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Vol. XXXI, Number 1 - January 7, 2010

2010 Key Dates

  • April 25-28
    ACEC 2010 Annual Convention & Legislative Summit
    The Grand Hyatt Hotel
    Washington, D.C.

    Click here

  • October 17-20
    ACEC 2010 Fall Conference
    El Conquistador Resort & Spa
    Las Corabas, Puerto Rico


Award-Winning Magazine

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Happy New Year!

Our industry faces significant challenges in 2010, but we also have substantial opportunities.

Congress will continue to invest in infrastructure, environment, and energy sectors to fuel recovery. And as the year progresses, economic growth is expected to pick up.

ACEC will be aggressive on Capitol Hill in its advocacy of industry positions, and you will have a special opportunity to meet with your elected representatives and make your voice heard at the upcoming ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit, April 25-28.

We hope you noticed that Congress passed a special resolution recognizing "the remarkable contributions of the American Council of Engineering Companies for its 100 years of service to the engineering industry and the Nation." (View the tribute video at www.acec.org.)

ACEC accomplishments during 2009 included:

  • Won an FHWA ruling that state agencies may not unilaterally reduce contracted fees for consultant services on federally funded transportation projects;

  • Created with AASHTO a new Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide to be used by state DOTs;

  • Released a groundbreaking national academic study quantifying the benefits of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS);

  • Restored solvency to the Highway Trust Fund in 2009 to prevent major cuts to state transportation programs;

  • Won a delay in the implementation of the 3 percent withholding rule until 2012;

  • Used Minuteman Fund grants to protect the Economic Loss Doctrine for design professionals and defend QBS;

  • Won significant expansion of the reach of QBS in pending water and aviation legislation in the House and Senate.

We look forward to working with you in 2010 to protect and enhance the business interests of our Member Firms.

In order to facilitate your communication with the national office in this effort, a staff guide is presented below.

Best wishes for the New Year,

Timothy Psomas
Chairman
David A. Raymond
President & CEO


ACEC At Your Service: A Staff Guide

Shown below are key ACEC staff members in each of ACEC's major program areas, along with a brief description of their responsibilities and contact information.

Members are encouraged to contact staff through our main number at 202-347-7474 or at their respective email addresses and telephone numbers.

ACEC President Dave Raymond's door is always open to all members on all issues. He can be reached at 202-682-4379 or draymond@acec.org.


ACEC Secretary
Paula Pesnell
ppesnell@acec.org
202-682-4304

For matters pertaining to ACEC official records and governance, including the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Board of Directors, contact Paula Pesnell, ACEC Secretary, or Dave Raymond.


Vice President,
Operations and Membership

Mary Ann Emely
memely@acec.org
202-682-4300

Mary Ann Emely, ACEC's Vice President of Operations and Membership, serves as "number two" to the President for implementation of initiatives and policies, and leads the Membership Department.


General Counsel
Charles Kim
ckim@acec.org
202-682-4344
Charles Kim is ACEC's General Counsel and staffs ACEC's Business Insurance Trust, Retirement Trust, Life/Health Insurance Trust, Planning Cabinet, Risk Management Committee, "Minuteman Fund," and Legal Counsel Forum.


Government Affairs


Vice President, Government Affairs
Steve Hall

Executive Director, Political Programs
Greg Knopp
ACEC's Government Affairs Department promotes passage of legislation and policies that enhance the business climate for the engineering industry.

Primary initiatives include: Outsourcing, QBS, Procurement Policy, Infrastructure Funding, Government Competition, Federal Markets, Private Markets, Transportation, Environmental Programs, State Legislative Issues, Risk Management, Business & Tax, and ACEC/PAC (the industry's leading political action committee).

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Steve Hall, shall@acec.org, 202-682-4309

Political Programs, Greg Knopp, gknopp@acec.org, 202-682-4314

Transportation, Matt Reiffer, mreiffer@acec.org, 202-682-4308

Transportation, Vivian Moeglein, vmoeglein@acec.org, 202-682-4369

Federal Programs, Mark Steiner, msteiner@acec.org, 202-682-4343

Environment and Energy Programs, Diane Shea, dshea@acec.org, 202-682-4354

Tax and Regulatory Affairs, Katharine Mottley, kmottley@acec.org, 202-682-4306

ACEC/PAC, Elizabeth Coit, ecoit@acec.org, 202-682-4322

International Programs, Melissa Thompson, mthompson@acec.org, 202-682-4336

Institute For Business Management


VP, Institute for Business Management
Jeffrey L. Beard
ACEC's Institute for Business Management—encompassing all ACEC educational programs—provides comprehensive business practice resources for the engineering industry.

