New Executive Committee Members Add Depth to Council Leadership ACEC’s Board of Directors has elected five new members to ACEC’s Executive Committee, with two-year terms beginning at the April 2010 Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. Terry Neimeyer, chairman and CEO of KCI Technologies, Inc. in Sparks, Md., was elected the new chairman-elect, to succeed Gerald Stump, who will begin his term as chairman in April. Sergio “Satch” Pecori, president and CEO of Hanson Professional Services Inc. in Springfield, Ill., has been elected treasurer. Newly-elected vice chairs are Paul Grosser, president, P.W. Grosser Consulting, Bohemia, N.Y.; Miller “M.L.” Love, vice president, Collins Engineers, Inc., Charleston, S.C.; and Robert Paulsen, president, The PBSJ Corporation, Orlando, Fla. ACEC/South Carolina Executive Director Joe Jones III will serve as the NAECE representative on the 2010-2011 Executive Committee. The new officers will join Gerald Stump, Robin Greenleaf, Bartlett Patton, Kenneth Wightman, and Dave Raymond on the 2010-2011 Executive Committee.

Terry Neimeyer Chairman-elect-elect KCI Technologies, Inc. Sergio Pecori Treasurer Hanson Professional Services Paul Grosser Vice Chair P.W. Grosser Consulting Miller Love Vice Chair Collins Engineers, Inc. Robert Paulsen Vice Chair The PBSJ Corporation Joe Jones NAECE

ACEC/PAC is the Council’s "Best Tool to Influence National Policy" Pennsylvania PAC Champion Christopher Borton In Pennsylvania, PAC Champion Christopher Borton of Borton-Lawson Engineering also credited his Board and M.O. leadership (including current president Donald Gennuso and past presidents) for expanding their donor base by 25 percent in a down economy. “Peer pressure was the key for our effort,” said Borton. “When word got out that supporting the campaign was a priority for our association, people wanted to make sure they were included as an ACEC/PAC donor.” “ACEC/PAC is the best tool we have as engineers to influence the composition of Congress and the direction of national policies impacting our industry,” said said Dan DeYoung, president of DJG and a former ACEC chairman, who worked with Virginia PAC Champion Sam Kirby of Froehling & Robertson in Virginia to get the Old Dominion State to 100 percent of their goal for the fifth straight year. ACEC/PAC Vice Chairman Harvey Floyd of KCI Technologies in Sparks, MD said, “The tougher the times, the more we need ACEC/PAC looking out for us on Capitol Hill.” For a complete view of those states making their ACEC/PAC goal for 2009, click here. For more information on ACEC/PAC, 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.

Minuteman Fund Helps West Virginia Defend Against Efforts to Roll Back QBS ACEC/West Virginia President Dayton Carpenter The ACEC Minuteman Fund has provided a grant to ACEC/West Virginia to help defray the costs of the M.O.’s fight against efforts by the state administration to roll back West Virginia’s QBS statutes. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III and at least four state agencies are scheduled to introduce bills in the 2010 legislative session that would alter or completely remove the legal mandate that state departments, agencies, and other public entities use QBS for the procurement of A/E services. “The proposed legislation could put dangerous limitations on QBS in our state,” said Dayton Carpenter, president of ACEC/West Virginia. “This could set a bad precedent for other states. We appreciate the availability of the ACEC Minuteman Fund to help us fight these battles.” The Minuteman Fund is ACEC’s powerful resource for helping Member Organizations pursue legislative and legal initiatives of national importance. All Member Organizations are encouraged to avail themselves of this resource. All Member Firms are encouraged to contribute to the Fund. Click here for more information or to make a donation.

Sustainability Seminar Attendees to Tour Army Corps’ State-of-the-Art Surge Barrier Participants in ACEC’s Feb. 23-26 Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets course will have a special briefing and private boat tour of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ $1.3 billion Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier project. The concrete and steel wall-and-gate structure is a state-of-the-art design to bring the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to 100-year levels of protection by the 2011 hurricane season. For more information, click here.

Examine Markets, Methods, Tools for Sustainable Projects, New Directions Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets Feb. 23-26, New Orleans ACEC again brings together a faculty of leading practitioners, academic and government experts in an exploration of the growing market for sustainable design and construction. Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets, will be presented in partnership with Colorado State University, February 23-26 in New Orleans, with curriculum that examines key environmental planning and design processes and showcases applications of sustainable engineering. Segments of the four-day program add up to a unique practical and systematic examination of the challenges, strategies, tools, and bottom-line opportunities of sustainable facilities and infrastructure markets. Sustainability as Business Strategy The Business Case for Delivering Sustainable Projects Conducting Sustainability Audits and Assessments for Clients Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Costing Risk Management for Sustainable Projects Field Trip: Sustainability Principles and Practices in Metro New Orleans Sustainable Urban Water Management, Buildings and Transportation Projects Private boat tour of The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ $1.3 billion Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier project Engineers and planners looking for a course that examines key environmental planning and design processes, and showcases applications of sustainable engineering by some of the leading practitioners in the U.S. will particularly benefit from this unique certificate program. Click here for the course brochure with full agenda and faculty details. Click here for details and to register at the lowest advance price.

