White House Briefs ACEC, Industry Organizations on Fall Legislative Agenda The war on terror, congressional appropriations, and the nomination of Mary Peters for Transportation Secretary were among the issues discussed at a White House meeting this week attended by ACEC President Dave Raymond and other industry executives. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove led the discussion, along with chief White House congressional lobbyist Candida Wollf and other senior policy staff. The Senate is currently scheduled to begin the confirmation process of Peters on September 20. The former Federal Highway Administration chief is expected to receive strong support from members of both parties. The Administration is also urging Congress to complete work on a tax package that includes permanent reductions in the so-called "death tax." ACEC was actively involved in passing legislation in 2001 that phased the tax down to zero by 2010, but budget constraints prevented making the phase-out permanent. The House has already passed compromise legislation that ensures that most family-owned businesses are protected after 2010, but the package, which also includes other tax provisions and an increase in the minimum wage, is awaiting final consideration in the Senate. Funding bills for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are also key objectives before the congressional recess. Congress is expected to go back into session after Election Day to complete work on the remaining spending bills. "We were pleased to hear the emphasis on finishing the spending measures that fund infrastructure and other programs of interest to our members," said Raymond, "as well as the renewed emphasis on the death tax. We also reminded them of the importance of completing work on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which is critical for moving ahead with new Corps of Engineers projects around the country."

CASE Publication Receives Special Award from American Institute of Steel Construction CASE will be honored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) at their upcoming annual meeting in Miami, for producing "A Guideline Addressing Coordination and Completeness of Structural Construction Documents." The Special Achievement Award is presented to those who have made a positive and substantial impact on the structural steel design and construction industry. AISC characterized the publication as "an influential publication that is spurring greater cooperation between engineers and fabricators." Tom Wosser, former CEO of Degenkolb Associates and one of the authors of the document, will accept the award on behalf of CASE.

2006 Fall Conference Education Highlights ACEC's Institute for Business Management is offering several special education programs at the upcoming Fall Conference: The National Conference on the Built Environment, September 18-21 in Charleston, S.C. Following are just a few of the highlights: Human Resource Forum: Covers retiree health benefits; incentive plans; travel/relocation policies; recruitment and retention; and best practices. Professional Sales and Marketing Forum: Addresses emerging trends and problem-solving in the workplace. Both day-long Forums begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. Both are structured as peer networking events with interactive roundtable formats. To register for the HR Forum, click here. To register for the Sales & Marketing Forum, click here. Senior Executives Institute Alumni Workshop: Kyle Davy of AIA, leads briefings on issues of importance to the future of attendees' firms including workshop and demographic issues, and sustainability and green buildings/infrastructure. The event will be held 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 and is open to SEI graduates and recommended participants, and at no cost to Conference attendees. Please click here to RSVP. Attendees will also be able to obtain information about ACEC's highly successful Organizational Peer Review during the Conference. OPR reviewers will be available at the ACEC Booth in the Exhibit Hall during networking breaks to discuss how valuable OPR can be for design firms for reviewing management practices.

Upcoming Webinars: How to Plan Your Project More Effectively—Gary Bates, Roenker Bates Group, Tuesday, September 12. Trends in Business Ethics that Affect Engineers—David Gebler, SmartPros; Tuesday, September 26. Creating Public Relations Pizzazz: How to Have More Power and Influence—Joanne G. Linowes, Linowes Executive Development International; Wednesday, September 27. For details and to register, click here.

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