ACEC - The Last Word July 11, 2003

Vol. XXIV, Number 25
July 11, 2003
1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax 202-898-0068
www.acec.org
E-mail acec@acec.org
Alan D. Crockett, Director, PR
Ann Brandstadter,
Editor/Designer

ACEC Means
Business

Training Scheduled For MO Executives And Staff For New ACEC Member Portal
In anticipation of the new Member Portal on ACEC’s website, which debuts later this month, training via the Internet has been scheduled for MO executive directors and other staff on July 17 and August 6 (choice of date), at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
The Member Portal will enable ACEC members to personally update their membership records on an ongoing basis. These updates will tie directly to the expanded ACEC Online Membership Directory that will debut at the same time as the Member Portal.
Member Organization staff will have the opportunity to extract membership reports from this portal. Executives and staff not yet scheduled for this training should contact Mary Ann Emely, memely@acec.org. Officers interested may also sign on.

Educational Materials From Boston Convention Now Available!
The ACEC Annual Convention’s Compendium is a comprehensive guide to the sessions presented in Boston— a must-have for those who missed the convention.
Included are PowerPoint presentations, outlines and handouts. Order now, as only limited quantities of this resource remain. To order, call Rina Lee at 202-347-7474, or click here.
ACEC Annual Convention Compendium; May 2003. $75.

Keep Your Business Practices Fair, Square And Legal
“Fair and consistent application of personnel policies defines safe management and also contributes to proactive management, preventing problems from getting out of hand.”
This is an excerpt from Fair, Square and Legal: Safe Hiring, Managing, & Firing Practices to Keep You & Your Company Out of Court. For more information and to order this book click here.
Price: $29.95
Or receive this book for FREE when you purchase any of the EJCDC Documents listed here.

Hertz Offers Savings For ACEC Members!
ACEC members can save up to 15 percent at participating locations in the U.S. and around the world. Go to www.hertz.com for reservations on-line or call 1-800-654-2200. Be sure to mention the ACEC promotional code listed here to receive your discount!

New DVD Set About “Making Money”
Exclusively for A/E/P and Environmental Leaders, Making Money in the A/E/P and Environmental Consulting Business is a 3-DVD set that allows you to benefit from the exclusive presentation created by ZweigWhite.
Making Money will teach you how profitable your firm can be. You’ll learn the best way to strategically plan your firm’s business, ways you can raise prices and much more.
The presentation is conducted by A/E management guru Mark Zweig and financial expert Lan Rusk. Click here to order. Price: $495.

ACEC Defeats Challenge To FLSA Reform;
“Big Win For Our Industry,” Says Flicker

Eric Flicker, ACEC Chairman
ACEC and its industry allies have defeated an amendment on the floor of the House of Representatives that could have derailed the Council’s efforts to reform and update the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

After an intensive lobbying on Capitol Hill by ACEC staff and a grassroots letter-writing campaign by ACEC members, the House rejected (213-210) the anti-reform amendment offered by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) to the F.Y. ’04 Labor Appropriations bill.

“This is a big win for our industry,” said ACEC Chairman Eric Flicker. “We’ll see more of these challenges down the road, but we’re one step closer to seeing common-sense FLSA reforms become a reality.”

ACEC has long advocated changes to the FLSA that would allow member firms to more easily identify exempt and non-exempt employees and in other ways to simplify compliance with the statute.

In March, the Labor Department released proposed comprehensive new FLSA regulations that include many ACEC-advocated reforms. ACEC submitted comments on the regulations, both praising the changes as well suggesting additional improvements.

ACEC is also pursuing a FLSA reform bill in the Senate introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Lead The Industry’s #1 Ranked Association— Serve On The ACEC Executive Committee

Stephen Goddard, ACEC Nominating Committee Chairman
ACEC is encouraging qualified members to consider serving in key leadership positions on the National Executive Committee.
The Nominating Committee, chaired by former ACEC Chairman Stephen G. Goddard, is currently accepting applications for chairman-elect, treasurer and three vice-chairmen positions for two-year terms beginning May 2004.
Goddard underscored the importance of service on the Executive Committee and benefits to be derived. “Service on the Executive Committee to help ACEC accomplish its legislative and business goals is a highly satisfying and meaningful way to give back to the profession of consulting engineering,” he said. “Recent changes have significantly reduced the man-hours needed to serve on the committee. What the committee really values now are more good ideas, rather than more man-hours.”
Qualifications for service on the Executive Committee include experience as an MO leader or member of a national committee. Click here to see ACEC Bylaws Article VII. for a complete description of eligibility.
The Nominating Committee plans to review applications during its summer meeting August 1-2, 2003.
Interested members should contact their State Executive Directors for applications.

