President Bush Caps Historic ACEC Convention President Bush to ACEC members: "I appreciate the good work you do for the country—it means a lot!" President Bush addressed an enthusiastic gathering of hundreds of ACEC members attending the 2006 Annual Convention, as national media covered the event and broadcast it worldwide. "I want to first say I appreciate the good work you do for the country," the President said. "I want you to know that I know how vital your contribution is. And it means a lot!" Bush then delivered a State of the Union-style message on the economy and tax relief. He urged Congress to extend his tax cuts to spur business and keep the nation's economy growing at a robust pace. He singled out Gregg Ten Eyck of ACEC-member firm Leonard Rice Engineers in Denver as benefiting from the Administration's tax policies. He said Ten Eyck's subchapter S corporation pays taxes at an individual rate, with savings reinvested in technology and creating new jobs. "Stories like Gregg's prove that tax cuts are doing what we want them to

The President emphasizes the benefits of his tax cuts during the 2006 ACEC Annual Convention. do—to get the economy growing so people can find work," Bush said. Bush also cited several major ACEC-supported legislative initiatives, which combat frivolous lawsuits and hold down healthcare costs. "We've got to do something about these junk lawsuits," he said to loud applause from the audience. "These lawsuits harm your industry." After his address, the President spent nearly 30 minutes greeting ACEC members before leaving. For the complete text of the President's speech, click here. "Hats off to ACEC for having the reputation in Washington that made the President's appearance possible," said Ed Dedeaux, of Allen & Horshall in Ridgeland, Miss. "It was a personal thrill to hear the President and also be one of the fortunate ones to shake his hand." "I've been to all of the Conventions over the last five years and this one was clearly best," said John D. McClellan, president and CEO, ASCG Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska. "The President of course was great, and the Convention, with its emphasis on business, was a real powerful event on its own merit."

ACEC Leaders Greet President; Support President's Pro-growth Agenda Former ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcaly welcomes President George W. Bush to the 2006 ACEC Annual Convention. A "greeting party" of eight ACEC leaders welcomed President Bush in a holding room prior to his appearance at the Convention. Led by 2005-2006 ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcahy, the greeters also included 2006-2007 Chairman Jeff Daggett, President Dave Raymond, Chair-elect Orrin MacMurray and past Chairs William Howard, Eric Flicker, Daniel DeYoung, and Steve Goddard. Following pictures with the greeters, Mulcahy and President Bush walked onto the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. Mulcahy introduced the President saying that "the oldest and largest business association of engineering firms in the United States, has the honor of welcoming the President of the United States...We have been proud to support your agenda of harnessing the innovation of the private sector and promoting tax and regulatory reforms that create jobs and economic growth…"

President Bush posed with several ACEC members including Debby Orsak, a principal at Cagley & Associates in Rockville, MD. In his remarks, the President thanked the Council, acknowledging Mulcahy, Daggett and Raymond by name. After the speech, the President walked into the audience to greet and chat with attendees. When he left, more than an hour after he had arrived, he told Mulcahy, who escorted him to his car, that he had appreciated the warm reception and wished he could have stayed longer.

More Convention Highlights The Annual Convention set a record for attendance at 1,200, in addition to featuring highly successful lobbying events, insightful business education sessions, notable speakers and memorable social activities. In addition to the President's appearance, Convention highlights included: The Board of Directors adopted a policy statement on fair and open competition in the procurement of design professional services. The    Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich shared his vision of the 21st century with ACEC members during the Opening General Session.

