ACEC Promotes Key Water/Wastewater Legislation Up for Reauthorization Jordan Dorfman (left) of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wastewater Management, briefed the ACEC Environment and Energy Committee on the implementation of Recovery Act funding to the states for distribution to local governments. House and Senate staffers emphasized the importance of passing legislation this year to reauthorize and expand the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) for wastewater and drinking water projects at a recent meeting of ACEC’s Environment and Energy Committee. The House-passed bill (H.R. 1262) authorizes nearly $14 billion over 5 years for wastewater, and requires that QBS be utilized to select engineering firms. The Senate bill (S. 1005), which totals nearly $35 billion for both wastewater and drinking water, awaits floor action. The committee also received a briefing on upcoming energy and climate change legislation from Deborah Estes, counsel to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “We learned some important lessons in focusing our federal advocacy on specific issues that are likely to result in significant business opportunities for our firms,” said Committee Chairman Mike Cline, with Hannum, Wagle & Cline. For more information or to join the Environment and Energy Committee, contact Diane Shea, director of environmental & energy programs at 202-347-7474 or dshea@acec.org.

ACEC Director of Environmental and Energy Programs Diane Shea (third-from-right) recently briefed more than 50 members of ACEC/Massachusetts about water infrastructure funding. Pictured from left: ACEC/MA Program Committee Member Marina Pereira (CDM); Joe Delaney, Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection; Charlie Button, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority; Shea; ACEC/MA President David Young (CDM); and Ron Koontz, USDA.

Sign Up Now For ACEC’s 2010-2011 National Committees ACEC members are encouraged to sign up for service on ACEC National committees. Participation on ACEC committees brings vitality to the Council and ensures that the issues and interests of members are brought into Council operations and public policy. ACEC committee membership is open to all employees of ACEC Member Firms. The deadline for submissions to appointed committees is March 19. Most of ACEC’s committees are “open” (i.e., sign up and you’re on!). A few require appointment by the incoming ACEC chairman, and the terms of appointed committee members begin during the 2010 Annual Convention, April 25-28. If you are interested in one of the committees, click on the link below.

Open Committees Contract Documents Committee Environment & Energy Committee Federal Agencies & Procurement Advocacy Committee Institute for Business Management Committee International Committee Management Practices Committee Membership Committee Public Relations Committee Risk Management Committee Tax and Regulatory Affairs Committee Transportation Committee Appointed Committees Engineering Excellence Awards Committee Planning Cabinet Bylaws & Procedures Committee Tellers Committee

Click here to view the committees. Click on committees of interest to see their goals and rosters. If you are interested in joining one or more of the committees, click on the link at the bottom of that page. If you are already an open committee member, it will be assumed that you wish to continue unless you tell us otherwise. Questions about the committee appointment process? Contact Mary Ann Emely, ACEC vice president of operations & membership at memely@acec.org, or 202-682-4300.

Promote Your EEA Achievements in Engineering Inc. Magazine Maximize the benefits of winning or being a finalist in this year’s Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) by promoting your firm’s success with an ad in the May/June issue of Engineering Inc. The EEA are the biggest, most well-known awards in the engineering industry. An Engineering Inc. ad featuring your EEA project will highlight your firm’s innovation and quality and expand your business opportunities with both clients and potential partners. With the annual EEA competition the primary focus, the May/June Engineering Inc. is the most popular issue of the year and has the highest pass-along rate. As a special incentive, EEA winners and finalists can save 15 percent on ad space in the May/June issue of Engineering Inc. Additionally, you can highlight your ad with a special winner seal to recognize your achievement. For more information and to place an ad, contact Nina Goldman at 202-347-7474 or ngoldman@acec.org.

