ACEC Fall Conference in Palm Springs Hits All the Right Notes Fall Conference attendees were treated to hilarious impersonations of Sammy Davis, Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as part of Local Color Night Festivities. More than 700 members and guests attended the ACEC 2009 Fall Conference in beautiful Palm Springs, Calif. last week. The former President of Mexico Vicente Fox and NASA Lead Flight Engineer David Doody highlighted an impressive list of speakers. A packed audience also heard key state, federal and industry experts analyze important changes to the new AASHTO Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide. (See story below) “The Palm Springs Conference was terrific,” said Ray Messer, president and chairman, Walter P Moore & Associates in Houston. “As usual it provided great education sessions that were extremely timely and important.”

Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox spoke frankly and compellingly on U.S./Mexico relations. “The entire Conference was really strong,” said Kyle Anderson of Felsburg Holt & Ullevig in Omaha, Neb. “We’re starting our strategic planning for next year and I have gotten some very good ideas to take back with me.” “This was a great Conference,” said Chuck Kopplin of GRAEF in Milwaukee, Wis. “Local Color Night was one of the best.” Other Conference Highlights: ACEC presented the 2009 Distinguished Award of Merit posthumously to the late Ralph Peterson, former chairman and CEO of CH2M Hill. Mark Lasswell, president of CH2M Hill’s Transportation Business Group, accepted the award. (See story below) ACEC/PAC raised $109,000 in fundraising activities. (See story below) Inductees into the 2009 College of Fellows included: David Bills, president of Bills Engineering Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii; John Boldt, executive vice president, Clark Dietz, Inc., Kenosha, Wis.; Robert Close, vice president, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Orange, Calif.; Robin Greenleaf, president, Architectural Engineers, Inc., Boston, Mass.; and Richard Wells, vice president, Trigon/Kleinfelder, Inc., Greensboro, N.C. David Doody, chief flight engineer for NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, thrilled attendees with his tales of space exploration. 2009 Community Service Awards were presented to: Andre Peter Martecchini, principal at S.E.A. Consultants, Cambridge, Mass.; June Nakumura, president of Engineering Solutions, Inc., Pearl City, Hawaii; George Jamison, principal at Kaskaskia Engineering Group, Taylorville, Ill.; Thomas Robertson, president of Cranston Engineering Group, Augusta, Ga; and Brian Burnett, president of Bohannan Huston, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M. The 2009 ACEC Chairmen Emeritus Award (formerly the Past Chairmen Award) went to David Wright, senior vice president of Neal-Schaffer, Inc., Stockbridge, Georgia. CASE presented its 2009 Past Chairmen’s Award to Ed Pence, president of Stroud, Pence & Associates, Ltd., Virginia Beach. 2009 Scholarship winners and Young Professionals of the Year were also recognized. ACEC’s Board of Directors discussed the proposed new three-year budget, which will be voted on at the 2010 Annual Convention in April in Washington, D.C.

CH2M Hill's Lasswell Accepts Distinguished Award of Merit for the Late Ralph Peterson Mark Lasswell, center, president of CH2M Hill’s Transportation Business Group, accepts the 2009 Distinguished Award of Merit plaque from ACEC Chairman Tim Psomas, right, and ACEC President Dave Raymond. Lasswell accepted the award for the late CH2M Hill Chairman and CEO Ralph Peterson. The 2009 Distinguished Award of Merit, the highest honor the Council bestows to an individual, was presented posthumously to the late Ralph Peterson, former Chairman and CEO of CH2M Hill. The award was accepted by CH2M Hill’s Transportation Business Group President Mark Lasswell. In presenting the award, ACEC Chairman Tim Psomas recognized Peterson for “his extraordinary contributions to the engineering profession; his bold, pioneering vision for building a better world through sustainable development and enlightened public policy; and his selfless dedication to his country and his colleagues.” In accepting the award, Lasswell said, “This is an incredible honor and acknowledgement of Ralph’s contributions. This award would have been the most meaningful to him because it is from his peers.” During his tenure as chairman and CEO, Peterson guided CH2M Hill from a $400-million firm in the early 1990s into a global leader in full-service engineering with more than 25,000 employees worldwide and over $6.4 billion in revenues. Peterson also served on numerous national industry boards and played an important role in President Clinton’s National Environmental Technology Initiative. “He was probably one of the first environmentalists in our profession,” said Lasswell. Among past winners of the award are President Dwight Eisenhower, astronomer Carl Sagan, and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

ACEC/Hawaii National Director Jon Nishimura and Executive Director Ginny Wright enjoy the Spanish colonial scenery at the Fall Conference in Palm Springs.

