Get First Crack at the Next Generation of Engineers; Advertise in Engineering Inc. The November/December issue of the award-winning Engineering Inc. magazine will offer a unique opportunity to introduce your firm to college engineering students—soon to be engineering graduates—throughout the nation. The magazine will present a special report on the current state and future trends of engineering education, featuring curriculum and industry perspectives from deans of some of the most renowned U.S. colleges of engineering. A bonus distribution of the November/December Engineering Inc. will go to major colleges of engineering and college engineering libraries throughout the nation. This will be a must-read issue for engineering students, and a must-advertise opportunity for engineering firms. Contact Nina Goldman today at ngoldman@acec.org to place your ad. Click here to view more information on advertising with ACEC.

Future of Industry in "Good Hands" with New SEI Class SEI Class XV outside ACEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. The ACEC Senior Executives Institute (SEI) welcomed its 26-member Class XV to Washington, D.C. this week for the start of an intensive two-year leadership training program for the engineering executives. Class participants were briefed at ACEC headquarters before visiting with lobbyists and Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. The group also spent two days at the Brookings Institution, hearing from world-renowned experts on social, technical, economic, environmental and public policy trends that shape the marketplace for engineering firms and their clients. “The new SEI class is an impressive group of mature and thoughtful engineering leaders who instill confidence that the future of our industry is in good hands,” said ACEC President Dave Raymond.

Measures Point to Member Satisfaction With the ACEC Life/Health Trust In August, which is the busiest month for employee benefit decisions, 94 percent of Member Firms chose to stay with the ACEC Life/Health Trust for their health coverage solutions, exceeding industry norms for similar businesses by 18 percent. Further, 80 percent of Member Firm employees enrolled in the ACEC Life/Health Trust expressed satisfaction with their health care experiences, according to a recent third-party survey. The ACEC Life/Health Trust represents more than 1,300 engineering firms for their health coverage. This group continues to add to their rolls each year, including recruiting new Member Firms to ACEC who also want the benefit of the Life/Health Trust coverage. “The Trust is committed to a long tradition of sustaining and improving a valued member benefit within an ever more challenging and complex health care industry landscape,” said Philip E. Budde, chairman, ACEC Life/Health Trust and president & COO of Strand Associates, Inc. in Madison, WI. “I am very proud of the continued dedication demonstrated by the ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust and our many partners in their efforts to work in the best interest of Member Firms.” For more information on the ACEC Life/Health Trust, click here.

ACEC Young Professional of the Year Award Entry Deadline is October 12 Member Organizations and Member Firms seeking to recognize the achievements of a young engineer must submit their entry for the ACEC 2010 Young Engineer of the Year Award by October 12, 2009. The Award acknowledges the accomplishments of engineers under the age of 30 who, while still at the beginning of their engineering careers, already have made significant contributions to the profession. Nominees will be evaluated by the Awards Subcommittee of the Committee of Fellows. Award winners will be recognized at the 2010 ACEC Fall Conference and in Engineering Inc. magazine and will automatically compete for the 2010 New Faces of Engineering Awards, which are coordinated through National Engineers Week. For more information on the awards and entry guidelines, click here.

New A/E Realities Require Newest Management Tools; Register Now for Best Price The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change October 21-24, St. Louis, MO ACEC’s Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change is a unique and comprehensive update of the elements and functions of the successful A/E business... all in the context of a challenging business environment. Content covers the eight key areas of business management, finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, human resources, and information technology, plus real-world technical examples presented by leading practitioners in the A/E workplace. Created for owners, principals, executives, and managers of A/E firms, this state-of-the-art look at the key components of your operation is a cost-effective investment for succeeding in a more competitive than ever environment. Earlybird registration savings is extended to Oct. 5. For details and to register, click here.

Add Courtroom Confidence to Engineering Expertise With Oct. 29-30 Course Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness October 29-30, Dearborn, MI Adding new services such as expert witness capabilities to your firm’s portfolio is a shrewd business strategy, particularly as an extension of existing skills and expertise. However well-qualified your key staff may be, only the court-savvy engineer should take on potentially lucrative assignments as an expert witness in legal proceedings. Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness, ACEC’s unique 1-1/2 day course to qualify engineers, architects and surveyors for recognition as expert witnesses, will be presented Oct. 29-30 in Dearborn, MI. Participants earn a certificate of course completion equipping them for legal service. Earlybird registration for best savings is extended through Monday, Oct. 5, then regular registration fees apply. The course will be presented by recognized experts Guy Vaillancourt, president, Woodard & Curran, who has served clients as a testifying expert for the past 15 years; Duncan G. Cameron, senior litigation partner, Donovan Hatem, New York, and a litigator of complex construction and commercial matters in federal and state courts; and the Honorable Arthur Bergman, New Jersey Superior Court Judge, who has presided over numerous construction cases and previously spent 13 years representing design professionals, owners and contractors. For details and course agenda, click here. For an in-depth look at engineers in the expert witness role, click here to read "Holding Court" in the July/August issue of ACEC’s Engineering Inc. magazine. In completing this course, attendees take an important first step towards qualifying for the professional designation of Engineer Expert Witness (EXW). For information on the EXW designation program, e-mail ebajer@acec.org.

