Vol. 11 Issue 2 February 2011 Resources
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Engineers Week 2011
National Engineers Week for 2011 is February 20 - 26. However, February is often an "Engineers Month" at ACEC/CO. This month there are many things going on with the Council in celebration of engineering. From our TV program being aired on cable stations across the state, to recognizing our "new faces" and "outstanding women" engineers, to EEA project panels being displayed at the Capitol, we have a lot to be excited about!
Please Read More to view all of the ACEC/CO celebrations during our "Engineers Month."
Is your company celebrating Engineers Week? If so, we want to know about it! Please send us a photo and description of your firm's Engineer Week events and we'll feature it in our March issue of The Voice. Email your content to Robyn Curtis at robyn@acec-co.org.
Future Leaders ~ Celebrating 12 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
The Value of Investing in Professional Development
© Nancy Whitsel, ACEC/CO Future Leader Instructor
In the News
Calling for "Educator of the Year" Nominations
It's time to recognize our outstanding educators in engineering and we need your help identifying them. Without our educators,our industry's future would be very unclear. Please think of Colorado teachers either in your child's school or elsewhere that deserves this kind of recognition.
The ACEC/CO Outstanding Educator of the Year Award is presented annually to an educator who meets the following criteria:
- An educator—usually high school or middle school; not necessarily a teacher.
- Involved in math, science, technology, or industrial arts education.
- Promotes math, science and/or engineering in the classroom.
- Involved in extracurricular activities such as MESA, Bridge Building contest, or school sponsored activities.
- Has been recognized by his/her peers for encouraging students.
Click here to access nomination form. Please return to Robyn at robyn@acec-co.org by March 11, 2011.
2010 Wake-up Call Podcasts Now Available
Good news! If you missed a Wake-up Call Breakfast in 2010, not to worry, we have all of the presentations podcasts available for you. We've had some excellent presenters this past year so check them out here..
News From National
ACEC Small Firm Council Report
From SFC, Steering Committee Member Mark Hamouz:
After the Fall conference, the ACEC Small Firm Council (SFC) has been actively working on influencing government agencies on small business issues, coordinating with the other coalitions to increase the voice of business to these agencies and other associations, and promoting and sponsoring educational and networking opportunities for SFC members. 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..
ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit
The ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit will be held March 30 - April 2, 2011 in Washington DC. Early bird registration deadline is February 18. Book your hotel rooms as soon as possible. This is "Cherry Blossom Time" in D.C.! Read More..
Giving Back - Future of Engineering
FIRST Robotics Team Looking for Sponsors
Since 1992, The FIRST Robotics Competition has been helping high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the lives of engineers and scientists can be.
The First Robotics Competition (FRC) is the highest level of competition for high school teams, requiring students to design and build a robot in a six week build period to compete in regional events and qualify for a national championship tournament. Students work with mentors (who are often engineers) in this process. Teams also compete for animation and website awards, as well as the coveted Chairman’s award, which recognizes the team that best exemplifies FIRST values.
Sponsorships and funding are a must to keep this effort alive. Alpine Robotics Team 159 of Fort Collins has called upon ACEC/CO for help. If you are interested in sponsoring this team, contact Katherine Edelblut at kedelblut@gmail.com. To learn more about the team use the link above. To find out more about FIRST Robotics and how you become further involved. Click Here.
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 Career Training Center
Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.
- Future Leaders Workshops
The Future Leaders Supervisory Skills I Certificate Program and Future Leaders Management Proficiency II Program begin March 1, 2011. Use the links for more information about these courses. Enroll your future leaders today!
- Project Management Seminars
A three seminar series on project management, March 9, April 13 and May 11. Earn up to 12 PDH's. Read More..
ACEC/CO Upcoming Events
- Wake-up Call Breakfast Series
Our next Wake-up Call Breakfast will be Wednesday, March 2, 7:30 a.m. at the Sunrise Sunset Restaurant. Read More..
