ACEC is Coordinating Member Firms' Volunteer Response to Haiti Earthquake Nearly three dozen ACEC Member Firms have volunteered their services to help with the recovery and reconstruction efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. ACEC has forwarded this initial information to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is coordinating U.S. relief efforts. Member Firms interested in being part of this effort should click here.

Economic Downturn Hits Veteran Engineer Salaries, ACEC Survey Finds The average salaries that firms paid to experienced engineers fell in 2009, according to ACEC’s 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey. For engineers with 20 years of work experience, the median salary fell from $85,000 in 2008 to $80,000 in 2009. For engineers getting their PE, the median salary held steady at $60,000. Starting salaries actually climbed slightly, from $46,000 in 2008 to $47,000 in 2009. More than nine out of 10 firms continue to give end-of-year bonuses to all employees. The median amount of the bonus in 2009 was 5 percent, which was the same percentage as 2008. For firms that did not award a set percentage, the median amount ranged from 2 to 14 percent. This and other pertinent industry data are now available in the just-released 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey—a comprehensive statistical analysis of current engineering firm operations, including projections on the future marketplace. To purchase a copy, click here.

Still Time for 2010 Green Infrastructure Course, Tour Registration… Hurry! Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets Feb. 23-26, New Orleans From life-cycle analysis to sustainability audits, the comprehensive agenda of ACEC’s Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities, Feb. 23-26, New Orleans, features a wealth of practical detail for meeting the challenges of going green, and an in-depth look into the tools and techniques of sustainable engineering, plus a unique private USACE project tour. For agenda details, faculty information, and last-minute registration, click here.

'Business for Engineers' Course: Get the Latest Ideas, Strategies to Succeed The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT ACEC’s Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change is a comprehensive update on the primary functions of the successful A/E business...examined in the context of the challenging business climate of 2010 and beyond. The course will be presented March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT. Focusing on state-of-the-art best practices, the course updates critical operational areas of finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, business management, human resources, and information technology. Course faculty are leading practitioners specializing in the A/E environment and teaching from experience: David Stone, Stone and Company, 35-year veteran in marketing and sales for the design and construction industry; Peggy Pound, The Pound Group, consultant to A/E firms in human resources and leadership development; David Cohen, Matheson Financial Advisors, who provides financial advisory services to the design industry; Paul Doherty, Satellier LLC, an authority on integration of technology and business with experience in architecture, construction and facility management sectors; and Laila Santana, Catlin, who joins the faculty with a background of providing risk management and loss prevention services to design professionals. The program delivers bottom-line benefits for engineering firm executives, managers, and up-and-coming leadership—a solid investment for success in an intensely competitive environment. Click here to register. For the full agenda and faculty information, click here.

Succeeding With Integrated Project Delivery—Contracts, Models, Pitfalls Fundamentals of Implementing the Integrated Project DeliveryProcess February 23, 1:30-3 p.m. Integrated project delivery (IPD) is a collaborative effort designed to eliminate waste, cut costs and improve productivity. Delivery team members share decision-making and risks and rewards, and how the impact of IPD differs in the public and private sectors. Parties in a project want the finished structure on-time, on-budget, and with a satisfied owner, but few firms have mastered the IPD process to produce such ideal results. Kenneth W. Cobleigh and Markku Allison, American Institute of Architects, will explore the value of IPD from various stakeholders’ perspectives, possible models for IPD, advocating for the use of IPD, and the pitfalls to avoid. An ideal introduction for the early career engineer and smaller firms, this seminar defines IPD, starting with the all-important basis for achieving successful IPD projects: the right contract framework. For details and to register, click here.

BIM for M/E/P Design Firms? Get Clear-Eyed Look at Challenges, Benefits Why Should M/E/P Design Firms be Using BIM? February 24, 1:30-3 p.m. M/E/P design firms have not jumped on the BIM bandwagon as rapidly as other sectors of the industry. R. Robert Bell, Sparling, looks at why adoption of BIM has lagged and why M/E/P firms should be moving forward into BIM. Questions answered will include: What is the promise and the reality of BIM for M/E/P firms? What are the challenges M/E/P firms face in implementing BIM? What is BIM going to cost an M/E/P design firm? How does BIM change the design process? Is now the time to implement BIM? Is there a “next level” for M/E/P design firms and BIM? 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