ACEC Scores Two Major Victories As Council-Supported Water Bills Clear House The U.S. House of Representatives delivered strong bipartisan approval this week to a pair of ACEC-backed water infrastructure bills, including a four-year, $14 billion wastewater infrastructure measure that includes language mandating the use of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). ACEC President Dave Raymond addresses a Capitol Hill news conference promoting passage of crucial water legislation. He is joined on the left by Jeff Moore, of the Water Infrastructure Network and Adam Krantz, of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. ACEC President Dave Raymond joined other industry leaders at a Capitol Hill news conference on Friday promoting passage of the Water Quality Financing Act (H.R. 720). The news conference was kicked-off by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), chairwoman of the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, the lead subcommittee on the bill. "The vote on this bill is the first vote on a major water program in over a decade," Raymond said. "This is something that is desperately needed to rebuild our dilapidated water infrastructure; It is needed for our economic growth and for our global competitiveness." The Water Quality Financing Act reauthorizes the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund (SRF) program, provides $2 billion for F.Y. 2008, compared to the $1 billion F.Y. 2007 level, and provides the balance of the $14 billion funding within four years.

Full page ACEC ad urging passage of important water legislation appeared this week in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper. Sponsored by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN), the bill also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to develop a report for Congress on "funding mechanisms and funding sources available to establish a Clean Water Trust Fund." In response to questions from the press concerning the President’s threat to veto the bill as excessive and his belief that private investment is the key to water infrastructure funding, Raymond said that “dramatic increases in both public and private investment are necessary” and that “this bill is urgently needed and long overdue.” As part of ACEC's extensive lobbying effort on this bill, the Council placed an advertisement in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper this week, emphasizing the importance of the water legislation. The House also cleared the ACEC-backed Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 (H.R. 569), sponsored by Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), which authorizes $1.7 billion over five years for wastewater projects. ACEC will now focus on the Senate, which is expected to consider similar water infrastructure legislation later this spring.

ACEC Commissions Benchmark QBS Study; Member Participation Important ACEC has commissioned a team from the University of Colorado and Georgia Tech to conduct important empirical research on the value of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) that will illustrate the benefits for public and private owners. ACEC is strongly encouraging members to participate in the study which will involve data collection on projects from throughout the nation. A website explaining the nature of the study and project information being solicited can be reached by clicking here. "This project will fill a critical need," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "While there is a great deal of evidence on the value of QBS, there has not yet been an exhaustive, comprehensive and empirical study on it." University of Colorado Professor Paul Chinowsky and Georgia Tech University Professor Gordon Kingsley will lead the research effort. Both have extensive research experience on engineering and construction industry issues. Researchers will seek to obtain data on as many projects as possible, including life-cycle costs, client satisfaction, schedule, and the achievement of community/societal goals such as sustainability. As part of this data pool, the research team also will want examples of horizontal and vertical projects where QBS was used, as well as projects procured through a cost-based or other non-QBS procedure. Participating ACEC member firms are encouraged to submit projects in various categories. The website is designed to assure that participation in the study is quick, easy and confidential. Deadline for project nominations is March 31. Professor Chinowsky is available to answer questions about the research at paul.chinowsky@colorado.edu. Further information is also available by contacting Steve Hall, ACEC's vice president of Government Affairs at shall@acec.org or Jeffrey Beard, ACEC's vice president of Business Affairs at jbeard@acec.org.

Engineering "Oscars" Up Next At Annual Convention Emmy Award-winning television host and comedian Ross Shafer to host Gala. Now that the best achievements in filmmaking were presented at the Oscars, the best engineering accomplishments of the year are ready to take center stage. The 2007 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) Gala—the annual black-tie extravaganza—takes place on Tuesday May 8 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. as part of the 2007 ACEC Annual Convention. Emmy award-winning television host and comedian Ross Shafer will emcee this year's event. An all-time record number of projects (180) will seek 24 top honors for excellence, including ACEC's prestigious "Grand Conceptor Award" for best overall engineering accomplishment. Other Convention highlights include exceptional speakers such as Chris Matthews, host of the nightly talk show Hardball with Chris Matthews, and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and TV political analyst George Will. Easy Convention registration is available by clicking here. Register online and receive an additional five percent off the published price*. Bring two people from your firm and receive an even greater registration discount. Make your hotel reservations early by contacting the Grand Hyatt Hotel directly at 202-582-1234. Reference ACEC and receive the discounted room rate of $245 plus tax. ACEC's room discounted rates are available through April 17 or until the rooms in the block are gone, whichever occurs first. Further information is available by contacting meetings@acec.org or by calling 202- 347-7474. *Does not apply to 2nd member price and cannot be combined with any other discounts.

