Educational Sessions

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm	NAECE Meeting I
8:00 am - 3:30 pm	HR Forum I Join roundtable discussions on: HR legal trends, social media, generational issues in the workplace, HR department structure and what's changed in your firm since 2009.
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm	NAECE/ACEC Staff Reception

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

8:00 am - 12:00 pm	HR Forum II
8:00 am - 3:00 pm	Sales & Marketing Forum Join industry professionals and share ideas, promote best practices and network with peers.
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm	CEO Roundtables Join CEOs & Other Executive from firms nationwide for an interactive discussion of best practices, business management concerns & cother issues of interest to you and your peers.       Small 1 - 50 employees       Medium 51 - 200       Large 201 - 500       Very Large 501+
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm	CIO Forum Jim Walsh, AECOM; Susan Brandt, Bentley Systems, Inc. Join other chief information officers in a peer-to-peer discussion of emerging topics, IT challenges, new technologies, and best practices. Sponsored by Bentley Systems
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Joint CEO/CIO Roundtable Facilitator: Wayne Horlacher, Atkins North America Opening presentations by AECOM, Jacobs, and Thorton Tomasetti Following the CEO and CIO roundtables, these two groups will join together for a broader discussion of organization-wide challenges, administration and operations, intellectual property, and other issues of mutual concern.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

8:00 am - 10:00 am	Opening General Session Governor Mike Huckabee on "The 2012 Presidential Race" Host of the Fox News weekend hit "HUCKABEE" and noted author, Governor Huckabee will discuss the political climate in America and handicap the 2012 presidential race at the one-year mark. Sponsored by ACEC Business Insurance Trust CEO Panel: "Looking Ahead at Our Industry" with CDM CEO Richard Fox, AMEC President Hisham Mahmoud, and Sargent & Lundy CEO Bud Wendorf Top ENR 500 CEOs adderss today's challenges, provide business insights, and map strategy for growth.
10:30 am - 11:45 pm	Social Network Analysis: Fixing Bottlenecks Across High-Functioning Teams Cheryl May, MORF Consulting; Christopher Sherry, PE, Merrick & Co. When the project team is working at greatest efficiency, creativity, and unity, work is accomplished faster, at a lower cost, and with fewer changes or repeats. When the leadership team is similarly in harmony, the firm can make faster and better strategy decisions and move to react quickly in a shifting marketplace. This session will examine real life case studies from firms and projects to illustrate how the scientific process of Social Network Analysis pinpoints breakdowns and bottlenecks in team communications and trust. It will demonstrate how this analysis can lead to corrective changes and renew the team with increased trust, faster flow of work and creativity, and improved team cohesion — providing measurable cost benefits to clients, projects, and leadership teams within the firm. Raise Your Marketing ROI — Using Real-World Numbers to Measure and Manage Your Firm's Business Development Activities David Stone, Stone and Company Measuring the return on your marketing and business development investment can be tricky. This session will give you the tools and techniques to manage that effort while improving the effectiveness of your 'get work' process. This session will examine how much to spend on marketing, what to expect from a marketing program, how to set up an appropriate marketing program, what to do in-house and what to out-source, setting goals and expectations for marketing staff, and measuring results. Sounding the Alarm: Collapsing Infrastructure Can't Wait Barry LePatner, LePatner & Associates Restoring the engineers in our transportation system to positions where they can exercise their professional judgment free of political or financial constraints is a critical step toward ensuring that work on our most deteriorated roads and bridges is performed according to their needs, rather than treating all infrastructure equally. Infrastructure expert Barry LePatner uses the tragic example of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis to illustrate the desperate condition of infrastructure in the U.S. and emphasizes the key role civil engineers should play in reforming the way we repair and maintain this critical part of our national security and economy. Ethics for Engineers Michael J. Vardaro, Zetlin & Dechiara, LLP Ethical questions are often raised at critical times during the activities of a firm, or during the timeline of a Project. The ability to evaluate ethical dilemmas and make timely decisions is critical to the forward momentum of any organization or project. In today's business environment, engineers are faced with many ethical dilemmas. This session offers an interactive presentation using case studies to examine an engineer's ethical obligations, providing the requisite knowledge an engineer needs to navigate through difficult issues that arise during business development, the design and construction of projects, and in dealing with clients and colleagues. CASE SESSION: ConsensusDOCS: Friend or Foe? Stephan F. "Hobie" Andrews, Vandevender and Black We are familiar with the alphabet soup of contract documents: Agreements authored by AIA, EJCDC, DBIA, CMAA and others. But there is a new kid on the block — ConsensusDOCS — and the momentum is increasing for the use of its documents as a basis for our contracts for professional services. This session will address the history and content of the ConsensusDOCS form agreements and will provide recommendations for their successful use and negotiation.
