Convention Lobbying Program Features "Think Like A Congressman" Session Click here to see Fox News' Chris Wallace greet Convention attendees. The upcoming ACEC Annual Convention in Washington (April 27-30) will feature the popular training program where participants play the role of Congressional members to better understand how lawmakers stake out positions on important issues. "Congressional Insight Program: Think Like a Member of Congress" will be offered to Convention attendees during two sessions: 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28. The sessions include expert facilitators who will provide insights on how elected officials think, and how to shape their views on important industry issues. Register now to reserve a spot at one of the sessions as seating is limited by clicking here. The Convention features the year's largest A/E industry advocacy event on Capitol Hill as ACEC's "citizen lobbyists" urge lawmakers to address the transportation funding crisis, pass a major $14 billion water program, and defeat an unfair federal 3 percent withholding mandate that will affect virtually every Member Firm. Make your hotel reservations well in advance while rooms are available. Contact the Grand Hyatt directly at 202-582-1234 and reference ACEC to secure your hotel room at a special discounted rate, which expires on April 4. For more information and to register for the Convention, click here.

ACEC/PAC Hosts Fundraising Events For Key House Members Left to right: Don Durden, Jesse Covarrubias, Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez, and Pamela Bain at last week's ACEC/PAC fundraising event in San Antonio. ACEC/PAC Champion of Texas Don Durden of Civil Engineering Consultants in San Antonio spearheaded an engineering industry event honoring Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), a new member of the House Appropriations Committee. The event was co-hosted by ACEC/PAC and fellow ACEC members Pamela Bain of Bain Medina Bain, Jesse Covarrubias of Structural Engineering Associates, and John German of PBS&J.

ACEC/PAC Champion of Hawaii David Bills (left) listens to Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) during a recent fundraiser in Honolulu for Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Said Durden: "Congressman Rodriguez understands the critical connection between infrastructure funding and economic growth. He's someone we can work with in Washington, and I'm pleased we were able to demonstrate the industry's appreciation for his efforts." In Hawaii, ACEC/PAC Champion David Bills of Bills Engineering and Ginny Wright, ACEC/Hawaii executive director, participated in a high-profile fundraiser for Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI) that included House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN). Hirono is also a member of the committee, which in 2009 will focus on drafting a new surface transportation program to replace SAFETEA-LU. "This was a perfect opportunity to share the industry's perspectives on a number of important issues with two very important members of Congress," said Bills. "We enjoyed a private pre-reception where Ginny and I had the opportunity to share thoughts with both Congressman Oberstar and Congresswoman Hirono, and the support from ACEC/PAC made this possible." For more information on ACEC/PAC or Congressional candidate fundraising events, please contact Gregory Knopp, ACEC's executive director of political affairs, gknopp@acec.org; or Elizabeth Coit, ACEC/PAC director, ecoit@acec.org, at 202-347-7474.

Member Firm Historical Photos Needed For ACEC 100-Year Anniversary Video ACEC will produce a special video to celebrate the Council's 100-year anniversary in 2009. The video will depict how ACEC Member Firms have been responsible for America's major engineering achievements over the past century—and how the Council protected and advanced the industry's business interests during the same time. If your firm has any historical photo or video that you believe would enhance the anniversary presentation, please contact Alan D. Crockett, Director of Communications at acrockett@acec.org or 202-682-4301. All submitted materials will be returned to the firm once the project is completed.

ACEC-Backed H-1B Visa Legislation Introduced ACEC is supporting two legislative measures that would increase the availability of H-1B visas used by U.S. companies to retain and recruit highly skilled talent. H.R. 5630 and H.R. 5642, introduced by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) respectively, both seek to significantly increase the current yearly cap of 65,000 H-1B visas. The Giffords bill (H.R. 5630) would raise the visa cap to 130,000 in 2009 and would allow it to grow to a maximum of 180,000 in subsequent years based on demand. Smith, who currently serves as the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, wants to create short-term relief for H-1B visa applicants by increasing the cap to 195,000 for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. ACEC continues to advocate for more H-1B visas to address the persistent shortage of engineers in the United States. The Council is also helping to guide legislation through Congress that would provide financial aid incentives to encourage more young people to pursue engineering degrees. The need for legislative relief was underscored this week as the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received approximately 200,000 applications for the 65,000 available H-1B visas for 2009. The agency uses a lottery system to choose H-1B recipients.

Latest Industry Contract Revisions, Provisions Identified In May 29-30 Course Recognizing the Snares and Pitfalls in Construction Industry Contracts May 29-30, Chicago ACEC presents a new one-and-a-half day course designed to equip engineers, contractors, project managers, contracting officers, specifiers—and anyone responsible for construction or design services procurement—with critical information in key contract areas. Sessions will focus on specific controversial contract provisions from every angle, including the latest revisions to the most-used contracts and recent court rulings involving construction contracts. Click here for more information and to register.

Popular BIM Course Heads For Chicago, June 19-20; Registration Open Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and The Reality for A/E/C Firms June 19-20 Get your questions on Building Information Modeling (BIM) answered by industry innovators who are transforming this three-dimensional project planning concept into a marketplace reality. ACEC again presents Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and The Reality for A/E/C Firms, June 19-20 in Chicago. The one-and-a-half-day course, previously presented to sold out audiences, is an opportunity for COOs, IT management, project managers and company principals to get a unique, inside-look at BIM through the experiences of practitioners, software designers and clients. To browse the course agenda and to register, click here. To view a pdf of the course brochure, click here.

Sales and Marketing, Finance Forums Set Meeting Dates Professional Sales and Marketing Forum: April 27 Structured in roundtable format, ACEC's Professional Sales and Marketing Forum meetings enable fact-to-face networking opportunities as well as discussion of emerging trends and problem-solving ideas and success stories. The spring Forum meeting is set for April 27, Washington, DC, in advance of the ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit. Click here for information and to register. Finance Forum: September 15-16 Plan ahead, register early, and mark your calendars for the next meeting of the ACEC Finance Forum, September 15-16, Chicago. The one-and-a-half-day series of workshops cover topics such as federal acquisition regulations, ownership transition, training requirements, best practices, role of the CFO and more. Click here for information and to register.

The American Council of Engineering Companies 1015 15th St., NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005-2605 Phone: 202-347-7474 - Fax: 202-898-0068 www.acec.org - E-mail:acec@acec.org Alan D. Crockett, Director, PR • Ann Brandstadter, Editor/Designer