statement cautions that state and local procurement policies should not include preferential selection criteria that discriminate against out-of-state firms. The Board heard presentations on the current shortage of engineers by ACEC/Nevada National Director Scott Smith, and on opportunities and challenges of public/private partnerships by CEC/Texas National Director Ray Messer and CELSOC/California National Director Bartlett Patton. More than $100,000 was raised for ACEC/PAC, shattering the previous Convention fundraising record of $80,000 at the Fall Conference. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich shared his vision of an "intelligent, effective, limited government" that will be needed for challenges in the 21st century. Terry McAuliffe and Ed Gillespie, former chairmen of the Democratic and Republican National Committees, delivered an animated "no-holds barred" debate on the upcoming elections. A new 23-story U.S. Courthouse complex in downtown Seattle designed by Magnusson Klemencic Associates received the Grand Conceptor Award as the year's most impressive engineering achievement at the 40th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. Twenty-three other projects also won awards (see below). Robert Kersten, founding dean of the College of Engineering, University of Central Florida and Craig Musselman, president, CMA Engineers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, led a Town Hall debate on the advantages/disadvantages of national licensure. Former ACEC/Kansas Executive Director George Barbee led a panel discussion on effective lobbying featuring Fox News contributor Terry Holt, and former Pennsylvania Congressman Richard Schulze, prior to ACEC member visits to Capitol Hill.

Daggett, New Excom Members Assume Council Leadership New ACEC Chairman Jeff Daggett espouses "winning culture." Jeff Daggett is the new ACEC chairman succeeding Ed Mulcahy. Daggett, senior vice president at W&H Pacific in Bothell, Wash., served as owner and CEO for 15 years. He was ACEC Treasurer from 2001 to 2004, the longest tenure in this position in recent ACEC history. New members of the 2006-2007 ACEC Executive Committee are: Orrin B. "Mac" MacMurray, chair-elect; Thomas G. Ahneman, vice chairman (who will also serve as treasurer), Ralph J. Palmer, vice chairman; Richard L. Corrigan, vice chairman, David M. Oates, vice chairman; and Paul Meyer, NAECE President. Continuing for the second year are: Woody G. Germany, senior vice chairman; Timothy Psomas, senior vice chairman; and Gerald Stump, senior vice chairman. "We're on a winning track," Daggett said to the Board of Directors. "My goal is to build a winning culture."

Record For ACEC/PAC; Arizona, Tennessee Reach 2006 Goal; Williams Wins Prius ACEC/Arizona Executive Director Janice Burnett (left) and ACEC/Arizona President Ken Feyen (right) accept 2006 ACEC/PAC award from former ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcahy. ACEC members at the 2006 Annual Convention raised over $100,000 for ACEC/PAC, setting a new convention record and establishing a fast fundraising pace as election season approaches. In addition, ACEC/Arizona and ACEC/Tennessee were honored at the Convention for hitting their 2006 PAC fundraising goals, along with Montana and Wisconsin, which crossed the finish line earlier in the year. The Convention featured a strong line-up of events to support ACEC/PAC, including a sweepstakes drawing featuring a 2006 Toyota Prius hybrid. Charles A. Williams of Paragon Engineering in Birmingham, AL won the Prius, while John Bouse of Gage Consulting Engineers in Illinois won the second prize—a $1000 Best Buy gift card.

Virgina Congressman Tom Davis (right) confers with ACEC President Dave Raymond during a reception on his behalf at the Annual Convention. "The outcomes of key House and Senate races this Fall will determine whether we have a business-friendly Congress to work with in future, or not," said ACEC/Arizona President Ken Feyen of Stanley Consultants, Inc. "This is why ACEC/PAC needs to be a priority for every ACEC member firm." Added Jerry Stump of Wilbur Smith Associates in Tennessee: "We have too many issues at stake in Congress not to take a strong stand politically. ACEC/PAC is our industry's foremost weapon to effectively engage in the process and help shape our future." The Council played host to Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) at the Convention to support his re-election bid in November. A longtime supporter of the engineering industry, Davis chairs the House Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal procurement policies, including qualifications-based selection (QBS).

ACEC's "Citizen Lobbyists" Take Unified Voice To Capitol Hill ACEC/New Mexico members meet with New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman (second from left) during Annual Convention Capitol Hill visits. Waves of ACEC's "citizen lobbyists" converged on Capitol Hill during the Convention to advocate for key health care, transportation and water infrastructure initiatives. Passage of Small Business Health Plan legislation was a centerpiece of the lobbying effort. The Senate is expected to vote this week on S. 1955, legislation that will make it easier for businesses large and small to access affordable health insurance through their national trade associations. ACEC members also urged House and Senate offices to take action to address a potential shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund that could imperil future funding allocations to the states. In addition, members emphasized the need for Congress to provide more federal investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, including consideration of a dedicated revenue source to fund water projects. "Whether it's affordable health insurance or dollars for the nation's infrastructure, these issues affect every engineering firm," said David Oates of Oates Associates in Illinois. "We had good meetings with our House and Senate members, and I feel we made a difference."