12:00 pm - 2 pm	Keynote Luncheon Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval on "Economic Recovery" Hear Nevada's governor speak on the state's economy recovery, the direction of infrastructure spending in Nevada, and his insights on trends developing in other states. Keynote Address — "Three Curses: The Road Ahead" — Craig Martin, CEO, Jacobs In his Keynote Address, Martin shares his vision for the potential strategic and tactical responses of our industry in the face of regulation, constrained resources and global competition.
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm	Engineering Firm Ownership Models for the New Decade Ian Rusk and Michael O'Brien, Rusk O'Brien Gido + Partners The majority of engineering firms are privately held by their employee-managers, so a firm's ability to survive and thrive therefore depends on management's ability to attract, develop and retain subsequent generations of owner-leaders. Unfortunately, old models and strategies are not always as effective anymore. And it's not only not only for ownership and corporate governance: Cultural and demographic differences require us to consider new models. This session explore the ownership models most likely to succeed in the new decade. Engineering in the Cloud — Integrating Cloud Services into Your IT Strategy Chris Pinckney, Psomas Cloud services have become the talk of the town. From Amazon to Microsoft to cloud-delivering start-ups, this session takes participants through various cloud offerings, and what the potentials are for cost savings and increased productivity. This session will explore cloud services in the modern world, and will look at how one design firm leveraged the cloud to save money, enable a mobile workforce, and strengthen its disaster recovery posture. Hear about dangers and pitfalls, but also successes, from the perspective of an engineering firm IT professional — one who pushes the limits of what is possible while staying in touch with other industry experts on their lessons learned. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Fee — A Long-term Solution for Financing Transportation Programs? James Whitty, Oregon Dept. of Transportation Transportation funding issues are a significant problem in our industry today. This session will examine a study conducted by several state DOTs and led by Oregon DOT, that looked the technology and policies necessary to charge drivers for the amount of miles they drive, as a long-term replacement to the gas tax for financing transportation programs. NAECE Session — Retention & Recruitment: The Value Proposition Mary Erchul, Parsons Brinckerhoff; David E. Peterson, AMEC Earth & Environmental; Clinton O. Robinson, Black & Veatch Corp.; Gregg W. Spangnolo, AECOM USA, Inc.; Leo H. Hoch, ACEC Learn and discuss what larger firms value and expect from state organizations and how they make the decision to join and renew their state membership. CASE SESSION: BIM and the Bottom Line Mary Erchul, Parson Brinckerhoff; David E. Peterson, AMEC Earth & Environmental; Clinton O. Robinson, Black & Veatch Corp.; Gregg W. Spangnolo, AECOM USA, Inc.; Leo N. Hoch, ACEC Without a doubt, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has transformed engineering design practice in recent years. The business stakes are high: adoption of BIM requires substantial capital, training, and workflow disruption. But are we getting a return on our investment? This session will explore this question by looking at real world example projects. This session will include discussion of the business realities of this new tool including: BIM dreams — elements of successful projects, BIM nightmares — lessons learned from projects gone wrong, risk management and the new CASE White Paper on BIM, enabling new services using BIM and BIM as a tool to build client relationships.
