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Volume XXIII,
Number 17
May 29, 2002
Annual Convention Issue

1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax 202-898-0068
www.acec.org

E-mail acec@acec.org

Ellen Mullally, Editor
Francis George, Production Manager
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  ACEC Means
Business

What Has ACEC Done For You Lately?

Here are just a few of ACEC's recent accomplishments to advocate pro-business solutions with lawmakers, policy-makers and the public:

  • Leading the business community's successful fight against legislation that would limit federal outsourcing of engineering services and set a dangerous precedent for state and local jurisdictions.

  • Pushing ACEC-drafted legislation in Congress — HR 3678— to reform the Fair Labor Standards Act to protect member firms from unfair enforcement actions.

  • Leading successful fight in Congress to protect federal transportation spending in the F.Y. 2003 budget.

Opportunity Is Key To Retention

After spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars training new hires, it is frustrating to watch another firm lure them away. ACEC's new seminar, Human Resources: The Art of Compensation and Transition (HR A.C.T.) focuses on employee retention and succession planning from the perspective of an HR director or administrator. The Coxe Group will explore more than 15 kinds of opportunities that will help you retain employees.

There are eight dates and locations to choose from. Go to www.acec.org for a complete list or contact Anna Johnson (ajohnson@acec.org or 202-682-4349).

Highway Official Featured At Next Market Forecast Session

David Price, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) newly appointed program manager for transportation security, will be the featured speaker at the next ACEC Market Forecast Series event on June 6.

Join us in person or through a teleconference at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) to find out about FHWA projects and budgets for F.Y. 2003, as well as proposed changes in the contracting process.

Contact Nancy Mosely, (nmosely@acec.org, 202-682-4324) to register or go online to www.acec.org.

Quotable From Las Vegas:

"Engineers have always been challenged to stretch the limits, to go beyond the state-of-the-art."
—Henry Petroski, keynote speaker

"Our focus as an organization-advocacy and business issues-is right on target."
—Mac MacMurray, ACEC vice chairman, 2000-2002

"Sending love to others boosts your immune system and theirs."
—Amanda Gore, motivational speaker

"Managing an operation is a true balancing act that requires diverse talents and creative tension."
—Donna Shirley, luncheon speaker

GA Report

This week's edition:  May 24, 2002

Big Turnout For Annual Convention; Record High PAC Giving

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman welcomed the nearly 900 attendees at ACEC's 2002 Annual Convention, saying that Las Vegas is the fastest-growing city in the United States-the perfect location for an organization "going places."


ACEC President Dave Raymond presents outgoing Chairman Steve Goddard with "outstanding service" award.
ACEC's Political Action Committee raised $60,000 - a new record. To date in this two-year election cycle, the PAC is running well ahead of the last two-year period, "showing greater enthusiasm by members than ever before," according to Joe Paoluccio, ACEC/PAC trustee chairman.

The "Private Sector Markets Conference" — the first of its kind —- revealed new business opportunities for engineering firms in real estate, energy, food processing and health care. Speakers from Tysons Food, Marriott, the U.S. Energy Association, HKS Health Care and ENR magazine shared "extraordinarily valuable insights on new sources of business," according to many participants.

"It was a great convention," said Leo Peters, chairman of Weston & Sampson in Peabody, Mass. "The CEO roundtable discussions alone are worth the price of admission and the educational sessions are on pertinent subjects that relate to my business."

Claude Paul Boivin, president of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada said, "I was impressed with the professionalism with which the program and events were organized, along with the good humor, camaraderie and the sense of moving forward."

New Chairman Sets Course; Strategic Plan Approved


ACEC Chairman Dan DeYoung unveils "action" agenda for year ahead.
In his first official remarks as 2002-2003 ACEC chairman, Dan DeYoung said that he will "keep the ACEC ship moving in a straight line on the course set by the new strategic plan."

DeYoung charged two revamped committees with playing key roles: The Government Advocacy Committee, headed by Past Chairman Steve Goddard, and the Business Services Committee, headed by Past Chairman Les Poggemeyer, will provide "action steps" for reinforcing ACEC's position as the premier business resource and advocate of America's engineering industry.

ACEC's new Strategic Plan approved by the board of directors highlighted six strategic goals:

  1. Become recognized by all engineering companies in the United States as their legislative advocate for the promotion and protection of their business interests.
  2. Become recognized by all engineering companies in the United States as their primary resource on business practices.
  3. Become recognized by all stakeholders in the built environment as the national voice of the engineering industry.
  4. Grow ACEC/PAC to a $1 million-per-year PAC by 2006, while "capturing" the influence of our most politically active individual members.
  5. Grow the Minuteman Fund to $1 million by 2006.
  6. Double overall membership and recruit 90 percent of ENR's Top 500 design firms as members by 2010.
"The Strategic Plan is designed to keep us focused on achieving our advocacy and business goals," said Goddard. "It is a living document to be actively used for gauging our progress."

"The Plan captures ACEC's bedrock priorities and seeks to achieve them in a very practical way," said Robin Greenleaf, national director from ACEC/Massachusetts. "It is now up to us and the rest of the Council to turn the words of the Strategic Plan into reality."

Council Backs New Outsourcing Policy; Broadens Leadership Opportunities


Chairman Dan DeYoung discusses the Council's outsourcing policy with FDIC President Eigil Pederson.
ACEC's board of directors unanimously approved a strong policy statement on outsourcing to guide the Council's advocacy efforts to eliminate government competition.

"After the Proposition 224 and 35 fights, and new engagements in other states, ACEC strongly advocates the principle that government should outsource 100 percent of engineering design work not considered inherently governmental," said ACEC President Dave Raymond In order to facilitate greater participation in Council leadership, the ACEC board approved amendments to the bylaws to (a) broaden the types of experience that qualify a member to serve on the Executive Committee, and (b) allow the chair-elect to come from any MO, regardless of whether an individual from that MO is currently serving on the ExCom.

"Jay Leno" Emcees Awards Luncheon


Steve Goddard presents ACEC's Community Service Award to Jay Shah.
Annual Convention attendees were entertained by late-night talk show host look-alike "Jay Leno" who presided over the ACEC's awards luncheon. Thomas Newhof, president of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Prein & Newhof, and Jay Shah, chairman and president of Rochester Hills, Mich.-based Spalding DeDecker Associates, each received the prestigious Community Service Award from outgoing Chairman Steve Goddard.

ACEC/Wisconsin, ACEC/North Carolina, ACEC/South Dakota and ACEC/Colorado received awards for achieving the greatest membership growth during the past year. Thirteen other MOs also received membership growth awards. In addition, 16 newly elected fellows and the graduating class of Senior Executives Institute V were recognized.

"I thought having 'Jay Leno' was a brilliant way of presenting the awards," said Fred Berger, senior vice president of The Louis Berger Group in Washington, D.C. "I enjoyed it enormously!"


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