ACEC 2006 Fall Conference In Charleston, S.C. Brings Owners And Practitioners Together Sponsored by Practitioners and Owners: ACEC's new and expanded Fall Conference: The National Conference on the Built Environment, will for the first time bring owners, practitioners and other construction industry leaders together to collectively address essential industry issues. The Conference will be held September 18-21 at the elegant Charleston Place Hotel in historic Charleston, S.C. Joining ACEC in co-sponsoring the Fall Conference are: the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO); the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA); and the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA). The Conference features both owners and providers of buildings and civil infrastructure as attendees and presenters. Presentations will cover crucial built environment markets and issues for: Transportation; Water, Wastewater and Environmental; Buildings and Industrial Process; Business Management; Project Management and Project Delivery; and Technology Leadership.

FOX TV Host John Kasich   Other Conference highlights include guest speakers: Leslie Robertson, who designed some of the world's most famous skyscrapers including the World Trade Center; and John Kasich, the popular FOX TV host and former Congressman. Professional Business Forums; Southern-themed social events, and exciting ACEC/PAC activities Noted Structural Designer Leslie Robertson

including a chance to win a trip for two to the 2007 NFL Super Bowl in Miami, also will be held. Go to www.acec.org for more information on Conference events and registration. Be sure to look for the 2006 Fall Conference brochure which will be in the mail soon.

Building Information Modeling A Hot Topic For Jam-Packed CASE Seminar Last week's CASE-sponsored seminar in Chicago on Building Information Modeling (BIM) drew a standing-room only crowd for a topic that has been around for a while but it appears lately to have caught fire. Organizers were pleasantly surprised when more than 140 professionals attended the one-day seminar, which featured presentations by officials from several major architectural and engineering firms including Walter P. Moore and Associates; Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. BIM is a form of three-dimensional computer modeling of a structure that permits coordination and input from the various disciplines involved in its design. Presenters emphasized that utilizing BIM can mean improved coordination, reduced production time, and improved quality. "Selection of a project team should include strong consideration to the ability of each participant to work in the BIM environment," said Jim Jacobi, chief information officer at Walter P. Moore and Associates. Several concerns about BIM also were discussed, including the fact that some current software is inadequate, in addition to questions involving contractor participation and engineer compensation. The overriding theme from the speakers involved the benefits of BIM, and how it is not a question of "if" BIM will dominate the marketplace, but when. The seminar was followed by a workshop of major structural engineering firms to anticipate the future of BIM and suggest an appropriate course of action for CASE members. Education sessions on BIM will also be part of the upcoming expanded ACEC Fall Conference: National Conference on the Built Environment, September 18-21 in Charleston, S.C. Go to www.acec.org for more information on Conference events and registration.

Congress, Industry Celebrate 50th Anniversary of the Interstate Highway System Richard Capka, Federal Highway Administrator June 29th marked the 50th Anniversary of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. The event was celebrated through numerous events in the nation's capital, including special congressional hearings highlighting the importance of the system to the growth of the nation. "ACEC members played crucial roles in designing and implementing this system, which has enhanced the quality of American life and created an economy second to none," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's signature achievement was the 1956 passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which created the Interstate system. The act created a tax-based financing mechanism of dedicated user taxes, and called for uniform design standards and signage for the new transportation system. "This year is an opportunity to recognize the importance of transportation to our economy and our way of life," said Richard Capka, the new administrator for the Federal Highway Administration. "It is also an opportunity to look ahead to the next 50 years."

Estate Tax Compromise in Play The Senate is considering recently-passed legislation from the House of Representatives as part of a renewed effort to find compromise on extending reductions to the so-called "death tax" or estate tax. ACEC played a lead role in passing legislation in 2001 that phases-out the estate tax by 2010. The Council supported the legislation since many member firms are family-owned businesses. Congressional budget rules at that time, however, would not permit the change to remain permanent, a situation that could result in the tax reverting to the previous 55% rate in 2011. The House-passed bill—H.R. 5638—would take effect in 2011 and exempt the first $5 million of an individual's estate from taxes, and exempt up to $10 million for couples. Assets between those levels and $25 million would be taxed at the capital gains rate of 15%, with estates above $25 million taxed at 30%. Senate leaders are attempting to build support for the bill, with a vote possible when Congress returns after the July 4th recess

Fall Finance and IT Forums To Be Held September 25-26

Join us September 25-26 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago for the next Finance and Information Technology forums. The forums offer the chance for finance and IT professionals to network with peers, compare best practices and hear about the latest issues—in a roundtable discussion format.

Finance Forum (September 25-26) is a two-day session with discussion topics on budgeting, captives, employee retention, FAS 150, Jobs Creation Act, FAR and OIG audits and fleet policies.

Click here for more information and to register.

Information Technology Forum (September 25) is a one-day session with discussion topics on patch management, document management, storage area networks, CAD standards/management/training, and business enterprise applications.

Click here for more information and to register.

July Online Seminars

July 25: Creative Strategies for Controlling Health Insurance Costs
Henry J. Kruse, Envision Healthcare

Creative strategies for transforming your health benefit plan into one that puts economic purchasing power—and decision making—into the hands of participants. Learn about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs).

Click here for more information and to register.

July 26: From Entrepreneur to Sustainable Company: Where Theory and Practice Meet
Lou Ann Frederick, Hall & Foreman, Inc.

How do you move from entrepreneur to sustainable professional services company? This seminar focuses on the shift from working on projects to working in the business itself. Topics discussed include financial aspects, staffing issues, the business model, and business theory.

Click here for more information and to register.

Copyright © 2006 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.

Click here to review past editions of the Last Word.

Click here to subscribe to the Last Word.