Vol. 10 Issue 7 July 2010 Committee Spotlight
Programs Annual Scholarship Benefit Golf Tournament Engineering Excellence Awards Competition Resources
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President's Report
In May I reported that the budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was being developed. It was approved at the June Board meeting. This year’s budget is 10 percent less than last year’s and 25 percent less than two years ago with a second year of no dues increase. The number of employees with member firms over the same two year period decreased 21 percent but the total number of member firms only declined by 8 percent. While some firms dropped out, many new firms joined. Here is a snippet about the make-up of our membership: Read More...
Committee Spotlight
Golf Committee
It’s the busiest time of year for the ACEC/CO Golf Committee. With the annual ACEC/CO 
Scholarship Benefit Golf Tournament right around the corner, the committee is hustling to finish up last minute touches for what they hope will be another successful tournament.
“Our main priority is to get both our sponsorships and golfer slots filled up before the end of July,” Golf Committee Chair Jeremy Hahn said. “The sign-up process really drives the rest of our decisions that need to be made over the next month, (prizes, money, gifts, lunches, etc), so all of the committee members make this a priority.”
Hahn said the biggest change for the tournament this year will be the location. The past two years the tournament has been held at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. This year the new location will be at Perry Park Golf Course and Country Club. Just south of Castle Rock, Perry Park’s beautiful fairways are nestled between ancient red rock formations and the trees of the Pike National Forest. Read More....
News from National
President's Report
From ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf. Read more..
ACEC Book Sale
Save 20 percent through July 31 on ACEC's Project Delivery Series through the ACEC bookstore. No coupon is needed, the sale price is reflected on National's web site. ACEC/CO has these books in our library if anyone would like to view before purchasing. Click here to go to the ACEC bookstore.
Puerto Rico - Are You Going? Register Now for Early Bird Discount
Register by July 31, 2010 to receive the early bird discount for the 2010 ACEC National Fall Conference to be held in Puerto Rico, October 17 - 20, 2010. Click here for more information about the conference. Click here to register now or call Krysta Perrault in the ACEC Meetings Department at 202-682-4353 or via e-mail kperrault@acec.org.
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.
Marketing
Advertise in the ACEC/CO Directory and Magazine
Make your firm visible to thousands in the A/E/C industry by advertising in the ACEC/CO Engineering Colorado Magazine and Directory. This publication will be distributed to over 7,500 engineers, architects, contractors, developers and local and state agencies. It will be a resource for many and your ad will be exposed to those who use the directory the entire year and beyond. Read More..
ACEC/CO Events and Professional Development
Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.
- Engineering Excellence Awards Intent to Enter Deadline
The deadline to enter for the 2010-11 Engineering Excellence Awards is July 23, 2010. Entering in the EEA competition is a great way to showcase your firm and all the hard work that goes into your impressive and innovative projects. Read More..
- 2010 Green Building Summit & Expo
October 7, 2010. This will be Colorado’s largest commercial green building conference of the year, with an anticipated attendance of more than 500. Read More..
- Annual ACEC/CO Golf Tournament
August 9, 2010, 8:30 a.m. at Perry Park Golf Course. Come out for a day of fun while supporting the ACEC/CO scholarship fund! Spouses welcome. Read More..
Additional Professional Development
Opportunities and Events
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
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In May I reported that the budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was being developed. It was approved at the June Board meeting. This year’s budget is 10 percent less than last year’s and 25 percent less than two years ago with a second year of no dues increase. The number of employees with member firms over the same two year period decreased 21 percent but the total number of member firms only declined by 8 percent. While some firms dropped out, many new firms joined. Here is a snippet about the make-up of our membership:
In November, Colorado citizens will vote on at least three initiatives that will have a profound impact on state and local public entities to function and build capital projects. Needless to say, the negative business effect is profound. Since these could have a national impact, ACEC-CO acted quickly and decisively requesting ACEC national for Minuteman Funds to help oppose these initiatives. We asked for just under $50,000 which could be granted immediately (based on DC time). This is the first time ACEC-CO has asked for such funding and it was granted. Kudos to the membership! We had about one week to raise at least matching funds. In three business days we had commitments from more than 40 member firms for more than $90,000. I know some of the firms that pledged are in a position that they can ill afford the expense but understood the impact on the vitality of our businesses. The number of firms that participated and the short time frame the dollars were raised impressed national expediting the grant. I would like to thank every firm who helped. Now you need to educate your employees about how passage of these items will impact their lives. The operation of the Council is evolving based on the state of the economy. Historically the Council has published a “Membership Directory” in the fall and an “Engineering Colorado” magazine focusing on member projects in the spring of the following year. This year it was decided to combine the publications so as to avoid asking members to purchase advertisements in one or the other or both. The publication is to focus on projects considered sustainable throughout the state. The directory/magazine is to be released with the October issue of Mountain States Construction so there have been accelerated efforts on our PR consultants, Üli Creative, LLC. and the PR committee to pull this together. We need to also acknowledge the efforts and contribution of the publisher, McGraw Hill Publications in accommodating the change. - Bill Hoffmann, ACEC-CO President |
Golf Committee
It’s the busiest time of year for the ACEC/CO Golf Committee. With the annual ACEC/CO Scholarship Benefit Golf Tournament right around the corner, the committee is hustling to finish up last minute touches for what they hope will be another successful tournament.
