Alaska, Arizona, and South Dakota Reach 2008 ACEC/PAC Goals With just days to go before the ACEC Fall Conference in Montreal, ACEC/Alaska, ACEC/Arizona, and ACEC/South Dakota all achieved their ACEC/PAC fundraising goals for 2008. They join Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Metro Washington, and Montana, as states that have met their ACEC/PAC objectives this year. ACEC/PAC Champion of Alaska Floyd Damron Alaska Serious About ACEC/PAC For the sixth straight year, the Land of the Midnight Sun hit its ACEC/PAC goal, and PAC Champion Floyd Damron of CH2M HILL in Anchorage has been a key to Alaska's ACEC/PAC streak. "As folks in the rest of the country are learning, we Alaskans take our politics seriously up here," said Damron. "Our members understand the need for active participation by firms and individuals in the political process, and supporting ACEC/PAC is all part of that effort."

ACEC/PAC Champion of Arizona Bob Stanley Three In A Row For Arizona ACEC/Arizona PAC Champion Bob Stanley of Nabar Stanley Brown in Phoenix said he and Executive Director Janice Burnett have discovered the right message for securing ACEC/PAC support. As Stanley explained, "ACEC/Arizona members have come to understand the direct connection between supporting ACEC/PAC and receiving better representation in Congress. I often ask my fellow engineers, with so much at stake for the future of their firms, how could they afford not to contribute?"

ACEC/PAC Champion of South Dakota Daniel Eisenbraun South Dakota Makes It Fun The Mount Rushmore State also made its ACEC/PAC goal for the third year in a row. "It was an honor to help lead the ACEC/PAC effort in the state this year," said South Dakota ACEC/PAC Champion Daniel Eisenbraun of Eisenbraun & Associates in Yankton. "We worked hard to make our ACEC/PAC goal, but we also had fun doing it—we held ACEC/PAC fundraising events and raffles, and we got many ACEC members involved that otherwise would not have been. Once they become part of the program, they realize how important it is to their bottom line and the profession." Click here to see the progress of each state in achieving its ACEC/PAC goal for 2008 and information on the PAC Champion(s) leading the state fundraising effort. For more information about ACEC/PAC, contact Greg Knopp, gknopp@acec.org or Elizabeth Coit, ecoit@acec.org.

ACEC/Tennessee Celebrates 40th Anniversary At the ACEC/Tennessee 40th anniversary dinner are from the left: Anniversary Dinner Chairman Lamar Dunn of Lamar Dunn & Associates, ACEC National President Dave Raymond; ACEC/Tennessee Executive Director Candy Toler; and Past ACEC/National Chairman Lester Smith. More than 300 ACEC/Tennessee members and guests participated in a gala dinner last week at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to celebrate the State Organization's 40th anniversary. Among the guests were ACEC National chairs from Tennessee—Lester Smith (1987-1988) and Billy T. Sumner (1975-1976)—as well as ACEC President Dave Raymond. Lamar Dunn, of Lamar Dunn & Associates, was the anniversary dinner chairman. The dinner featured a Minnie Pearl impersonator who welcomed guests, as well as recognition of past leaders and accomplishments of ACEC/Tennessee. ACEC/Tennessee President Lillard Teasley, of Teasley Services Group, said: "It was a great opportunity to recognize how much has been accomplished by our organization in the last four decades." Founded in 1968, ACEC/Tennessee represents 110 engineering companies. These firms employ more than 4,000 Tennesseans and contribute more than $350 million annually to the state's economy.

Senator Mitch McConnell Receives ACEC/PAC Support At Kentucky Event At the McConnell fundraiser were from the left: Randall Russell, Kenvirons, Inc.; Pete Szak, Florence & Hutcheson, Inc.; Bob Brown, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.; David Smith, Qk4; Jim Gallt, Palmer Engineering Company; Ron Gilkerson, GRW Engineers; Mike Woolum, Strand Associates; Senator McConnell; Craig Avery, Stantec Consulting Services; Randy Scott, Vaughn and Melton, Inc.; Matt Reiffer, ACEC director of transportation programs; Dan Byers, WMB, Inc.; and Shawn Dikes, PB Americas. ACEC/PAC hosted a fundraising reception last week to support Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Republican leader in the Senate who also serves on the Appropriations, Agriculture and Rules committees. The event, which was co-chaired by Craig Avery of Stantec and Jim Gallt of Palmer Engineering, raised over $30,000 to support the Senator's re-election efforts. The members discussed infrastructure investment and other issues of importance to the engineering industry. "It was a great evening and a terrific opportunity to support Mitch and continue our dialogue with him on the issues," said Avery. Gallt added: "We framed our discussions around infrastructure expenditures as capital investments." For more information on the 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.

