Vol. 10 Issue 1 January 2010 President's ReportMembership Notices Engineers In The News
Programs Wake-Up Call Breakfast Series January General Meeting Future Leaders Program MarketingSponsor and/or Advertise for Engineer's Week Dinner Resources
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President's Report
Spreading a Contagious POSITIVE Attitude
It is a new year and time to shift our focus. I generally feel that I am a positive and optimistic person, but lately my thinking has been just the opposite. At our recent Wake-up Call breakfast meeting, our guest Paul Lambert of Cherry Street Partners noted that pessimism, fatigue and inattention are contagious as is optimism and excitement. I believe I have let my guard down and have wallowed in the depths of negativism that is coming at all of us everyday. You hear it on the television, radio, your email and various websites. Read More..
Future Leaders: Celebrating 11 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
Coaching for Results Part I —Outstanding Managers Provide Positive Feedback to Encourage Staff.
(Part one of three installments)
by Nancy Whitsel, of Performance Resources Consulting and ACEC Future Leader Instructor
The term coaching encompasses a variety of communication skills from informing, teaching, and encouraging to advising, correcting and mentoring. Coaching is the foremost method of interacting and is a valuable approach for giving feedback to your staff about the following: Read More..
Click Here to watch a video on the benefits of participating in the Future Leaders Program.
In the News
IRS Announces 2010 Standard Mileage Rates
Beginning January 1, 2010, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be 50 cents per mile for business miles driven. This is down from the 2009 rate of 55 cents per mile driven.
Scholarship Applications Due
ACEC/CO offers over $20,000 in scholarships to Colorado students. To qualify, a student must be a full time student as determined by his/her school, a U.S. citizen pursuing a Bachelor's degree in an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-approved engineering or surveying program in Colorado. Students must be entering their junior, senior or fifth year, in the fall of 2010 to qualify. Students graduating in December 2010 do not qualify.
The completed application, recommendation form, essay and certified transcript are to be postmarked by Wednesday, February 3, 2010 or delivered by Friday, February 5, 2010 to the ACEC/CO office, 800 Grant Street, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80203. Finalists will be interviewed on Saturday, March 6, 2010. A reception is planned for all applicants to meet principals and Human Resources personnel in early April.
ACEC/CO Accepting Awards Nominations
We are now accepting nominations for the annual George Washington Award and General Palmer Award. The deadline to submit nominations for both awards is February 12. The George Washington and General Palmer award recipients are recognized at the ACEC/CO Annual Meeting on April 16, 2010 at Lakewood Country Club. Read More..
Engineer's Week 2010
Engineer's Week is February 14th - 20th. The annual engineer's week workshop and dinner will be held on Friday, February 19, at the Double Tree Hotel, South of I-70 at 32nd and Quebec. The theme this year is "Opportunities for Engineering During Economic Recovery."Read More..
News from National
Happy New Year! ACEC's 2009 Accomplishments:
- Won an FHWA ruling that state agencies may not unilaterally reduce contracted fees for consultant services on federally funded transportation projects;
- Created with AASHTO a new Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide to be used by state DOTS;
- Released a groundbreaking national academic study quantifying the benefits of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS);
- Restored solvency to the Highway Trust Fund in 2009 to prevent major cuts to state transportation programs;
- Won a delay in the implementation of the 3 percent withholding rule until 2012;
- Used Minuteman Fund grants to protect the Economic Loss Doctrine for design professionals and defend QBS;
- Won significant expansion of the reach of QBS in pending water and aviation legislation in the House and Senate.
From ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf. Read more..
Soliciting Candidates for National Office
Applications are now being accepted for the ACEC national office with terms commencing April 2011. The nominating committee will be interviewing for the chair-elect and three vice chair positions. If you are interested in applying, contact Marilen Reimer at 303-832-2200 or at mar@acec-co.org. The cut-off date is April 12, 2010. 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.
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North Area Membership Meeting
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 12:00 p.m. at Stewart Environmental Consultants Office: 3801 Automation Way, Suite 200, Fort Collins. "Sustainability Roadmap" will be the focus. Read More..