Past Chairman of ACEC Predecessor Organization Robert Richards Dies Robert Richards, past chairman of the American Institute of Consulting Engineers (AICE), has died. He was 92. A Milwaukee native, Richards was chairman of AICE in 1970, three years before the organization merged with the Consulting Engineers Council of the United States (CEC/US) to form the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC). The name was changed in 2001 to the American Council of Engineering Companies. Richards was president and CEO of the Chicago-based De Leuw Cather & Company, and a principal in the design of several major East Coast transportation projects including the New York Thruway, the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, and the Washington, D.C. Metro. He retired in 1979 after 43 years with De Leuw Cather & Company.

Small Firms Focus on Business Management, Leadership At Salt Lake Winter Meeting Management Consultant Colvin Matheson provides finance and business management insights to attendees at the recent Small Firm Council Winter Meeting in Salt Lake City. Timely presentations on leadership, project management, finance and business administration highlighted the ACEC Small Firm Council (SFC) Winter Meeting and Principals Seminar, held last week in Salt Lake City, UT. More than 50 members participated in the annual meeting, which has become increasingly popular among small firm owners seeking programs that specifically address their business concerns. "This year's topics were extremely beneficial to the small firms," said SFC member Rob Overfield of Engineering Associates in Cody, WY. "The speakers really understood the issues we face as small firm owners and did a great job of outlining viable solutions and ideas. As a small firm owner, the SFC winter meeting is the one event I can't afford to miss." The meeting featured business management consultants Matheson Financial Advisors, and Stone and Company, who presented seminars on "Financial Principles for Small Firms" and "Small Firm Perspectives for Project Management" respectively. The CEO roundtable discussion, where small firm executives share ideas and receive feedback from their peers, was also a popular session.

Register Now For Leveraging the Design-Build Trend Leveraging the Design-Build Trend: How Engineering Firms Can Profit from Integrated Delivery March 29-30, Washington, D.C.               15 PDHs Designed for project leaders looking to maximize profitability and expand design-build work, this two-day course is also intended for newcomers seeking to avoid pitfalls and realize bottom line potential. Louis K. Robbins, EVP at Dewberry, and Anthony D. Songer, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, will lead the discussion on vital integrated delivery topics, including: How to assist an owner with a design-build acquisition process Differences in designing for clients using integrated delivery How engineering firms have adapted their practices to design-build The most profitable phases of design-build delivery For further information and to register, click here.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Course To Examine Concept, Technology, Applications Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and The Reality for A/E/C Firms June 7-8, Philadelphia               11 PDHs ACEC brings together the innovators who are transforming BIM, the exciting, multi-dimensional project planning and design concept, into A/E/C marketplace reality. Designed for COOs, IT management, project managers and company principals, this important one-and-a-half day course will: Examine BIM as a concept Present real-life BIM case studies by engineering firms Explore BIM technology Outline legal issues and risks associated with BIM Describe BIM transition plans and IT budgeting Click here for details and to register.

Upcoming Online Seminars Negotiating Better Engineering Contracts: A Win-Win Situation March 13, 1:30–3pm               1.5 PDHs There is a sequence for both reaching a win-win engineering contract and in the techniques and insights needed for negotiating. Gary Bates, of the Roenker Bates Group, will cover the skills, planning, methods and insights needed for negotiating success. Click here for details and to register. New Foundations: Replacing Obsolete Project Management Theory March 14, 1:30–3pm               1.5 PDHs Instructor Greg Howell, Lean Construction Institute, explores the evolving role of the project manager that requires a greater client-relationship role upfront and an increased construction manager role at the finish. Click here for details and to register. Pandemic Flu—Implications For Your Firm and Your Clients April 19, 1:30–3pm               1.5 PDHs Dr. Daniel Barnett, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will help A/E/C firms become more aware of the internal and external consequences of what the U.S. Government describes as "a virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak or pandemic of serious illness." Participants will gain an invaluable foundation for preparedness and action in anticipation of such a major health-related crisis. Click here for details and to register. *Early registrants will receive reminder e-mail notification in advance of the event

Copyright © 2007 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.