Update Your A/E Business Survival Skills for the 2010 Business Environment The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT ACEC’s highly regarded course is a comprehensive update on the elements and functions of the successful A/E business, focusing on “things they don’t teach in engineering school.” The course will be presented March 10-12 in Salt Lake City, UT. The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change takes participants through an in-depth exploration of hands-on management practices in the context of a challenging business environment. Created for firm owners, principals, executives, and managers, this course is a timely, focused update in eight primary functional areas: finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, business management, human resources, and information technology, and a solid investment for success in an intensely competitive 2010 and the decade beyond. For details and to register at the earlybird price, click here.

What Does BIM Really Do for Your Firm? Online Seminar Offers Tips, Answers BIM for Bosses January 19, 2010 One of the industry’s most perplexing questions is addressed in this timely online seminar: "What results should I expect to see from BIM applications that we just bought (or are about to buy)?" Eric Wing, C&S Companies, paints a realistic picture of what expectations can and should be regarding BIM, including the impact on a firm’s internal systems, staff and project proficiency. You'll get a thorough explanation of benefits and end goal in using BIM firm-wide; the processes needed for a seamless implementation; the steps for changes in hardware, software and network; plus new training and workflow practices that will add-up to success. And "bosses" will gain a realistic view of what to expect, and what not to expect, once BIM is up and running. This seminar can be an important part of the BIM decision-making and implementation process. For details and to register, click here.

'Stress-Test' Your Firm to Preempt Future Problems Stress Testing for Design Firms: How to See Early Warning Signs and Make Course Corrections February 2, 1:30-3 p.m. The fallout from lingering fiscal challenges in the A/E/C market has been dire for some firms, while others are healthy and thriving. The difference, in part, is the ability of forward-looking firms to anticipate change and make adjustments in advance of difficult times. Rod Hoffman, S&H Consulting, and Gerry Salontai, Salontai Consulting Group LLC, present a timely explanation on how to track your firm’s relevant metrics, using a stress test approach to predict your vulnerabilities and strengths in preparation for “inevitable surprises.” For details and to register, click here.

Engineering the Smart Grid: New Opportunities for Engineering Companies Engineering the Smart Grid—New Opportunities for Engineering Companies Feb. 10, 1:30-3 p.m. The Smart Grid is changing everything for energy utilities. This timely online seminar examines one of the industry’s hottest topics—the Smart Grid. What’s hype and what isn’t? How and where the Smart Grid will benefit engineering and utilities stakeholder groups? Participants will learn how the Smart Grid is creating opportunities for engineering firms to team with energy utility owner-operators in re-engineering the grid to meet 21st century needs, through new and more efficient ways to build it more quickly, more efficiently and at lower cost. Presenters Richard Zambuni, Bentley Systems, and Juan Torres, Iberdrola Engineering and Construction, will present the engineering and the utilities perspectives on the subject. Torres will outline his firm’s vision of the Smart Grid and show how it has impacted their approach to substation design and other projects. Participants in this interactive seminar will: Learn about the Smart Grid—hype or reality? Examine the physical infrastructure from "source to switch" Gain information to leverage Smart Grid funding from owner-operators and governments (Note the Administration’s commitment of $4.5 billion to Smart Grid projects) Hear how an international engineering company is taking advantage of Smart Grid opportunities Learn how new workflows and new information modeling technology will help engineers in delivering the Smart Grid more efficiently Engineering firms and consultants working with energy utilities and in environmental sectors will find this seminar of particular value. For details and to register, click here.

2010 ACEC Fall Conference Session Proposals Due by Jan. 22 Proposals for session presentations at the 2010 ACEC Fall Conference, set for October 17-20, in Puerto Rico, are being accepted by the ACEC Institute for Business Management. Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. ET, January 22, 2010. Sessions are to be 75-minute presentations on topic areas under seven different tracks/curriculum areas: Engineering Markets and Issues, Business Management and Finance, Technology and Trends, Engineering Management and Leadership, People and Intangible Assets, Projects and Contracts, and Public Policy and Key Industry Issues. For examples of topics within these areas, plus a summary of the benefits of presenting, the Presentation Proposal Submission Form and requirements, 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