“Our main priority is to get both our sponsorships and golfer slots filled up before the end of July,” Golf Committee Chair Jeremy Hahn said. “The sign-up process really drives the rest of our decisions that need to be made over the next month, (prizes, money, gifts, lunches, etc), so all of the committee members make this a priority.”
Hahn said the biggest change for the tournament this year will be the location. The past two years the tournament has been held at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. This year the new location will be at Perry Park Golf Course and Country Club. Just south of Castle Rock, Perry Park’s beautiful fairways are nestled between ancient red rock formations and the trees of the Pike National Forest.
“This is one of the nicest private club’s in the state,” Hahn said. “I think everyone is going to have a great time, enhanced by the awesome views and a challenging golf course.”
The committee tries to pick private courses that not everyone can play at any other time. Hahn said that they have already started to plan for next year by selecting a course for the 2011 tournament.
The primary goal for the Golf Committee is to raise as much money as possible for the ACEC/CO scholarship fund which distributes the money every year to engineering students. These students are selected by the Scholarship Committee every spring through an interview process.
The ACEC/CO golf tournament idea started in 2002 where the committee raised about $3,500 for the scholarship fund. Last year’s tournament contributed about $9,300 which was a new record.
“This allowed us to increase our scholarship awards to $35,000 which we gave to 15 students, an all-time high!” 2009-10 Scholarship Committee Chair Murray McBride said.
“This year in particular, our goal is to match the success of last year’s tournament. The economy has hit our industry hard, so matching the financial successes of the past would be a great feat,” Hahn said.
Despite the economy, the past tournaments have continued to be successful and Hahn said he is confident the committee can hit the $10,000 mark at future tournaments.
Raising money for college kids is the ultimate and rewarding goal for the Golf Committee, but the tournament is about having fun too.
“The golf tournament provides a great opportunity for both members and non-members of ACEC-CO to enjoy a day of fun, camaraderie and kicking your golf ball back into the fairway when others aren’t looking,” Hahn said.
If you are interested in joining the Golf Committee, or would like to participate in this year’s tournament, please contact Jennifer Shaw at jennifer@acec-co.org, 303-832-2200.
Government Affairs
- Headed off a major proposed tax increase on Subchapter S engineering firms in the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010.
- Supported liability protection legislation introduced by Reps. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Jim Matheson (D-UT) for engineering, architectural and construction firms that volunteer in the aftermath of terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
- Testified at a House Highways & Transit Subcommittee hearing on the benefits of “context sensitive solutions” in transportation planning – i.e., taking into consideration the natural and built environments affected by transportation systems.
- Criticized lack of Administration leadership in funding new 6-year transportation authorization and providing necessary capacity expansion – in comments submitted to DOT on its draft Five-Year Strategic Plan.
- Awarded Minuteman Fund grants to: ACEC/Illinois to support an appeal against an adverse court decision on the scope of a design professional's duty; and ACEC/Colorado to help fight against radical ballot initiatives that would seriously undercut the state’s ability to fund infrastructure.
