewood Country Club, the Council and guests recognized our incoming and outgoing officers, including the transfer of the gavel to this year's president, as well as presented our annual awards to deserving individuals. Read more and view award photos here. 
Awards Committee Spotlight - Finding the Best in the Industry
The Awards committee is in the midst of helping ACEC/CO organize its biggest event of the year – The Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) program. Last year the awards program resulted in the creation of a Comcast TV show that featured the award winners and showcased the engineering and sustainability aspects of the winning projects. The show was created in partnership with USGBC and Comcast has already requested another TV program for 2011.
Besides the EEA program, the committee works on a number of awards projects during the year including the New Faces in Engineering, Outstanding Women in Engineering, the General Palmer and the George Washington. The committee’s purpose is to find the most outstanding engineers and engineering projects in the industry as candidates for awards and recognition. Read More..
News from National
National Director's Report
The ACEC Board of Director’s meeting was held on Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Washington DC and was attended by Marilen Reimer, Rob Refvem, Bill Hoffman and Stuart Monical. Colorado is currently rated 5th among the Member Organizations (MOs) in voting strength. There were three voting items presented at this meeting.
The first voting item was on the new three year Budget, as well as the Sustainability and Energy initiatives. The Budget itself had several months of discussion and feedback between the ACEC Budget Committee, the Executive Committee and the Member Organizations. Read More..
President's Report
From ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf. Read more..
Membership Notices and
Engineers in the News
Membership Notices for new and prospective members and other membership changes.
Engineers in the News from our members and member firms.
ACEC/CO Events and Professional Development
Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.
- ACEC/CO May General Meeting
Tuesday, May 25, 11:30 a.m. at they Hyatt Regency Tech Center "Engineers' Perspective of Working in Wartime Conditions" Read More..
- Wake-up Call Breakfast
"An Engineer's Balanced Perspective on Climate Change," Wednesday, June 2, 7:30 a.m.Read More..
- ACEC/CO Expert Witness Practices Seminar
"Discovery, Disclosure and Beyond," Wednesday, June 9, 11:30 a.m. Read More..
- EEA Awards Workshop
Learn how to get your project "noticed" by attending our Engineering Excellence Awards Workshop on June 18. Read More..
- Annual ACEC/CO Golf Tournament
August 9, 8:30 a.m. at Perry Park Golf Course. Benefiting the ACEC/CO scholarship fund.
Additional Professional Development
Opportunities and Events
- World Trade Day Read More..
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
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Last year, Rob’s opening remark was that “the 2009-2010 year will be interesting and challenging." His statement rang true, and I expect the 2010-2011 year will continue to be challenging. My perception from conversations with business owners in Colorado and elsewhere is that the construction industry may not have reached bottom yet. Most of us are directly affected by the built environment which has been greatly impacted. As consulting engineering services are employed, we will then see contractors busy again. Yet if money does not become available, nothing will happen. The perception over the last two years has been that “business as usual” is over, and adapting to a business environment of perpetual change will be come the “new normal.” Within our industry, some look for firms to diversify, or create more strategic partnerships and enter markets not traditionally served by the firm. Now for some good news – Colorado has not been as hard hit with the current economic crisis as some of the other portions of the country. Nevada, Arizona, California, and of course Michigan, and Ohio as well as Alabama, Florida, and Georgia have been especially hard hit, losing substantial membership base. In comparison, ACEC Colorado has experienced a relatively modest loss in membership; the largest one was anticipated due to a merger of two large firms and budgeted for in the 2009-2010 year. We are currently going through our annual ACEC/CO budget process. I am pleased to report that the organization is very strong financially with a reserve of about 150 percent of that mandated by the organization several years ago. Colorado dues were not increased last year, and no dues increase is anticipated for this year. Given performance last year, no program or service cuts are expected as the ACEC Colorado staff is extremely efficient, as are our outside consultants. As a solvent and strong organization, we will continue to provide the programs, services and support that help our members sustain their businesses with strength and confidence.
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Narender Kumar established his own firm in 1989 and has successfully grown the firm to one of the most respected geotechnical firms in the Denver area.
The ACEC/CO George Washington Award is given to an ACEC/CO member for outstanding service to the community, the progress of Colorado, and the advancement of the public image of consulting engineering as a profession. The award is presented to someone who has exhibited leadership, had an impact on public policy-making and general societal issues. 