- 2011 Annual Spring Transportation Symposium
The 9th Annual Spring Transportation Symposium, hosted jointly by ACEC/CO, WTS, ITE and APA will be held Friday, April 8, 2011, at the Pepsi Center. Read More..
- SAVE THE DATE
The ACEC/CO 2011 Annual Meeting will be held Friday, April 22 at Lakewood Country Club. This is our biggest meeting of the year where we make the transition in leadership and present our George Washington, General Palmer, Orley Philips, Outstanding Educator, President's and Committee Chair of the Year awards.
Additional Professional Development
Opportunities and Events
- Free Training: LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Class
Thinking about taking the LEED Green Associate Exam? Prep classes for the exam are offered at NO COST courtesy of the Green Careers for Coloradans Grant.
Click here to find out more and to view schedule for classes.
Click here for info on LEED AP+ BD&C Exam Prep Classes
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
- Green Roofs Seminar: Design, Implementation and Maintenance:
A two-day continuing education seminar at UCD. Read More..
- Retro Chen Cup 2011
Calling all skiers and snowboarders! Break out your 80's ski suits and come join the fun.The Chen Cup is a winter sports event held annually for company teams in the geotechnical/environmental consulting business.Read More..
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National Engineers Week is February 20 - 26. However, February is often an "Engineers Month" at ACEC/CO. This month there are many things going on with the Council in celebration of engineering. From our TV program being aired on cable stations across the state, to recognizing our "new faces" and "outstanding women" engineers, to EEA project panels being displayed at the Capitol, we have a lot to be excited about! This is the 60th anniversary of National Engineers Week. See below for ACEC/CO celebrations. Check out www.eweek.org for the national foundation's events. Is your company celebrating Engineers Week? If so, we want to know about it! Please send us a photo and description of your firm's Engineer Week events and we'll feature it in our March issue of The Voice. Email your content to Robyn Curtis at robyn@acec-co.org. Also let us know if you or someone in your firm is doing any school presentations this month. We can help by providing materials and brochures. ACEC/CO "Engineers Month" Celebrations: EEA Panels to be Displayed at Capitol
The show will also be airing this month on cable access channels in Golden, Lakewood and Mesa County. Click here to view these schedules. You can also watch the program at this link here.
Both the Engineers Week and the Girl Day kits are available at www.eweek.org.
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Future Leaders ~ Celebrating 12 Years of Leadership Excellence for Engineering Professionals
The Value of Investing in Professional Development
© Nancy Whitsel, ACEC/CO Future Leader Instructor
In the past, many ACEC Member firms said their engineers were so busy it was difficult to find time for professional development courses. During these economic times, 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.
Top 3 Reasons Companies Invest in Employee Training:
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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 25, 2011 ACEC luncheon, a group of Future Leader engineers were recognized. Each year we are pleased of this celebratory event and proud to hear from the attendees about the value of their workshop experience.
A new series will start March 1, 2011. Log on to 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. 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 successful and profitable 2011!
ACEC Small Firm Council (SFC) Report
After the Fall conference, the ACEC Small Firm Council (SFC) has been actively working on influencing government agencies on small business issues, coordinating with the other coalitions to increase the voice of business to these agencies and other associations, and promoting and sponsoring educational and networking opportunities for SFC members. A newsletter was published a few months ago which detailed the SFC events held and sponsored during the Fall Conference in Puerto Rico. This newsletter along with other material describing the Small Firm Council's mission and benefits are on the Coalitions & Forums menu on the ACEC website at www.acec.org.
On January 28 and 29, 2011, the yearly winter meeting was held concurrently with the Council of Professional Surveyors (COPS) in San Diego with an attendance of 30 members. This meeting included the CEO Roundtable session, which is always an active event, and issues discussed were the BS+30, retention of employees in the current and future economic climates, the future of health care impacts on employees and firms, and the upcoming SBA proposed regulations on firm size due out for comment soon. After the Roundtable session, in the afternoon and the next morning, the seminar was held entitled "Improving Your Business Operations" presented by Wayne Rivers, President and Co-founder of the Family Business Institute. This seminar provided an interactive opportunity to currently evaluate our businesses and to develop strategies and outlooks for our businesses to succeed in the future.
