Van Antwerp Becomes New Corps Chief Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp is the new Chief of Engineers and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He succeeds Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock who has retired after 36 years of military service. Van Antwerp's previous assignments included Chief of Staff of the Corps of Engineers, head of the Corps' Los Angeles District, and command of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. "This is a good choice, both for the Corps and for the engineering industry," said Stephen Scott of Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott and May Engineers and Chairman of ACEC's Federal Agencies/Procurement Advocacy Committee. "Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp brings a multitude of experience to the job, and is someone that we can work with effectively on common issues, such as the reauthorization of WRDA." The Corps plans, designs, builds and operates essential water resources projects. The Corps also designs and manages military facilities construction for the Army and Air Force at home and abroad and provides design and construction management support for other defense and federal agencies.

ACEC Launches 2007 National QBS Awards Program ACEC kicked-off its 2007 National QBS Awards Program last week, and is calling on Member Organizations to submit nominations. The QBS Awards Program recognizes public and private organizations that make exemplary use of the QBS selection process at the state and local levels. "The QBS Awards Program highlights owners' decisions to follow the QBS process and the benefits they receive from doing so," said Doug Watson, chairman of ACEC's Management Practices Committee. "The program also provides ACEC with real life examples that help to promote QBS to policymakers at the local, state and national levels. "Those examples can go a long way in educating decision makers that QBS is the best way to select design professionals." ACEC has partnered with the National Society of Professional Engineers in administering the program for nearly a decade, and the two associations alternate in hosting the annual awards program. ACEC will host this year's award presentation in conjunction with its Fall Conference in Maui, Hawaii on September 26-29, 2007. Click here for more information and to obtain the nomination form or call Roger Jordan at 202-347-7474.

Hurry! Register for Boston Business of Design Consulting June 20-23 A few openings remain for the upcoming Business of Design Consulting, one of ACEC's most popular courses. The four-day business management immersion course will be held June 20-23 in Boston and includes 28 PDHs. Click here for a complete agenda, faculty roster and course highlights.

June 19 Online Seminar Examines Warranties For Transportation Projects From A To Z Gerald Yakowenko, Office of Program Administration, and Lee Gallivan, Office of Pavement Technology, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, offer an inside look into Warranties for Transportation Projects in a June 19 online seminar. The interactive session will present a detailed examination of transportation project warranties, from definitions to criteria, verification and costs—from the perspectives of owner and contractor. Questions to be addressed will include: What are warranties and how are they used on highway projects? Why are owners using warranties? Why are contractors concerned with the use of warranties? What are advantages or disadvantages for consultants when using warranties? What risks are involved? Scheduled from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, the seminar carries 1.5 PDHs. Click here for more information and to register. Risk Management Considerations for Green Buildings August 15, 1:30-3 p.m.                 1.5 PDHs Tim Corbett, A/E SmartRisk, presents this timely online seminar, which offers a clear-eyed look at topics unique to green building design. Topics include: LEED certification requirements and related increase in needed site observation visits; realistic understanding of design and construction costs and projected savings timetables; evaluation and suitability testing of new materials and new materials applications. Click here for more information and to register.

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