ACEC/PAC Helps Key House Members As Election Day Nears The financial resources of ACEC/PAC and individual ACEC members are being mobilized on behalf of key Congressional Republican and Democrat candidates in the closing weeks before Election Day. ACEC/PAC and Member Organizations have hosted nearly 30 fundraising events so far in 2006, including three events this week in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Maryland. Members of ACEC/Kentucky hosted a Monday reception in honor of Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Rogers, who oversees federal funding of programs under the Department of Homeland Security, also is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which has enabled him to be an effective advocate for a number of industry priorities, including federal infrastructure programs and preserving the ability of agencies to contract out to the private sector. Kentucky hosted a similar event in support of Rep. Anne Northup (R-KY). The Kentucky lawmaker also serves on the House Appropriations Committee and was a key supporter of legislation drafted by the Council last year to prevent state DOTs from arbitrarily capping overhead.

NC And MD Candidates Critical To Infrastructure And Tort Reform At the reception to support the re-election of Congressman Howard Coble are from the left: ACEC/North Carolina President Richard C. Wells, Rep. Coble, and ACEC/PAC Champion Stu Matthis. On Wednesday, ACEC/North Carolina hosted a reception for Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), a senior member of both the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee. He is widely viewed as a strong contender to chair the Judiciary Committee in the new Congress. Coble has been a strong supporter of ACEC's agenda on both infrastructure investment and tort reform. "Howard Coble is a major force in the House of Representatives and a strong supporter of our industry," said ACEC/PAC Champion in North Carolina Stu Matthis of STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates. "If he succeeds in becoming the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he will be a valuable ally in support of the industry's legal reform agenda."

ACEC/Maryland leadership at the reception to honor Congressman Elijah Cummings are from the left: Harry Stephen, treasurer; Congressman Cummings; Harvey Floyd, president; Mike Myers, secretary and Executive Director Jim Otradovec. Also on Wednesday, ACEC/Maryland hosted a reception to support the re-election of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Cummings also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and has worked closely with the state and national organizations in support of additional funding for key federal transportation and environmental infrastructure programs. "Cummings is a thoughtful legislator who understands the critical role that engineers play in the nation's economy," said ACEC/Maryland President Harvey Floyd of KCI Technologies, Inc. "Our event was a great opportunity to show our support and further build a relationship with one of the rising stars among congressional Democrats."

Record Attendance At CASE Risk Management Convocation CASE Risk Management Convocation participants listen to a presentation on Building Information Modeling. More than 150 attended the two-day event in San Francisco, an all-time record. More than 150 participants addressed important structural engineering issues at the CASE Risk Management Convocation last week at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Building Information Modeling (BIM), risky condominium projects, and the speedy reconstruction of the Pentagon were among subjects of discussion. San Francisco Attorney Howard Ashcroft discussed how BIM will dramatically improve industry efficiency, and how unanswered questions remain about the way commercial and legal establishments will treat the new approach in regard to compensation, responsibility and risk. "Three-dimensional building modeling is here, and 4-D and 5-D are not far behind," Ashcraft told the audience. CASE Member Allyn Kilsheimer of KCE Structural Engineers, gave a compelling speech on the challenges his firm faced in the restoration of the Pentagon after September 11. Kilsheimer was the lead structural engineer for the repair project and one of the first on the scene after the crash. His presentation included rare photos of the damage. In addition, David Ericksen, of Severson & Werson in San Francisco, shared how many of the risk factors associated with condominium projects have been resolved. Convocation Committee Chairman Michael Matsumoto, of SSFM International, said "This was our most successful Convocation ever. A big thanks goes to the Structural Engineers Association of California for their co-sponsorship."

Corps, NAVFAC, GSA Among Agencies At ACEC Federal Agencies Committee Briefing Donald Basham, chief engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Officials from the Corps of Engineers, the Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC), the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), briefed members of ACEC's Federal Agencies and Procurement Advocacy Committee in Washington this week. Senior congressional staff also brought committee members up-to-date on important issues before Congress, including pending legislation that seeks to relieve engineering firms of a new three percent withholding requirement for all government contracts (see lead story). Donald Basham, chief of engineering and construction for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, briefed members on the National Dam Safety Board and the National Levee Inspection programs, which seek to inventory the condition of the nation's dams and levees. While the program offers new opportunities for engineering firms in the inspection of dams and levees, Basham cautioned ACEC members that liability issues facing firms doing the inspections remain unresolved. Committee members are now developing recommendations to address these liability issues. Other discussions included NAVFAC's design-build program, as well as budgetary concerns facing GSA's building program. FEMA's Chief Acquisition Officer Deidre Lee discussed the agency's role within the Department of Homeland Security and asked for industry input to improve disaster response.

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.