4 pm - 5:15 pm	Bringing the "A" Game to Marketing & Business Development in Your Firm Judy Hricak, Gannett Fleming, Inc. This session will demonstrate a process for enhancing the skills of your technical and professional marketing and business development teams, resulting in improved personal, client and business development efforts. Qualification statements, proposals, presentations, marketing plans, promotional activities, and information/organization management can be focused and support the strategic goals of your firm. Strategic marketing is the way to improved ROI, and it is key to your firm's future success. A Win-Win Approach to Risk Management Michael Feroz, PE, Gilbane Building Company, Water/Wastewater Group This session will examine the use of a transparent risk management strategy to create a win-win approach between the owner, engineer and contractor in managing high risk elements of construction. It discusses the utilization of jointly managing the risks and thereby minimizing cost, maximizing profit, and demonstrating the risk management process to the insurer. The development of a risk management plan, including processes and methods, is also laid out. Renew Houston Charter Amendment: Innovative Funding for Municipal Infrastructure Jeff E. Ross, Pate Engineers, Inc; Edwin Friedrichs, Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. Political funding decisions over a twenty year period left the street and drainage systems of Houston with an uncertain future in the current political paradigm. The decision to energize a grass-roots call for change and to effectively demand attention to the issue by charter amendment puts Houston in a position for widespread improvements unlike other municipal areas. Come hear how this effort unfolded and how engineering professionals led the charge for a dedicated, pay-as-you-go system for Houston. NAECE Session — IRS Audits of Non-Profits: Beware of Compensation and Compliance Rules Drew Smith, LarsonAllen LLP; Barry Doyle, ACEC Since 2008, the IRS has hired a disproportionately greater number of agents to handle audits of non-profit organizations, thereby increasing the likelihood of your organization being audited. What are they focusing on? What do you need to know — and do — to ensure that you are in compliance? This session will cover issues related to employee and independent contractor classification, reporting benefits and expense reimbursements to officers and board members, officer compensation, loans to officers, and more. CASE Session — Risks Associated with Technology Gregg Bundschuh, Greyling Insurance Brokerage and Risk Consulting, Inc. Design firms are exposed to various risks on each project. Most of the risk management items that garner the most attention are design processes such as software and quality assurance. However, there are risks associated with the use of technology. This session will focus on these issues which include data integrity, hardware security, business continuity/disaster recovery, as well as the increasing use of BIM.

Friday, October 21, 2011

8:30 - 9:45 am	Generation Flux: Building an Employee Performance Culture Across the Generations Geordie Aitken, Aitken Leadership Group This session will assert that 'Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast'. Using case examples, best practices, and audience participation, this session will de-mystify organizational 'culture' and offer a roadmap for creating a high-performance culture in your firm. This session will offer particular insight into the cultural challenges, opportunities and development strategies for the different generations in your organization. The Professional Liability Insurance Market: Getting Better or Worse? Dan Knise, Ames & Gough; Kate Enos Frownfelter, Victor O. Schinnerer/CNA; Tom Bongi, Catlin Design Professional; Bob Rogers, Lexington Insurance Company; Michael Davis, Zurich Insurance; Lenny Waldhauser, RLI Insurance Co. Professional liability insurance is key to protecting engineering firms' assets and enabling them to work for the many clients that require the coverage. Still many engineers are not up-to-date on how emerging industry trends (e.g. integrated project delivery and alternate project delivery, BIM, sustainable design, international expansion) affect availability and cost of PL insurance. This session will explore these topics with leaders from the largest A/E PL insurers. The Water/Energy Nexus — Connecting the Dots Forbes Guthrie, Stewart Environmental Consulting, Inc. Water consumption and allocation is often directly related to capacity for energy production. Rapid population growth, increasingly energy-demanding lifestyles, and the exploitation of energy resources from fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable have all helped to shape our current energy landscape. Urban growth, energy, production, agricultural, industrial and climate pressures have promoted water as the looming crisis. The nexus of water and energy prompts the need for a closer look into the economic, environmental, and security implications of energy alternatives, and the increasing demand these alternatives are placing on water resources. This session frames the Water Energy Nexus in a systemic context, showing the problems, opportunities and innovative solutions. Getting Your Story Told: How Engineers Can Build a Strong Media Relations Program Gail Hulnick, WindWord Communications What do you have to do to draw media attention to your firm's goals and activities? How do you make sure that your communication with the news media goes well? A high and positive profile in the news media can add value to your company and help you win contracts and positive coverage. This interactive session will examine a blueprint for an effective strategic media relations plan and the tools you can use to build it. Attendees will have an opportunity to examine the parts of an effective media strategic plan and analyze the dynamics of a successful interview. COPS/LDC — Merging the Output of Design Software with Automated Machine Guidance (AMG) Equipment Bruce Flora, PLS, Data Pro Ltd/Flora Surveying Assoicates Automated machine guidance (AMG) equipment is maturing in the construction phase of the project. The equipment can achieve high productivity rates while increasing accuracy. Engineers need to understand the different qualities of 3D Digital Terrain Models.