The 2010 Outstanding Educator of the Year Award was presented to Aaron Waggoner, a teacher at the Chaparral High School in Parker, for contributions and support of programs in math, science and engineering. 
Awards Committee - Finding the Best in the Industry
The Awards committee is in the midst of helping ACEC/CO organize its biggest event of the year – The Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) program. Last year the awards program resulted in the creation of a Comcast TV show that featured the award winners and showcased the engineering and sustainability aspects of the winning projects. The show was created in partnership with USGBC and Comcast has already requested another TV program for 2011.
Besides the EEA program, the committee works on a number of awards projects during the year including the New Faces in Engineering, Outstanding Women in Engineering, the General Palmer and the George Washington. The committee’s purpose is to find the most outstanding engineers and engineering projects in the industry as candidates for awards and recognition.
Committee Chair Mary Beth Sepper said that one of the committee’s goals is to really get the message out to members the importance of these awards programs.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege to be recognized by a state organization such as ACEC/CO. We are fortunate to have such an organization in the A-E community,” she said. “The recognition a firm receives from an ACEC/CO award really makes that firm stand out among its peers and competitors. And I think clients notice this.”
The committee is conducting its annual awards workshop on June 18 at URS office. Sepper said the workshop is a “how to” session on submitting a project for the EEA program.
“The workshop is invaluable for learning the ins and outs of preparing an award submittal. We encourage all firms who have an interest in the awards program to attend,” she said.
(As part of the awards workshop, Adrienne Dallagiacoma, ACEC/CO's PR consultant, will present ACEC/CO's new public relations and marketing plan for 2010-11. This will inform members how their firms can benefit from riding on ACEC/CO's PR efforts).
Sepper has been on the Awards committee for several years but this will be her first year as Committee Chair.
“I literally took the position the beginning of this month,” she said excitedly. “The most valuable part of being a member of the awards committee is the opportunity to get a sense of what’s going on in our industry.”
Through its many projects the Awards Committee gives visibility and recognition of what engineers are doing to improve quality of life.
“When you think about it, Engineers really are the caretakers of our physical environment,” Sepper said.
If you are interested in joining the Awards Committee, would like some more information or just want to sit-in on a meeting, don’t hesitate to contact us at 303-832-2200, jennifer@acec-co.org.
The ACEC Board of Directors' meeting was held on Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Washington DC and was attended by Marilen Reimer, Rob Refvem, Bill Hoffmann and Stuart Monical. Colorado is currently rated 5th among the Member Organizations (MOs) in voting strength. There were three voting items presented at this meeting.
The first voting item was on the new three year Budget, as well as the Sustainability and Energy initiatives. The Budget itself had several months of discussion and feedback between the ACEC Budget Committee, the Executive Committee and the Member Organizations. Because of the economic conditions that most of the member firms have been dealing with the last two years, there was concern by a majority of the MOs with a dues inflation adjustment (CPI + 1.9%) being proposed. With this in mind there were two proposed options the Directors were given to vote on at the meeting.
- Option #1 – Approve a 3-year budget with an inflation/cost of business factor of CPI + 1.9%. (This is what the last three budget cycles have carried.)
- Option #2 – Approve a 3-year budget, but suspend the inclusion of the CPI + 1.9% for the first year, and offset the revenue decrease ($360,000) with an equal allotment from ACEC’s contribution to the Minuteman fund (this contribution is currently at $800,000). At the end of the first year, the Executive Committee would review industry conditions and if necessary, extend the withholding of the CPI + 1.9% factor for an additional year on the same basis.
There was much discussion around these options, an amended option #2 presentation by New York, an option #3 presentation by California and more amendments to options #3 and #2, all of which failed to gather the required votes. After Option #1 failed to gather the required votes, Option #2 with an amendment that changed where the decrease in revenue funds would taken from ( Minuteman fund was changed to the Reserves) was passed by an 87% vote.
Both the Sustainability and Energy initiatives had 2 proposed options presented. Option #2 for each initiative was only applicable if Option #1 for the Budget was approved (which it was not). Both initiatives were approved to be carried forward by “best efforts” within the current budget (i.e., continuation with current staff and some reallocation of funds). Full funding of these initiatives would await economic recovery and dues growth commensurate with the needs of these programs.