Public Entertainment Facilities Needed For Upcoming Engineering Inc. If your firm currently is involved in designing a public entertainment facility, i.e., sports venue, museum, theater, etc., and you think your project would be of interest to Engineering Inc. readers, ACEC would like to hear from you. The project can be in an on-going phase or recently completed. To submit a project for consideration for the 2009 January/February issue of Engineering Inc., please e-mail the following information to Staff Editor, Andrea Keeney, at akeeney@acec.org by Friday, October 24: Project name and location; Brief project overview, including any unique aspects; and Name, title and phone number of the member firm executive who will be interviewed for the project profile. If your project is selected, you will be contacted by an Engineering Inc. representative. Please contact Andrea Keeney at akeeney@acec.org if you have any questions.

Sales & Marketing, Education Forums On Oct. 19 Open To Fall Conference Attendees Open to ACEC members and non-members, these highly popular Forum events cover timely topics of interest to the engineering firm's non-engineer specialists, and offer unique opportunities to exchange ideas and network at a national level. Both the Professional Sales & Marketing Forum and the new Education Forum, October 19, Montréal, will convene during the ACEC 2008 Fall Conference. The HR Forum, October 27-28, Kansas City, is filling fast. Those interested in attending are urged to register now. For details and to register, click on the Forum of interest.

Online Seminars Investigate IT, Leadership Development, Networking, Economy Online Seminars offer advanced training to benefit your business, keep you informed and earn PDHs. Register in advance for upcoming topics and we'll remind you in advance to log on. Show Me the Money: Maximizing the Benefits of Information Technology October 22, 1:30-3 p.m. In this online seminar, Ty Kicklighter, Walter Schoel Engineering Company, Inc., explores the consequences of IT spending on firm health, using both a firm's financial statements and examples of typical IT projects. Management will gain a better understanding of IT project expenditures and how to evaluate a project's cost effectiveness. IT professionals will learn how to communicate the value of projects to management in financial terms. For details and to register, click here. Fast Track Leadership Development in Engineering and Design Firms October 28, 1:30-3 p.m. Scott W. Braley, Braley Consulting & Training, looks at rapid leadership development and deployment—what works and what doesn't—in identifying, developing, keeping, challenging and supporting up-and-coming professionals and new leaders. Braley will focus on key issues and equip participants to address leadership development quickly, effectively, and with resources that already exist in-house in many firms. For details and to register, click here. Follow Up! The Misunderstood Heart of Business Development and Positioning October 29, 1:30-3 p.m. Lynne Waymon, Make Your Contacts Count, describes the rules and tools for creating, cultivating, and capitalizing on networking relationships and opportunities in order to attract a constant flow of clients and referrals. Online seminar participants will learn how to make more strategic use of networking time, develop mutually beneficial relations, figure out which professional associations to join, be more visible, and connect with people at conferences, meetings, and through professional organizations. For details and to register, click here. How Economic Indicators Predict Business Sector Performance and Potential October 30, 1:30-3 p.m. This year will be remembered as one of the most tumultuous times in the history of Wall Street. Craig Schwartzhoff, CFA, vice president, Investment Strategy of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, analyzes the magnitude of economic changes going on in the banking system, the credit markets, the financial services industry, U.S. and global economic conditions, and capital markets in a fact-based financial market outlook online seminar. For details and to register, click here.

Green Building & LEED For Constructors in Design Build Presented by Colorado State University at its Denver Center, Green Building & LEED for Constructors in Design Build debuts November 12-14. The intensive two-and-a-half-day program delivers an in-depth review of the technical requirements of a specific LEED rating system and the tools and information needed to incorporate green building practices into a project. Study techniques to prepare for taking the LEED Professional Accreditation exam will be covered, and all LEED materials are included. For details and to register, click here.

Input Needed On What You Like, Dislike, Would Like To See In EJCDC Documents In the continuing effort to improve the quality of their contracts and related documents, the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC) would like to hear from the user marketplace. If your firm uses any construction industry documents, please take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking here.

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