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January General Meeting
Tuesday, January 26, 11:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Country Club. Bob Felsburg of Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig will speak on leadership and we will also recognize Future Leaders Graduates. Read more.. -
Wake-up Call Breakfast
Wednesday, February 3, 7:30 a.m. at Sunrise Sunset Restaurant. Read More.. -
Future Leaders Program
A new Future Leaders series will begin March 2, 2010. Sign up now. Read More..
Marketing and Business Development
Sponsorship Opportunities for E-Week Workshop and Dinner
Sponsorship and advertisement opportunities are available for the annual Engineer's Week
dinner, scheduled for Friday, February 19. You might want to consider sponsoring a legislator for the E-Week dinner. Click here for more information.
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
- Upcoming RMMI Lunch n' Learns
The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute offers free "lunch n' learn" programs every first and third Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The courses will be taught in the RMMI classroom at 686 Mariposa St., Denver. Bring your lunch and learn for free. Read More..
- Webinar - 2010 A/E/C Industry Forecast
Join PSMJ on January 20 at 1:30pm ET as Bill Fanning, PSMJ's Research Director and Dave Burstein, PSMJ's Consulting/Training Director, examine market trends of the design industry, as well as highlights from PSMJ's latest A/E industry surveys. Read More..
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
- 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 through 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..
- Webinar - How to Seal the Weakest Part of Your Building Envelope PLUS The Latest in Window glazing and LEED Credits Receive AIA Credit
Join this live webinar on January 29, 10:00 a.m. MT, to learn step by step how your city, facility or campus could save thousands of dollars in energy loss each year by sealing the building envelope and enhancing window performance. Read More..
- USGBC Upcoming Workshops:
- LEED Core Concepts & Strategies - January 29, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at EPA Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop St., Denver. Read More..
- How to Build an Efficient and High Performance House - February 1, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at REI Denver. This session will focus on what it takes to build a LEED Certified home. Read More..
- Green Building Operations and Maintenance: The LEED Implementation Process - March 5, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at EPA Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop St., Denver. Read More..
- How to do Business with Denver Public Schools:
Tuesday, February 9, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at DPS Training Center. Read More..
- Rocky Mountain Green 2010
Save the date: April 21-22, 2010 Read more..
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It is a new year and time to shift our focus. I generally feel that I am a positive and optimistic person, but lately my thinking has been just the opposite. At our recent Wake-up Call breakfast meeting, our guest Paul Lambert of Cherry Street Partners, noted that pessimism, fatigue and inattention are contagious as is optimism and excitement. I believe I have let my guard down and have wallowed in the depths of negativism that is coming at all of us everyday. You hear it on the television, radio, your email and various websites. This has reminded me of the book by Norman Vincent Peale, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” which was written the year I was born, 1952. I read this book early in my civil engineering career and it has stuck with me all of these years. In fact, I found myself scrounging for my copy as I wrote this article. As I recall, Mr. Peale’s main point is that negative thinking gets you negative results and only by keeping your thinking positive do you motivate yourself to actually act, create and achieve. In a more recent book by Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD, “Positivity”, she notes “Positivity doesn’t just change the contents of your mind, trading bad thoughts for good ones; it also changes the scope or boundaries of your mind. It widens the span of possibilities that you see.” This is just what we need and what our staff’s need now, is to widen our eyesight to greater possibilities. As leaders in our companies, it is up to us to have that positive outlook and demeanor. We need to be the ones that spread that contagious positive attitude to all of our staff. Many of our members are just those kind of individuals. They have that positive demeanor and you can tell because they are succeeding where others are not. Bad things happen, jobs are lost, former clients no longer have work. But if we wallow in that hole of pessimism we never proceed forward. When we don’t let our thoughts and words get to the negative zone, we expand our creativity and our ability to see new markets, clients and options. As Monty Python said in their famous song “If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten, and that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly chumps. Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing. And... Always look on the bright side of life. - Robert Refvem, ACEC/CO President |
Spreading a Contagious Positive Attitude
Future Leaders ~ Celebrating 11 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
Coaching for Results Part I —Outstanding Managers Provide Positive Feedback to Encourage Staff
(Part one of three installments)
By Nancy Whitsel of Performance Resources Consulting, and ACEC/CO Future Leaders Instructor
Future Leader Participant Quotes: "Well worth the time and cost. The topics are relevant and not part of normal engineering curriculum." "The FL program is like medicine. I’m not always eager to do it, but it was good for me. This series made me a better, more valuable employee." "Good workshops. Regardless of experience level, attending can provide new skills or further refine existing skills." |
The term coaching encompasses a variety of communication skills from informing, teaching, and encouraging to advising, correcting and mentoring. Coaching is the foremost method of interacting and is a valuable approach for giving feedback to your staff about the following:
COACHING makes possible for you to:
- Share knowledge and explain technical information
- Encourage staff to use newly developed skills
- Offer suggestions and strengthen future efforts
- Complement and enhance self esteem
- Correct performance problems firmly and fairly
- Motivate team and build morale
POSITIVE COACHING involves 5 specific steps:
- ASK & LISTEN. Ask the employee to describe a recent situation that was particularly challenging. Wait. Do not offer your own ideas first.