10:15 - 11:30 am	Fast Future! Fifteen Trends and What AEC Industry Firms Must Do to Survive and Thrive John Doehring, J. Doehring & Co The Fast Future is not coming — it's here. The next twenty years will bring a global transformation of astounding scale, with big winners and big losers. AEC industry firms with a 'business as usual' approach face a rocky ride — and untimely death. This session will offer an engaging, energizing, eye-opening discussion of the fifteen uber-trends impacting our industry and world, and what AEC leaders must do to survive and thrive in an exploding Fast Future. Design-Build Risks — Contracting and Succeeding with Contractor-Led Projects David A. Ericksen, Serverson & Werson; John Droustas, Travelers Insurance Contractor led design-build can be a good thing or a big problem. Working with a contractor is far different than contracting directly with the project owner. Managing this relationship starts with managing risk. Presenters will address legal, insurance and risk management issues that will help your design-build projects become a success and not a mess. Talking Transportation Funding — Messages that Yield Results in a Post-Recession World Larry Moscow, Maslansky, Luntz & Partners AASHTO recently released a report written by a public relations firm on how to talk about transportation issues and policy in a way that resonates with the public. Hear one of the consultants who conducted the study outline the findings and recommendations for transportation policy and funding discussions. Introduction to the ISI's New Sustainable Project Rating Tool envision and How it can Help Your Firm Fran Eide, City of Olympia, WA; Tom Pederson, CDM The modern world is asking firms to expand their focus by looking not just at technical project aspects, but at social/cultural and environmental impacts as well. This special session will outline a new infrastructure sustainability rating system developed by ACEC, APWA and ASCE, on behalf of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, that will help benchmark technical, environmental and social responsibility elements of projects. Learn the details about the new rating system and how your professionals can begin applying the tools for clients. Hiring and Integrating Discipline-Driven Talent Into Your Organization Katy McDonald & Jennifer Kaplan, Matteson Partners This informational session will cover best practices and methods for recruiting and retaining top Engineering talent with discipline expertise. The session will explain techniques for sourcing, evaluating, and interviewing candidates through consistent and standardized hiring processes. In addition, it will explore ways to hire and integrate talent based upon discipline expertise and cultural fit. The session will highlight industry-related methodologies for targeting passive candidates and sourcing top talent in a recovering economic market.
11:45 am - 1:45 pm	Awards Luncheon John Hofmeister, former President, Shell Oil "America's Energy Future" Author of Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider, the former President of Shell Oil proposes candid and insightful solutions and a plan for America to achieve energy security and affordability.
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm	Insolvency of Governmental Units — Options for Protecting Your Firm Richard L. Levine and Kenneth E. Rubenstein, Nelson Kinder Mosseau & Saturley, P.C.; Mario Maraccio, CDM; Geoffrey E. Heekin, AON Global Construction Practice It has become apparent that even governmental units are at risk of financial failure, and some have already filed Bankruptcy under Chapter 9. Many authorities — like water resource authorities or turnpikes — may not even be regarded as governmental units eligible to file Chapter 9. What are the choices these units have when they become insolvent, and what is the impact on engineering firms? This session will explore a range of options available in order to minimize the adverse impact of a financial weakness, both generally and especially by governmental units. A Safer Landing When You Can't See the Runway: Managing Technology Risks in the Cloud Mark Hamouz, LONCO, Inc.; Guy LeVan, XL Design Engineering firms may be just realizing how much of their computer processes are performed in the Cloud. Because we focus so much on design projects, we often overlook the pitfalls of existing technologies like email as well as the futuristic processes of Cloud Computing. In the end, all these neat high-tech tools are still IT processes and electronic communication channels that need to be managed effectively to maximize opportunities and minimize risk for the firm. The Future of America's Navigable Waterways — Transportation, Water Resources, and Flood Plain Management James Walker, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water and waterways have historically been resources we take for granted, from drinking supplies, to managing water, to transporting goods. This session will explore the state of America's waterways from the perspective of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency with primary responsibility for managing the country's water resources, with an eye to where the work might be. CAMEE: Roundtable on Critical Issues Affecting MEP Firms Robin Greenleaf, Architectural Engineers, Inc.; Michael DeSantiago, Primera Engineers The CAMEE leadership will facilitate a discussion on major topics and critical issues facing the profession today.