Get Big-Picture BIM: Technology, Risks, Economics, Benefits, Oct. 29-30, Seattle Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and the Reality for A/E/C Firms October 29-30, Seattle, WA As headlines point to the growing importance of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process to private and public sector clients (See Engineering Inc. story “Wisconsin, Texas First States to Require BIM on Public Projects”), ACEC presents a first-hand examination of the challenging interdisciplinary process. Set for Oct. 29-30 in Seattle, this fast-paced 1-1/2 day course is an informative and timely look into the many components of the BIM project delivery system by faculty practitioners and early-adopters. Highlights of the agenda include segments on reasons for change, exploring the technology and interoperability, implementation strategies and IT case study, risk management and insurance updates for “BIM-ready” firms, plus the latest views of BIM from the M/E/P perspective. This unique course is ideal for firm principals planning, considering or launching BIM. Earlybird registration for best savings has been extended through Monday, Oct. 5, then regular registration fees apply. For the course brochure and to register, click here.

Coming Up Online... Seminars You Won’t Want to Miss Profitable Sustainability October 6, 1:30-3 p.m. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, tax incentives, various proposed regulations and new programs contribute to expectations that green buildings and technologies will play a major role in the economy. Jerry Yudelson, Yudelson Associates, presents a timely online seminar that examines the 10 leading trends in the emerging green marketplace and describes five key ways to position your firm to take profitable advantage of them. For details and to register, click here. Winning Strategies for Powerful Project Interviews, Q&A Sessions, and Owner Debriefings October 7, 1:30-3 p.m. A former supervisor of Contracts Administration for a major city, and an interview preparation consultant explain how firms can make submittals and interviews more effective—and successful. Join Lori Stanley, Selection Solutions Consulting, and Hilari Weinstein, High Impact Communications, for tips and do’s and don’ts. Be ready to present your firm as your talents and achievements deserve. (Note: Selection Success! How Consultants, Contractors and Others Can Increase Their Success in a Qualifications-Based Selection Process, authored by the presenters, is available at the ACEC Bookstore. For more information, click here.) For details and to register, click here. Developing Future Leaders: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Growing 20 to 35-Year-Olds in Leaner Times October 13, 1:30-3 p.m. Leaders in engineering firms are continually challenged by generational differences in the goals and values of the 20-35-year-old demographic, and they struggle to employ strategies that will maximize their young talent. In this practical online seminar, Mike Baker, David Evans and Associates, and Geordie Aitken, Aitken Leadership, offer case studies to illustrate how to slow the “brain drain” and create a professional environment in which young leaders will thrive and contribute. For details and to register, click here. The Entrepreneurial Project Manager—Raising the Bar on Project Manager Contribution October 14, 1:30-3 p.m. Success in project management equals success in your business. That means going beyond the basics of meeting schedule and budget. David Stone, Stone & Company, makes a persuasive case for the concept of project manager as small business entrepreneur, with the idea of treating projects, teams, customers and suppliers as if they are independent business relationships. Participants will consider the attributes of a great project manager as a business leader and as a business partner, and look at how the entrepreneurial PM finds customers and keeps them coming back. For details and to register, click here. Effective Use of Government Contracts to Optimize Liability Protection October 15, 1:30-3 p.m. This intensive, focused online seminar by attorneys Ray Biagini and Herbert Fenster, McKenna, Long & Aldridge LLP, will identify engineering firms' options and outline how to gain maximum liability mitigation on government contracts. Although the Defense Production Act, Safety Act, Stafford Act—and other laws—provide some protections, they also require careful contract wording and oversight. Learn how your firm can best utilize these protections and how to optimize them. For details and to register, click here.

Click here to review past editions of the Last Word. Click here to subscribe to the Last Word.

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 • Gerry Donohue, Designer