ACEC, DOD Discuss “Business Of Cleanup”

Philip Grone, Principal Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment.
Members of ACEC’s Environmental Business Committee (EBC) met on July 2 with Philip Grone, a key Department of Defense (DOD) official, to discuss upcoming challenges facing DOD in the “business of cleanup.”
Grone, who is principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, briefed EBC members on the development of better business processes in the Environmental Management (EM) program. Also discussed was the uncertainty regarding future perchlorate regulation and other emerging contaminants.
Grone reviewed DOD’s environmental restoration program and forecasts for EM funding, along with opportunities for engineering firms engaged in cleanup work. The meeting was well attended by EBC members who conduct the critical environmental cleanup work contracted out by DOD.
EBC Vice-Chair Craig Crotteau of Montgomery Watson Harza said, “All attendees benefited from the candid dialogue on DOD’s EM program. As always, ACEC stands ready to work with the department as it develops methods to deal with new challenges to the program.”

$1.5 Billion USDA Rural Program Holds Engineering Opportunities

Senior Engineer Glendon Deal of USDA.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials detailed a $1.5 billion rural development program to ACEC members at the Market Forecast Series seminar held June 26.
Featured speakers Gary J. Morgan, Assistant Administrator for Water and Environmental Program and Glendon Deal, Director of Engineering and Environmental Staff, spoke to the live audience and Webcast attendees about engineering opportunities in USDA’s Water and Environmental Programs.
USDA has a $1.5 billion water and wastewater loan and grant program designed to promote economic development in rural America, including the construction and improvement of water and wastewater facilities. For engineering opportunities within the loan and grant program, contact the USDA at usda.gov/rus/water.
Deal says over the last 10 to 12 years consulting engineers have had significant involvement in the USDA program that has seen more than $11 billion invested in water and wastewater infrastructure in rural America.

ACEC Institute Offers New Courses In Strategic Planning, Marketing And HR
The ACEC Institute for Business Management is offering new courses in the area of marketing and human resources.
“How Strategic is Your Planning,” is a one-day workshop that provides you with plenty of plain-talk, case studies, and interactive exercises to make strategic business planning work for your firm, and help you avoid common pitfalls. This course is offered in San Francisco, October 22 and in Boston, December 2.
“Strategic Marketing Day Trip,” is an interactive, entertaining and energizing session that covers the spectrum of marketing and business development, including building name recognition to developing lasting client relationships. This course is offered in Chicago, September 30 and in Orlando, November 12. For more information click here.
Under the Institute’s Best Practices Desktop Seminar Series, ACEC is also offering two new seminars entitled: Human Resources: The Foundation of Your Firm, Part Iand II to be held July 23 and July 30.
The seminars will instruct:

How to understand what steps to take to create an employee-oriented culture;
How to improve employee productivity and quality of deliverables while meeting budget;
What steps to take to improve a firm’s batting average in recruiting the “right” employee;
How to retain valuable employees; and understand the value of training and coaching every person in the firm, and its effect on the bottom line.
Click here to register and for additional information.

Director Sought To Lead ACEC’s Institute For Business Management
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)—the premier trade association representing engineering firms in America—has a unique career challenge for a talented continuing education professional. ACEC seeks a Director for its recently-launched Institute for Business Management. This is a ground floor opportunity to lead the design and implementation of the association’s new “university.”
The selected individual will provide leadership and hands-on active involvement in the design and delivery of both in-person and distance learning in a variety of management skills/competency areas including Business Management, Human Resources, Finance, and Marketing.
Significant experience in the design and implementation of curriculum-based educational programs in business management is essential. A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in continuing education with specific experience in distance and web-based learning is necessary for consideration. Strong organizational and management skills, experience in the effective use of assessment instruments (group and individual), political and business savvy, and outstanding communication skills are also expected. Availability for occasional overnight travel is expected. A background in engineering and association management would be a plus.
To explore this opportunity, send resume to David A. Raymond, President — president@acec.org.

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