ACEC to Repeat Popular AASHTO Audit Guide Workshop in Online Seminars ACEC Transportation Committee Chairman David Oates moderates the packed Fall Conference education session, which featured government and industry experts discussing changes to the new AASHTO Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide. On the panel from the left, Jerry Jones, chairman, AASHTO Subcommittee on Internal and External Audits and Commission Auditor for the Michigan DOT; Joe Dailey, director of the Office of Financial Management, FHWA; Wayne Owens, CPA, Deemer Dana & Froehle; and Nick Ellis, CFO, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. In response to the overwhelming member interest in the special workshop at the Fall Conference on Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Cost Principles and the AASHTO New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide, ACEC will reprise the program in a series of online seminars over the coming months. These are must-do sessions for every firm working for state DOT clients. This series will cover such topics as: New guidance and procedures for determining reasonable compensation The creation of a National Compensation Matrix Guidance on allowable and unallowable costs in your overhead New CPA overhead audit and testing requirements, as well as guidance for hiring a qualified CPA firm Requirements for establishing and demonstrating internal controls Full implementation of Cognizant Audits The Appeal Process—What to do if your State DOT client does not accept your cognizant audit, imposes state specific caps or does not follow the FAR The first in the series, AASHTO’s New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: New State DOT Compensation and Audit Rules That Will Affect Your Bottom Line, will be October 27 (and again on November 10), from 1:30-3 p.m. EDT. This unique overview will be presented by Jerry J. Jones, chair, AASHTO Subcommittee on Internal and External Audits and commission auditor for the Michigan DOT; David Bruce, program analyst, FHWA; and Lynda Konomos, external audit manager, HNTB Companies and chair, ACEC Audit Subcommittee. To register for AASHTO’s New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: New State DOT Compensation and Audit Rules That Will Affect Your Bottom Line on Oct. 27, click here. To register for the Nov. 10 presentation of this seminar, click here. For details and to register for additional upcoming sessions addressing specific elements of the Guide in greater detail, click on the topic of interest: Nov. 5—AASHTO's New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: New Rules on Allowable and Reasonable Compensation Nov. 12—AASHTO’s New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: Basic FAR Compliance in a Time of Increased Government Oversight Nov. 18—AASHTO’s New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: New Guidance for Successful Overhead Audits Dec. 3—AASHTO’s New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide: Basic FAR Compliance in a Time of Increased Government Oversight (repeat of Nov. 12 presentation)

ACEC/PAC Raises Record $109,000 at Fall Conference Ed Dedeaux, right, of Allen & Hoshall in Ridgeland, Miss., accepts the $2,000 ACEC/PAC Sweepstakes prize from ACEC Chairman Tim Psomas. ACEC/PAC topped all previous Fall Conference fundraising efforts, raising $109,000 and solidifying its place among the top construction industry PACs in the nation. ACEC/PAC hosted three popular fundraising activities during the Conference: a Sweepstakes Raffle, Golf Tournament, and Martini Reception. Kevin Weed of Perteet, Inc. in Everett, Wash., won the $10,000 Grand Prize in the ACEC/PAC Sweepstakes. Robin Greenleaf of Architectural Engineers, Inc. in Boston claimed the $5,000 second prize. Edwin Dedeaux of Allen & Hoshall in Ridgeland, Miss. and Troy Holloway of Century Engineering Inc. in Hunt Valley, Md. won the $2,000 and $1,000 prizes respectively. The ACEC/PAC Golf Tournament was at the La Quinta Mountain Course, home to the World Cup and the PGA National Cup Championship. The Low Gross winning team was Reggie Benton of Benton & Assoc. in Jacksonville, Ill., Joe Hagerty and David Oates of Oates Assoc. in Collinsville, Ill. and Jim Klug of AECOM in Chicago. The Low Net winning team was Gayle Harley and Patti Harley of OBEC Consulting Engineers in Eugene, Ore., Bill Stout of Gannett Fleming in Camp Hill, Pa. and Blake Murillo of Psomas in Los Angeles.

Senate Finance Committee Clears Health Care Reform Measure Congress is moving forward on legislation to extend health insurance coverage to the uninsured, following this week's passage of a bipartisan bill in the Senate Finance Committee. ACEC President Dave Raymond sent a a letter to Senate leaders this week, stating that while ACEC Member Firms agree on the need for affordable, quality health care options for their employees and for all Americans, they are concerned about elements of a final health care package that could drive up costs for engineering firms and their employees. Click here to read Raymond’s letter. The Senate Finance bill, which was supported by committee Democrats and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), would cost $829 billion. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the package is fully paid for through reductions in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as a new excise tax on health insurance plans above the threshold of $8,000 for singles and $21,000 for families. Other tax increases in the bill include limitations on flexible spending accounts and requiring firms to issue additional IRS Form 1099s for business transactions. Individuals would be required to obtain health insurance, and so-called “health insurance exchanges” would be created in each state to make it easier for individuals and small firms to shop for available insurance plans. Small businesses could qualify for tax credits to offset the costs of health insurance for their employees. To read summaries of the Senate Finance package and other congressional health care bills, click here. While the Finance Committee bill stops short of creating a government insurance plan or an employer mandate, these elements are included in other insurance reform bills and may be added as the House and Senate develop a final package. One issue that was left for floor debate is medical malpractice reform. The Congressional Budget Office recently concluded that tort reform would produce $54 billion in savings in the health care system. However, most congressional Democrats oppose medical malpractice reform and any provisions that make it into the final legislation are expected to be minor. The White House is pushing for a final bill by the end of the year.

Explore 'Leading Indicators' for Success in Uncertain Times Vector Your Business in Uncertain, Dynamic Times: A ‘Leading Indicators’ Approach Dec. 10-11, Orlando ACEC presents an exciting new business course for leaders who are passionate about building a sustainable, growth-focused and financially strong company…and guiding it successfully through unexpected change. Well-known industry leaders Rod Hoffman, S&H Consulting, and Gerry Salontai, Salontai Consulting Group, LLC, will present Vector Your Business in Uncertain, Dynamic Times: A ‘Leading Indicators’ Approach, December 10-11 at the Walt Disney World Hilton, Orlando, FL. Created for key members of your firm responsible for strategic thinking and business planning, participants investing two days in this intensely focused course will reap long-term business benefits, by: Developing the best “model of practice” for making better business choices Being prepared to adapt to unexpected change and inevitable surprises Uncovering, understanding and acting on their own firm’s “leading indicators” Creating an individual firm-specific planning template Understanding how good business planning can achieve their firm’s strategic goals For details of the course agenda and to register at early-bird best price, click here.

Meet Challenges of New A/E Realities—Still Time to Register October 21-24—The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change, St. Louis, MO For details and to register, click here. October 29-30—Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness, Dearborn, MI For details and to register, click here. October 21-24—Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and the Reality for A/E/C Firms, Seattle, WA For details and to register, click here.

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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