- COMPLIMENT BEHAVIOR. Positively reinforce effective use of skills. Emphasize contribution & be specific about what behavior is good.
- BE PATIENT. Ask the employee to offer suggestions that would strengthen future behavior. Get his/her ideas then, ask: “How can I help you?”
- SUPPORT & REINFORCE & Encourage. Express confidence that the employee will incorporate these ideas at the next opportunity.
- FOLLOW-UP IMMEDIATELY. At the first opportunity, be sure to compliment the employee on using the skill. Be specific about the behavior you are reinforcing and encourage continued use.
To keep channels of communicating open, make a routine of MBWA (management by walking around) every day. This practice will ensure that you are available to interact with your staff, answer questions and reinforce their efforts.
See the ACEC Newsletter next month for the second part of COACHING--How to Correct a Performance Problem (and Motivate Employee Toward Improvement)
Your project managers can learn more about ‘people-management’ by attending the 8 months of Future Leader workshops. The next Level I series will start March 2, 2010. Log on to acec-co.org to hear a video or to read more about specific topics and how your project managers can gain by attending. To register please call Jennifer Shaw at 303-832-2200 or email jennifer@acec-co.org. We look forward to welcoming your engineering supervisors 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!
Click Here to watch a video on the benefits of participating in the Future Leaders Program.
© 2009 Nancy Whitsel, Performance Resources Consulting
In The News
ACEC/CO Accepting Awards Nominations
We are now accepting nominations for the following awards:
George Washington Award
Deadline February 12
The 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. It is presented to someone who has exhibited leadership and has had an impact on public policy making and general societal issues. This award recognizes this individual’s unselfish contributions and encourages others to become involved in “big picture” decision making activities.
General Palmer Award
Deadline February 12
The General Palmer Award is given to an engineer in the industry who has made a significant contribution to the State of Colorado, is recognized in the community, whose accomplishments have advanced the engineering community, and whose contributions have made an impact on future generations. Please consider Colorado engineers outside of the consulting industry worthy of this award and submit your nomination.
The George Washington and General Palmer award recipients are recognized at the ACEC/CO Annual Meeting on April 16, 2010 at Lakewood Country Club. Submit your nominations to jennifer@acec-co.org, or mail to 800 Grant St. Suite 100, Denver, CO 80203.
Engineer's Week is February 14th - 20th. The annual engineer's week workshop and dinner, sponsored by NSPE Colorado, will be held on Friday, February 19, at the Double Tree Hotel, South of I-70 at 32nd and Quebec. The theme this year is "Opportunities for Engineering During Economic Recovery." Confirmed speakers include: NREL; EPA, Governor’s Energy Office; DRCOG; CO Springs Utilities; The AV Conduit Project; InterBasin Roundtable; Colorado Water Congress; Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District; Ft. Carson
The workshop will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and the All Engineers Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. Click here to view flyer for more information and registration. Advertising opportunities for the program are also available.
ACEC Soliciting Candidates for National Office
Applications are now being accepted for the ACEC National Office with terms commencing April 2011. The Nominating Committee will be interviewing for the Chair-elect and three Vice Chair positions. If you are interested in applying, contact Marilen Reimer at mar@acec-co.org, or at 303-832-2200. The deadline is April 12, 2010.