In-between the roundtable and seminar, many opportunities were available to network with other attending business owners. A pleasant advantage to holding the winter meeting in San Diego was the warm and pleasant weather. The SFC looks forward to holding the winter meeting in another warm location next year in February 2012 and we encourage anyone interested to contact me or another SFC member for details and information.
The Small Firm Council is looking forward to the upcoming ACEC Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., in late March, 2011. The CEO Roundtable will again be held on Friday and the SFC will be sponsoring a couple of seminars, an ice cream social with the exhibitors, and the opportunity to network with fellow SFC members and other ACEC member firms. Hope to see you there!
Submitted by Mark Hamouz, P.E., SFC, Steering Committee Member
General
- Executive Committee approved ACEC’s 2011-12 legislative agenda prioritizing passage of transportation, aviation, water and energy infrastructure; amended the Minuteman Fund strategic goal to accommodate a $2 million reserve war chest (subject to Board approval); underscored the importance of state leadership in meeting PAC goals; met jointly with the FIDIC Executive Committee to discuss international objectives of mutual concern; and with the ACEC/Hawaii leadership on membership issues.
- ACEC/Illinois’ landmark legal victory two weeks ago, supported by the Minuteman Fund, affirmed that the scope of a design professional’s duty is limited to the terms of the contract.
- ACEC/Connecticut was awarded a Minuteman Fund grant to help the MO defend the contracting-out of engineering services in the state.
- ACEC/PAC’s final year-end receipts for 2010 were $580,000 – again establishing ACEC/PAC as the top engineering Political Action Committee in the nation – and in the top 4% of all PACs; 30 states achieved their 2010 ACEC PAC goals, up from 29 in 2009.
- Engineering Inc. won a “Bronze Eddie” from Folio Awards – the largest national competition recognizing excellence in magazine content – for a story on the use of social media in our industry.
Government Affairs
- Updated state executive directors on ACEC legislative efforts in wake of President’s State of the Union address, emphasizing importance of lobbying program at the upcoming Spring Convention. Solicited names of State Coordinators to promote member participation in this program.
- Gained support from key members of the new Congress for repeal of the 3% withholding mandate, including Congressmen Herger (R-CA) and Blumenauer (DOR) taking the lead in the House; and Senators Snowe (R-ME), Brown (R-MA) and Vitter (R-LA) taking the lead on the Republican side in the Senate.
- Met with the President’s Office of Procurement Policy and Small Business Administration to oppose federal in-sourcing and discuss changes to small business size guidelines.
- Lobbied the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID for greater infrastructure spending and “buy American” priority.
- Opposed Department of Labor proposed changes to the definition of a fiduciary for retirement plans that would adversely affect employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
Institute for Business Management
- ACEC’s Contracts website has added the following resources: SIC Codes, Small Business Size Standards, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR), General Service Administration (GSA) Regulations, and Code of Federal Regulations.
- Recent sell-out business webinars: Responding to Requests for Discounts or Unilateral Fee Reductions,and Engineering Opportunities in the Upcoming Urban Water Crises.
- Senior Executives Institute Class 16 focused on effective communication skills and development of business plans.
- Bookstore specials: 10% off all 2010 ACEC bestsellers; 25% off Project Delivery Series
- Bookstore’s top sellers this month: One Year to an Organized Work Life, Marketing in the 21st Century, and 2010 Professional Liability Survey.
By Dave Raymond, ACEC President
ACEC 2011 Annual Convention and Legislative Summit
This is an exciting opportunity for ACEC/CO members to strengthen our message at Capitol Hill at the 2011 convention to be held March 30 - April 2, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington DC. Early bird registration ends on February 18. Book your hotel rooms as soon as possible. this is "Cherry Blossom Time" in D.C.!