Catch 'Red Flags,' Hone Negotiating Skills and Achieve Best-Possible Deals Closing the Deal With A/E/C Contracts: Recognize Pitfalls, Negotiate Winners May 20-21, San Francisco Identify and demystify "red-flag contract provisions," acquire the skills and principles of toe-to-toe negotiating to maintain professional standards and protect your business. Learn the differences between custom contracts and model contracts, the pitfalls, and how to negotiate win-win agreements. Closing the Deal With A/E/C Contracts: Recognize Pitfalls, Negotiate Winners is an in-depth course designed to meet the contract needs of engineers, architects, contractors, project managers, contracting officers, specifiers, and those responsible for procuring construction or design services. Presented by a faculty of experts with years of industry experience, the course will update attendees' knowledge in critical contract areas including: Controversial contract provisions, from every angle The elements of good negotiating and errors to avoid The latest revisions to the most-used contracts Recent court rulings involving construction contracts Protecting the bottom-line: how profits can be won or lost in negotiations To view the course brochure, faculty bios and agenda, click here. For details and to register, click here.

SEI Unequaled for 'Skills and Insights to Prosper;' Registration Open Since its inception, ACEC’s prestigious Senior Executives Institute (SEI) has attracted public and private sector engineers and architects from firms of all sizes, locations, and practice specialties. SEI is the right choice at the right time for those who are drawn to a highly interactive, energetic, exploratory and challenging learning opportunity. In the course of five separate five-day sessions over an 18-month timeframe, participants acquire new tools and high-level skills and insights to prosper in our changed—and challenging—A/E/C business environment. As always, course size is limited, and registrations for Class 16, starting in September 2010, are now being accepted. Executives with at least five years’ experience managing professional design programs or business are invited to register for this unique leadership building Institute. For an overview of SEI and to register, click here. To browse the SEI brochure, click here. To inquire further, contact Deirdre McKenna at 202-682-4328.

The Expert Witness and 'Standard of Care' Cases Recommended Practices for Engineering Expert Witnesses March 16, 1:30-3 p.m. What does it mean to be an "expert witness" in lawsuits involving the standard of care for civil engineering projects? Gary S. Brierley, Brierley Associates, LLC, discusses some key topics including ethical considerations, qualified requirements, work products, objectivity vs. advocacy, how to prepare an expert report and how to prepare for a deposition. For details and to register, click here.

$3 Billion DOE Grants: Get All of the Insider Details DOE Energy Efficiency Block Grant Funding: Market Opportunities in a $3 Billion Program March 18, 1:30-3 p.m. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided nearly $3 billion for the Department of Energy’s new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The program provides grants to eligible cities and counties for a wide variety of projects to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and for improvements in energy efficiency. DOE has already awarded more than 1,700 EECBG grants—ranging from energy efficiency and conservation plans to energy audits and conservation-oriented transportation programs—and many more are in the pipeline. This online seminar will help you position your firm to take advantage of this expanding sector. Mark Johnson, EECBG lead for the Department of Energy, presents an inside look at the program in a timely online seminar that outlines details of how a community applies for funding, what type of projects are eligible, reporting requirements, and other critical information. To register, click here.

Economic Loss Doctrine Varies from State to State; Learn the Differences Understanding the Economic Loss Doctrine, Las Vegas and Beyond March 23, 1:30-3 p.m. The Economic Loss Doctrine continues to evolve from its simple beginnings to a nuanced doctrine that varies from state to state. For design professionals—particularly those practicing across state lines—understanding this complexity is a key component of effective risk management. Join Richard H. Nakamura and Nick Wieczorek of Morris, Polich & Purdy LLP, for a talk-through of key developments since 2009, with an emphasis on how courts in different jurisdictions apply the Economic Loss Doctrine in legal disputes involving design professionals. For details and to register, click here.

All Limitation of Liability Clauses are 'Not Created Equal' Update on Limitation of Liability Clauses in Design Professional Agreements March 24, 1:30-3 p.m. Which form contracts provide the best liability protection and which may need to be modified to add appropriate risk allocation language? While many standard agreements contain Limitation of Liability clauses, some do not. Beth M. Andrus of Skellenger Bender, P.S., discusses and updates the 2010 Limitation of Liability (LOL) legal landscape, including recent case decisions regarding enforceability as courts nationwide have evaluated their validity. This timely seminar will explore different approaches in drafting “the best” limitation of liability clauses. 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, Editor/Designer