The second voting item was around Bylaws amendments to carry out the following reforms:
- Consolidate of the three non-regular membership classes into a single Affiliate category.
- Removal of non-regular membership class dues schedule from the Bylaws
- Approval of Affiliate dues schedule and delegation of future Affiliate dues modifications to the Executive Committee.
This item was approved by a majority vote.
The last voting item was around recommendations for amendments to the Bylaws to carry out the following reforms:
- Conform Bylaws to New “open”/ “Appointed” Committee structure.
- Re-title past chairmen committee as chairmen emeritus committee.
- Modify committee meeting quorum requirements.
This item was approved by a majority vote.
Because of the importance of the Budget vote, as well as, the other two voting items, there were no further discussion items on the agenda at this Board of Director’s meeting.
The next Board of Director’s meeting will be held in Puerto Rico in October 2010 during the ACEC Fall Convention. Lauren Evans, who is ACEC/CO’s newly elected National Director will represent our MO very well and will report back to you what was discussed at this Board of Directors' meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Stuart Monical, National Director
General
- Board voted no dues increase for FY 2010-11.
- Major win – secured exclusion of engineering services from Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) in the final rule implementing President Obama’s Executive Order that PLAs be used on major construction projects involving federal funds.
- Highlights of convention included Greg Ip (Economist magazine) who said we are now in a slow, sustained recovery; debate between Patrick Buchanan (MSNBC) and Eleanor Clift (Newsweek); signing of partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; CEO insights from George Pierson of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Len Rodman of Black & Veatch and Bob Uhler of MWH; and CIO workshop led by chief technology officers from AECOM, Jacobs, Malcolm Pirnie and WSP Flack & Kurtz.
- Leadership transition included: Jerry Stump of Wilbur Smith succeeding Tim Psomas as chairman of ACEC; Satch Pecori of Hanson Professional Services as treasurer; vice-chairs: Robert Paulsen of PBS&J, Paul Grosser of P.W. Grosser, and M.L. Love of Collins Engineers; and Joe Jones as NAECE representative. Returning members are: Terry Neimeyer of KCI as chair-elect, Bart Patton of Kleinfelder as senior vice chair, and vice chairs: Ken Wightman of David Evans & Associates, and Robin Greenleaf of Architectural Engineers.
- ACEC’s Grand Conceptor Award for top engineering achievement of the year was won by HDR for a power facility fueled by onion skins; Grand Awards went to Walter P. Moore, Hatch Mott MacDonald, Jacobs, Magnusson Klemencic, HNTB, Brown and Caldwell, and Michael Baker, Jr. (See Last Word, May 5, for further information.)
Government Affairs
- Convention lobbying focused on infrastructure initiatives, defense of contracting out, and repeal of the three percent withholding mandate (the latter received critical boost from a report of the House Armed Services Committee endorsing repeal).
- Continued to provide guidance to states on FAR compliance issues – including special guidance to ACEC-New York members impacted by a recent action by the Governor to suspend work on construction projects.
- Lobbied Senate that revenue from any “carbon tax” on fuel in climate change legislation be allocated to the Highway Trust Fund and not diverted for other purposes.
Institute for Business Management
- Collaborating with APWA and ASCE on development of a sustainable infrastructure rating system.
- Released ACEC’s new Blue Sourcebook: Business Management and Risk Management for Engineering Firms, a compilation of best business practices (download: $29 member/$39 nonmember printed book: $69 member/$79 nonmember). A copy of this publication is in ACEC/CO's Library for your review or purchase.
By Dave Raymond, ACEC President
Membership NoticesWelcome Individual Members: Welcome Affiliate Members: Thomas Napolilli, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants: 143 Union Blvd., Suite 600, Lakewood, CO 80228. 303-985-3636 tomnapolilli@kennedyjenks.com. Thomas is a graduate of Marquette University with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Recommendations came from Jodi Villa, Paul Goldfain, and Gordon Meurer. Chris Douglass, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants: 143 Union Blvd., Suite 600, Lakewood, CO 80228. 303-985-3636 chrisdouglass@kennedyjenks.com. Chris is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He also graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Recommendations came from Gordon Meurer, Paul Goldfain, and Jodi Villa. Lisa Schwien, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants: 143 Union Blvd., Suite 600, Lakewood, CO 80228. 303-985-3636 lisaschwien@kennedyjenks.com. Lisa is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Recommendations came from Jodi Villa, Greg Sekera, and Gordon Meurer. Welcome Sustaining Members: Transfer: |
URS Corporation recently added two Mechanical Engineers to their Facilities Management Department. William Hoelter joins URS with over 20 years of experience in mechanical engineering and design for all aspects of HVAC and the plumbing construction industry. Kieran McInerney Kiernan is a LEED Certified Professional, with over 5 years of experience in the HVAC equipment/construction industry. URS also recently hired Dr. John Tinucci as a Principal Geotechnical Engineer in Mining.
Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers Inc. recently promoted Ray Engen, P.E. LEED AP, to chief operating officer.
Brighton Economic Development Corp. recently honored Nolte Associates Inc. with a 2010 Excellence in Partnership award. The award honors organizations that have partnered to further economic development in the Brighton area.
John Awezec has been named central and west region director of alternative delivery projects for HDR's water business group. HDR has also named Jon Holbrook as senior federal program manager and Keith Ferguson national practice leader for dams, levees and hydraulic structures.
Gary Eckhardt recently rejoined Stantec as senior associate in the company's Denver Transportation Practice.
Merrick & Company promoted John Andraejczak to vice president of engineering.
Lamp, Rynearson & Associates Inc. in Fort Collins named current stockholders Frank Kohl PLS, CFeds; Terry Atkins PE, LEED AP; Virgil Oligmueller PE; Nancy Pridal PE, and Todd Whitfield, LS principals of the firm.
In Memory
Alan E. Menhennett of Boulder died Saturday April 24, 2010 at his home. Mr. Menhennett was one of the co-founders and President of Centennial Engineering until his retirement in 1993.
Frances Rakestraw Stewart, wife of Jim Stewart, ACEC/CO Past President, and mother of Dave Stewart of Stewart Environmental died Thursday, May 6, 2010. There will be a Memorial Requiem at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Ft. Collins, CO on May 21 at 1:00 p.m.
Ed DeLozier, executive director of the E-470 Public Highway Authority and a prominent person in the national tolling industry, died Wednesday, April 21, 2010. DeLozier has been head of the E-470 Public Highway Authority since 1999 and has worked in the tolling industry for more than 30 years, starting out as a toll collector on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973.
ACEC/CO EventsRegister online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for any ACEC/CO program or event.
May General Meeting Join us on Tuesday, May 25, 11:30 a.m. for a special presentation at our May General Meeting. "Engineers' Perspective of Working in Wartime Conditions" will be presented by by Michael Griffeth who just returned from Iraq in December and Ron Geurts who recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. However, we would like to recognize all of our member firms' staff who have had similar experiences. If anyone in your staff has served in wartime conditions, or for other organizations such as Corps of Engineers, please let us know so that we may include them in our PowerPoint presentation. We encourage everyone, especially these members, to join us for this unique meeting.
The next Wake-up Call Breakfast of the series will be Wednesday, June 2, 7:30 a.m. at the Sunrise Sunset Restaurant in Lakewood. Steve Sondergard of Merrick & Company will present “An Engineer’s Balanced Perspective on Climate Change.” Contact Jennifer Shaw for registration.
Expert Witness Practices Seminar "Discovery, Disclosure and Beyond." This program is designed for engineers and administrators in engineering firms at all levels. The information that will be presented is important to the expert witness and the non-expert witness, especially related to electronically stored information (ESI). The seminar will be held Wednesday, June 9, 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 1750 Welton St., Denver. Those who attend will be awarded 4.0 PDH's. Contact Jennifer Shaw for registration or call 303-832-2200.
Engineering Excellence Awards Workshop
Breakfast Series
Podcasts For Sale Missed a Wake-up Call Breakfast Series? Not to worry! Now you can catch up by purchasing our breakfast series presentations podcasts. Available to members for $20 each or three for $45. To purchase, contact jennifer@acec-co.org or call 303-832-2200. The following are now available:
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Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events
Plan to attend World Trade Day 2010 on May 19 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel starting at 7:30 a.m. Learn how you and your company can benefit from international business opportunities around the world. The event will prepare you and your business to succeed in the new global economy that will drive economic growth and prosperity in this decade. For more information visit http://www.rmwtci.org/wtd2010.