To be eligible for Chair-elect, a candidate must be a member or Fellow of the Council and shall have served as the President of a Member Organization, a member of the ACEC Executive Committee or an ACEC Director. To be eligible for Vice Chair, a member shall have been an officer or Director of a Member Organization, a National Director, a member of an ACEC National Committee or an officer of a Special Interest Committee. The Bylaws prohibit more than one officer from the same state on the Executive Committee, with the exception that the Chair-elect may come from any state.
The Nominating Committee will host a reception for candidates and their spouses at the Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. Sunday, April 25, prior to the opening reception. Interviews will be held immediately preceding the October 2010 Fall Conference in Puerto Rico.
View the Officers Guidance Manual and the National Nomination Form for more details and information.
General
- Met with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and other Congressional leaders to discuss infrastructure funding and other economic recovery options; underscored the need to move beyond “shovel ready” to a more sustainable, longer-term program of investment, recovery and job creation.
- Distributed to the ACEC membership a Congressional video tribute to ACEC, honoring ACEC’s 100th anniversary and contributions to the nation (view it on www.ACEC.org).
- Wrapped up ACEC/PAC fundraising efforts for 2009 which yielded $982,000 in both PAC and "direct" giving -- a new record for total political giving including $560,000 to ACEC/PAC – the second highest ACEC/PAC annual total and the highest for an off-election year.
Government Affairs
- Initiated industry-wide effort to move Congress beyond short-term maintenance projects to more substantial, long-term infrastructure programs including a six-year transportation reauthorization bill.
- Worked with APWA and other stakeholder groups to build support for Rep. Bill Pascrell’s (D-NJ) bi-partisan bill to exempt water and wastewater projects from current state volume caps on Private Activity Bonds.
- Provided engineering industry perspectives on addressing infrastructure security and other hazards at the Security, Energy, and Environmental Summit led by the Department of Homeland Security.
- Participated in a meeting with USAID addressing that agency’s operation and procurement of engineering services.
- Minuteman Fund grants were awarded to ACEC/Washington to oppose a trial court decision that would increase engineering firm liability; ACEC/ Wisconsin to oppose a Wisconsin DOT effort to reduce engineering fees on contracts that have already been executed; and ACEC/West Virginia to protect the state’s QBS statute.
Institute for Business Management
- Continued the AASHTO Audit Guide series of highly successful seminars; all five AASHTO webinars are now available for purchase through the ACEC Bookstore as archived downloads..
- Added to ContractsCentral.net a state-by-state list of sealing and stamping requirements for engineers and land surveyors, as well as links to state governing boards for engineers and land surveyors.
- Met with the U.S. Green Building Council to develop partnership for offering USGBC LEED courses for ACEC members; and held discussions with APWA and ASCE to explore joint development and publishing of a sustainable infrastructure project rating system and follow-on educational programs and products.
- Issued Call for Presentations for the 2010 ACEC Fall Business Conference, scheduled for Oct. 17-20, Puerto Rico; submissions will be accepted until January 22, 2010.
Membership NoticesProspective Individual Members
: Prospective Affiliate Members: Welcome Sustaining Members: |
Martin/Martin, Inc. has announced that the following engineers have received their Professional Engineering Licenses: Nathan Marshall, PE, and Kevin Haas, PE received their Professional Engineering License from Colorado. David Lovato, PE, received his Professional Engineering License from New Mexico and Kevin Haas, PE, received his Civil Engineering License from California.
Merrick & Co. of Aurora has expanded its civil engineering group with the addition of two new staff and the promotion of several key team members. Michael Martin has been named public sector market leader, John Holland has been named civil discipline leader, Scott Jardine has been promoted to a civil discipline leader, Troy Kelts was recently hired as a civil-discipline representative for the private sector and Aaron Seal was recently hired as the Colorado Federal civil team leader for Merrick. James Doak, project manager II, has received his Design-Build Institute of America Designated Professional certification.
Apex Design named Steve Markovetz a senior project manager.
URS Denver employees gave back this past season by providing 17 families with holiday baskets that included toys, clothing and holiday meal certificates. Inter-Faith Community Services provided URS the names of families in need. URS Corp. employees also donated 55 new and gently used coats in support of the 28th annual Coats for Colorado campaign.