2:15 pm - 5:15 pm	SEI Workshop: How Firm Culture Affects Strategy Success Kyle Davy, Kyle V. Davy Consulting; Rod Hoffman, S&H Consulting; Geordie Aitken, Aitken Leadership Group Best practice suggests that firms should have a clear, robust, motivational strategy. However, the best laid strategies often fail to deliver on promised results. Why? Culture drives strategy. Before chartering new initiatives, leaders need to build high performance cultures prepared for the change that inevitably flows from new strategies. After plans are set, leaders must remain actively engaged in guiding implementation efforts to assure execution. Join the instructors from ACEC's Senior Executives Institute in this interactive session to build your mastery of strategic leadership, before and after the plan. Note: Workshop open to all conference attendees!
4 pm - 5:15 pm	Email, Twitter and Facebook — Protect Your Firm Scott Freedman, Morris Polich & Purdy, LLP This session will discuss the do's and don'ts in the ever-changing world of social media technology in order to avoid legal issues and prevent lawsuits. Several recent cases revolving around employees' use of social media have been filed which may be precedent-setting. As more cases of this type inevitably arise, it will become increasingly important for employers, managers, supervisors and project managers to understand how developments in social media can affect employment law. The M&A Process — What You Need to Know Michael S. Landry, FMI Capital Advisors Why are some acquisitions successful, while others destroy value? What is the M&A process? What are the opportunities and the risks? What are the special issues involved in combining engineers with constructors? This session will look at how to think about, plan for, and structure the process to better ensure a successful outcome. Join an industry veteran with significant M&A experience at leading firms to examine these important questions and give you concrete suggestions for structuring the process. Biofuels and Windfarms – Innovative Energy Solutions Paul L. Hauck, CDM; Ron Versaw, TetraTech As a result of growing concerns about climate change and energy independence, it has become clear that America's — and the world's — energy future cannot rely solely on non-renewable petroleum product sources. This session will take a look at two renewable alternatives to petroleum-based energy: biofuels and windfarms. The session will explore converting municipal solid waste, including waste paper, tree limbs, grass clippings, etc., into energy, and it will offer the perspective of an experienced practitioner working on windfarms across the country about their effectiveness and future.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

8:45 am - 10 am	Green Design: New Liabilities, Risks, and Insurance Strategies Mark Garbowski, Esq., Anderson, Kill & Olick, P.C. As green building booms, novel technologies and materials inevitably lead to novel losses and damages. This session will discuss the new risks and proposed advantages of sustainable design and construction, explore the availability of coverage for both traditional insurance policies and novel green products, and offer practical tips for managing risks during this period of transition.
8:45 am - 11:45 am	SMALL FIRM COUNCIL SESSION: Making the Leap From Engineer to Business Leader Scott W. Braley, Braley Consulting & Training It is not uncommon for engineers to move into firm leadership and senior management roles. Yet, not all engineers get the opportunity — and those who do find that making the transition is literally a whole new adventure. When you make the leap you're still an engineer, but you take on new challenges that are as complex as any technical problem you have solved! In this interactive session, you will address what it takes to create the opportunities, make the transition, and sustain firm and personal success; plus answer your specific questions about moving from engineer to business leader!
9:00 am - 2 pm	Optional Technical Tour I: Hoover Dam and Bypass Bridge Tour (2.5 PDHs offered) Take a guided tour through the passageways of the Hoover Dam and view its massive hydroelectric generators and the Dam's towers and spillways. Learn how it was built and its role in local water management today. Following the tour of the Dam, visit the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge where Bill Dowd, EVP of HDR and Design Team Project manager, will explain its design and construction. A box lunch is included. Be sure to wear good walking shoes. Bus departs from main entrance of Caesars Palace at 9 am. Cost: $110.00 per person