The Institute offers seminars in eight curriculum tracks: Marketing, Business Management and Quality, Risk Management and Contracts, Human Resources, Information Technology, Project Delivery and Management, Finance, and Leadership.


Deputy Director, Institute for Business Management
Deirdre McKenna
Other special programs include: Business of Design Consulting, Senior Executives Institute, Green Infrastructure, BIM software, practice publications/manuals/surveys, contract documents, Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP), and member discount programs.

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Jeffrey Beard, jbeard@acec.org, 202-682-4349

Institute Programs, Deirdre McKenna, dmckenna@acec.org, 202-682-4328

Education Programs, Andrew Fort, afort@acec.org, 202-682-4330

Contracts and Risk Management, Edward Bajer, ebajer@acec.org, 202-682-4342

Publications and Discount Programs, Mary Jaffe, mjaffe@acec.org, 202-682-4318

Marketing, Holly Hemphill, hhemphill@acec.org, 202-682-4335

Registered Continuing Education Program, Maria Buscemi, mbuscemi@acec.org, 202-682-4323

Membership and Coalitions


Director, Membership
Leo Hoch

Director, Coalitions
Heather Talbert
ACEC's Membership Department is responsible for the Council's recruitment and retention programs, as well as general liaison with members to facilitate services.

The Department works in close collaboration with State Organization staff. It offers a Membership Incentive Program and Membership Recruiter cost-sharing program.

The Department also provides resources for information-sharing, best practices, and networking for the following ACEC coalitions: the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE), Council of Professional Surveyors (COPS), Council of American Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (CAMEE), Small Firm Council, and the Land Development Coalition.

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Mary Ann Emely, mememly@acec.org, 202-682-3000

Director of Membership, Leo Hoch, lhoch@acec.org, 202-682-4341

Membership & Customer Records, Doris V. Dent, ddent@acec.org, 202-682-4324

Membership & Customer Records, Kathleen O. Murphy, kmurphy@acec.org, 202-682-4307

Sales & Member Services, Nina Goldman, ngoldman@acec.org, 202-682-4325

Coalitions, Heather Talbert, htalbert@acec.org, 202-682-4377

Coalitions, David Bixby, dbixby@acec.org, 202-682-4332

Communications


Director, Communications and Media
Alan D. Crockett
The Communications and Media Department is responsible for Engineering Inc.,Last Word, ACEC's website, media coverage, ACEC's Engineering Excellence Awards, ACEC's Scholarship programs and other awards programs.

Engineering Inc.—ACEC's award-winning bimonthly magazine—features articles on advocacy and business trends, and targets an external audience as well as Member Firms.

Last Word—ACEC's award-winning weekly newsletter—is the Council's primary communications vehicle with Member Firms covering the latest legislative, business, industry and Council news.

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Alan D. Crockett, acrockett@acec.org, 202-682-4301

Engineering Inc., Andrea Keeney, akeeney@acec.org, 202-682-4347

Last Word, Gerry Donohue, gdonohue@acec.org, 202-682-4313

EEA and Scholarship Programs, Daisy Nappier, dnappier@acec.org, 202-682-4340

Finance & Administration


Director, Finance & Administration
Kim Pham
ACEC's Finance and Administration Department is responsible for financial planning and management of ACEC programs. It also provides administration, staff support and Human Resource functions that enable smooth day-to-day operations at ACEC.

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Kim Pham, kpham@acec.org, 202-682-4339

Finance, Steve Rollins, srollins@acec.org, 202-682-4346

Human Resources, Karen George, kgeorge@acec.org, 202-682-4305

Meetings & Conventions


Director, Meetings and Conventions
Leslie Zeck
ACEC's Meetings and Conventions Department implements world class events, offering ACEC members an attractive environment for their educational programs, governance meetings, and networking.

National meetings include the Annual Convention and the Fall Conference, and the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala.

Meetings and Conventions also manages the logistics of dozens of ACEC stand-alone educational seminars throughout the United States.

Key Department Contacts

Department Head, Leslie Zeck, lzeck@acec.org, 202-682-4334

Meetings & Conventions, Robyn Hulvey, rhulvey@acec.org, 202-682-4316

Meetings & Conventions, Krysta Perrault, kperrault@acec.org, 202-682-4353


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