Magnusson Klemencic Wins Grand Conceptor Award; Many Firms Honored At EEA Jon Magnusson, CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Inc. accepts the Grand Conceptor Award. A gleaming new 23-story U.S. Courthouse complex in downtown Seattle designed by Magnusson Klemencic Associates, was named the year's most impressive engineering achievement at the 40th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards. Hosted by Hollywood producer and director Wil Shriner, the awards program honored 163 national winners including 24 top awardees. (see list below) Magnusson CEO Jon Magnusson praised all the EEA winners in this year's competition. "I am awestruck by what has been produced by people in this room," he told the more than 600 Gala attendees. "We are so proud that our project was judged worthy of this prestigious award." The new courthouse was specifically designed to withstand power of nature or the explosion of a terrorist attack; the complex embodies a never-before-used structural system that protects against bomb blasts and progressive building collapse.

Grand Award Winners: Thornton-Tomasetti Group, Inc.—New York, N.Y. Taipei 101—Taipei, Taiwan Kaiser-Hill—Broomfield, Colo. Rocky Flats Closure Project, Golden, Colo. CH2M HILL—Englewood, Colo. Standley Lake Dam Improvement; Westminster, Colo. Stanley Consultants—Las Vegas MAX Rapid Transit System—Las Vegas Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc.—Columbia, S.C. Arthur Ravenel Jr., Bridge—Charleston, S.C. CH2M HILL—Redding, Calif. Iron Mountain Mine Slickrock Creek Reservoir-Redding, Calif. HNTB Corporation—Minneapolis, Minn. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Light Rail Transit Tunnels and Lindbergh Station—Minneapolis, Minn. Honor Award Winners: Parametrix/Parsons Brinckerhoff (Joint Venture)—Bellevue, Wash. Alaskan Way Viaduct & Seawall Replacement Draft EIS, Seattle, Wash. HKM Engineering Inc.—Billings, Mont. Beartooth Highway Emergency Repair Project, Red Lodge, Mont. Hammel Green and Abrahamson, Inc.—Minneapolis, Minn. Walker Art Center Expansion, Minneapolis, Minn. Lincolne Scott, Inc.—Honolulu, Hawaii Gateway Distributed & Renewable Energy Center, Kona, Hawaii. The Louis Berger Group, Inc.—Washington, D.C. Hai Van Pass Tunnel Project, Hue-Danang, Vietnam. HDR, Inc.—Bellevue, Wash. I-405 Bellevue Direct Access, Bellevue, Wash. Kennedy/Jenks Consultants—San Francisco, Ca. Lake Bard Hypolimion Oxygenation, Thousand Oaks, Ca. KPFF Consulting Engineers—Portland, Ore. New Columbia, Portland, Ore. Harley Ellis Devereaux—Southfield, Mich. William Beaumont Hospital South Tower Addition, Royal Oak, Mich. MACTEC—Kennesaw, Ga. Atlantic Station Brownfield Redevelopment, Atlanta. Haley & Aldrich, Inc.—Boston Walkers Brook Crossing Landfill Redevelopment, Reading, Mass. Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.—State College, Pa. University Area Joint Authority Beneficial Reuse Project, State College, Pa. FIGG/Vollmer (Joint Venture)—Tallahassee, Fla. Victory Bridge Replacement Project, Perth Amboy-Sayreville, N.J. Schiller and Hersh Associates, Inc.—Oreland, Pa. Spring-Ford 5-7 and K-4 Schools Geothermal Project, Royersford, Pa. MWH and McGoodwin, Williams and Yates, Inc.—Sacramento, Calif. Beaver Water District, Raw Water Intake Project, Lowell, Ark. CDM—West Palm Beach, Fla. Wetlands-Based Indirect Potable Reuse, West Palm Beach, Fla.

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