Denver-based CH2M Hill also gave back to the community this holiday season. On December 6, CH2M Hill hosted a '50s-era themed "Rockin Around the Holidays" celebration with The Arc of Arapahoe and Douglas County for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. CH2M employees also chose three additional charitable organizations to support: Douglas/Elbert Task Force, Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center and the Gathering Place. Also, each year employees participate in the Angel Tree program, providing 234 gifts this year. Nationwide, CH2M Hill offices have donated more than $115,000 to local nonprofits in lieu of holiday parties.
Mark Lancaster joined Kumar & Associates Inc.'s Denver office as the environmental services manager.
ACEC/CO Events
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Marketing and Business Development
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
Upcoming RMMI Lunch n' Learns
The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute offers free "lunch n' learn" programs every first and third Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The courses will be taught in the RMMI classroom at 686 Mariposa St., Denver. Bring your lunch and learn for free: February 3, 2010 - Increasing Moisture Resistance of Masonry Assemblies and February 10, 2010 - Building Dry Single Wythe Walls
Webinar - 2010 A/E/C Industry Forecast
Do you know where the A/E/C industry is headed? Do you wonder how the economic recovery will affect your firm's markets in the coming months and years? PSMJ has pulled together detailed survey data along with our own experience in the A/E/C industry to share with you pertinent 2009 industry trends, forecasts and observations for an intense discussion and analysis.
Join PSMJ January 20, 1:30pm ET as Bill Fanning, PSMJ's Research Director and Dave Burstein, PSMJ's Consulting/Training Director, examine market trends of the design industry, as well as highlights from PSMJ's latest A/E industry surveys.This webcast is registered with AIA and earns you 2.0 CEUs and/or PDHs for each session.
To register, visit the PSMJ website , or call their education department at 800-537-7765 or email education@psmj.com.
- January Webinar - The Art & Science of Proposal Leadership
Why is it such a painful process to write great proposals? In large part, it's because marketers focus on managing the proposal document or proposal system, rather than managing the individuals they must rely on to develop and review quality content. This session offers tools and techniques to develop a proposal "team" where everyone plays together to win using the Four I's: Inclination, Incentive, Information, and Inertia. The webinar will be Tuesday, January 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $20 per attendee. Register online at www.smpscolorado.org.
- Leadership Forum Breakfast - The Tao of Wow: Big Picture Enlightenment to Getting Things Done
Everyone likes to think big, but making a marketing plan work in the midst of deadlines has proven a challenge for many marketers. At the next Leadership Forum, Leslie Peterson, Client Development Manager for Omaha-based Lamp Rynearson & Associates, will discuss how their firm is doing just that. This event will be held Tuesday, January 26, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Oxford Hotel. 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.
Webinar - How to Seal the Weakest Part of Your Building Envelope PLUS The Latest in Window glazing and LEED Credits Receive AIA Credit
Join this live webinar on January 29, 10:00 a.m. MT, to learn step by step how your city, facility or campus could save thousands of dollars in energy loss each year by sealing the building envelope and enhancing window performance. You will learn 1. How to enhance your window performance without window replacement. 2. How to seal the weakest part of your building's envelope. 3. The latest technological developments in energy efficient glazing and how it applies to attaining LEED credits. 4. Which window coating technologies are appropriate for each of your needs. PLUS CASE STUDIES where you can learn what Princeton University, Google, Marriott and Bank of America have done. This webinar is presented by Huper Optik and Green Energy Leaders at Challenge International, Inc. To REGISTER or LEARN MORE go to http://www.GreenEnergyLeaders.com/webcast.htm Cost is $35 per connection.
Learn How to do Business with Denver Public Schools
If you haven't attended this class yet, now is your chance. Presented by Denver Business Associates, topics to be covered are: certification and pre-qualification requirements, registration as a Business Diversity Outreach Program Vendor/Contractor, and how to complete pre-qualification forms. This class will be Tuesday, February 9, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the DPS Training Center, 1350 E. 33rd Ave., Denver. Seating is limited so call now to reserve your seat at 303-455-3099 ext. 4.
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!