"Opportunities and Challenges - The New Congress and the Future of the Industry." Capitol Hill visits will take place during the beginning of the convention with educational programs at the end of the week. Hear from Speaker of the House John Boehner, Incoming Transportation and Infrastructure Chair John Mica and former U.S. Representative Tom Davis on the political dynamics of the New Congress and what it means for our industry. Click here for more information and registration.
Membership Notices
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Roger D. Nelson has been named Vice President of Surveying for Merrick & Company. Nelson will be responsible for statutory and technical matters, professional registrations, and educational requirements related to the firm’s surveying and mapping practice. Randy Kray has joined Merrick's Science & Technology group as Director of Laboratory Architecture. In this role, Kray will be responsible for directing projects and extending Merrick’s global reaching project development and execution. Rich Apolinar has joined Merrick's Aurora office as science and technology business development manager.
URS Corporation recently announced new hires to its team: Anna Nowrot, a Graphic Designer specializing in 3D work who will support the Creative Solutions Group; Sam Percy, a chemist who will be supporting the Environmental Department; Dirk Wold, an air quality specialist who will be supporting URS’ Air Quality and Permitting Team; and Dan Dell’Agnese, an environmental project manager who will support URS’ Planning and Assessment Team.
Congratulations to Merrick & Company for celebrating 15 years in the biofuels and renewable energy markets this year.
Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers added Brandon Tyler to its Albuquerque, NM office. Tyler joined BGCE last week after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Michael Carter recently joined MWH as director of federal strategy and marketing.
The Colorado Association of Geotechnical Engineers announced the following officers for 2011: Mark Vessely of Shannon & Wilson Inc., president; Aaron Bagley of JA Cesare and Associates Inc., treasurer; Paul Jordan of Geocal Inc., secretary; John Hart of Coggins and Sons Inc., past president; Andrew Gardner of PCH Group, LLC, director; Tonya Hart of CTL Thompson Inc., director; Julie Foreman of Tensar International, director.
Erik Nyce, PE, recently joined David Evans and Associates, Inc. as the Roads and Highways Manager.
In Memory:
Chuck Schesel of SEH passed away in November 2010 after a 12 year battle with cancer. Chuck was ACEC/CO's Business Practices Chair several years ago and a strong supporter of the Council and profession. Our condolences go out to his family.
ACEC/CO Events
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Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events
Green Roofs Seminar: Design, Implementation and Maintenance
A continuing education seminar, March 4 - 5, 2011 at the University of Denver, downtown campus.
Green roofs have many benefits that are increasingly being identified, measured, and acknowledged by policy makers and the general public. This intensive one-and-a-half day seminar will give participants the ability gain a general understanding of: the basic elements of a green roofs and green infrastructure – especially for semi-arid and arid climates, the benefits associated with green roofs and green infrastructure, how to select the type of green roof for your project, technical issues necessary to address during design, implementation and maintenance, maintenance issues which ensure longevity of the green roof and green infrastructure, and detailed cost variables for green roofs and green infrastructure. For more information visit the website here.
Retro Chen Cup 2011
Calling all skiers and snow boarders! Break out your 80's ski suits and come join the fun Saturday, March 19 at Eldora Mountain Resort. The Chen Cup is a winter sports event held annually for company teams in the geotechnical/environmental consulting business. Events include a morning race in three divisions; alpine, telemark and snowboard; an afternoon Nordic race in two divisions; classic and skate. Points are accumulated in an individual and team format.
Entry fee is $20.00 for each participant. Specially discounted lift tickets will be available for $30.00. The event is open to friends and family and discount lift tickets are available for friends and family members not competing as well. Lunch will be provide and an après ski party includes snacks and of course free beer!
For more information contact Trisha Fanning at 303-503-7539 or tfanning@trihydro.com. Also, check out the events facebook page.