Institute for Business Management
- Members were attracted to ACEC’s eight, highly topical, business seminars over the past month:
- The New Health Care Law: What It Means for Your Firm
- 2009 A/E/C Court Cases: Lessons Learned
- America’s Coming High Speed Rail Markets
- U.S. Water Demand, Supply and Allocation: Trends and Outlook 2010 to 2030
- Achieving Sustainability Goals Through By-Product Synergy
- Commissioning: A Growing Market
- Sponsored jointly with ACEC/Colorado, a two-day course: Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness
- Realizing BIM Profitability Potential
- Added two new resources to the Contracts Central web site: a state-by-state listing of statutes of limitations for personal injury lawsuits; and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure guidelines for expert witnesses
- Bookstore hot sellers for the month: Wired to...Clients (ACEC); The Blue Sourcebook: Business Practices and Risk Management for Engineering Firms (ACEC); EJCDC E-500: Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner & Engineer for Professional Services.
General
- Addressed “Industry Achievements and Challenges” – including recent ACEC “wins” exempting A/Es from Project Labor Agreements and eliminating mandatory retainage on federal contracts – at the ACEC/Massachusetts 50th anniversary celebration, as well as at the ACEC/Metro Washington annual meeting.
- ACEC/Indiana became the third state so far to meet its 2010 PAC goal; and has met its goal for eight straight years “recognizing the importance ACEC/PAC to our advocacy programs.”
- Undertook “hands on” membership recruitment efforts in California, Rhode Island, Oregon, Colorado and Massachusetts, as part of an intensified program of recruitment and retention in a challenging economy.
- Participated in the annual conferences of the Canadian and Mexican engineering associations to promote mutual understanding on infrastructure funding, liability reform and other issues of common interest.
By Dave Raymond, ACEC President
Advertise in the ACEC/CO Directory and Magazine
Make your firm visible to thousands in the A/E/C industry by advertising in the ACEC/CO Engineering Colorado Magazine and Directory. This publication will be distributed to over 7,500 engineers, architects, contractors, developers and local and state agencies. It will be a resource for many and your ad will be exposed to those who use the directory the entire year and beyond.
For the first time we are combining our annual magazine and membership directory for the 2010/2011 edition. This publication will be distributed along with the October edition of Mountain States Construction. It will reach the ACEC/CO membership as well as the entire readership of Mountain States Construction. THIS WILL BE OUR BIGGEST AND MOST BROADLY DISTRIBUTED ACEC COLORADO PUBLICATION EVER!
Contact McGraw Hill Publications to take advantage of this marketing opportunity. Click the above link for more information.
Membership NoticesProspective Individual Members: Welcome Individual Members: Stanley Kobayashi, KDG Engineering, LLC. P.O. Box 620337, Littleton, CO 80162-0337. 303-868-2489 skobayashi@engineering.com. Stanley is a graduate of University of Hawaii with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a M.S. degree in Structures. KDG Engineering, LLC provides bridge and miscellaneous structure design. Recommendations came from Mike Kibbee, Tim Eversoll, and Nancy Clanton. Ceila Rethamel, WHPacific, Inc. 12596 W. Bayaud Ave. Ste 200, Lakewood, CO 80123. 720-963-4361 crethamel@whpacific.com. Ceila is a graduate of University of Wyoming with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Interviewed by membership committee. Life Membership Transfer: |
Congratulations to Ralph Christie for being named a finalist for Denver Business Journal’s 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year!
Scott Tonn of EMC Engineers recently became a Certified Commissioning Authority through the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG). Matt Dubrovich, PE, Ryan Hughes, PE, and Megan Van Wieren, all with EMC, are now Certified Energy Managers. Matt also recently became a Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP).
Cassie Slade of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. has recently received her professional engineer certification from the state of Colorado Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and 
Professional Land Surveyors.
Anne Pagano was recently promoted to associate at Drexel Barell & Co.
CH2M Hill named Daniel Baxter practice director for transportation operations.
The RMH Group has promoted Kirsten Cremona, P.E., LEED AP and Mike Watkins, P.E., LEED AP to client team managers.
Olsson Associates' Amy Gabor, Ben Messersmith and Will Lambert have passed their professional engineering exams.
Shaffer Baucom Engineering & Consulting of Lakewood recently hired Laura Carpenter as an electrical engineer and promoted Marcus Brand to Revit manager and Shane Copsey to CAD manager.
Corey Rhodes was recently promoted to project manager at the Fort Collins office of Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers.
URS Corporation recently volunteered to help the animals at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Hudson, CO. More than 50 URS employees spent the day planting trees and mulching fields to assist the non-profit organization in caring for its more than 150 animals,including big cats, bears, and wolves. URS conducted this event through its “Employee Volunteer Program” or EVP.
URS has named Diana Kazmer to the position of Environmental Marketing Manager for its 500+ person Denver office.
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