The ACEC Index tracks the stock performance of ACEC’s largest publicly held Member Firms. To provide context, the stock performance of all companies on the New York Stock Exchange and total U.S. Construction Spending are also included.

Energy Group of 29 Governors Recommend National Renewable Energy Standards A group of 29 state governors has for the first time submitted to the White House and Congress a list of recommendations to implement renewable energy nationwide...click here for more. Underwater Cables Offer Cost-Effective Alternative to Electrical Towers In order to generate 20 percent of electricity in the United States with wind, 22,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines would need...click here for more. Buildings/Land BIM Stimulates and Improves Communication Among Project Team Members Building information modeling (BIM) applications can help mitigate or eliminate the often adversarial relationship between architects and...click here for more. Existing Office Buildings Working Hard to Catch Up To Green Standards The nation’s office towers are feeling pressure to go green in a hurry. In today’s market, if a Class A office building cannot hold its own in terms of energy efficiency and environmental...click here for more. Water U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Funds New Water/Public Sanitation Projects in 20 States U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the funding of projects in 20 states designed to protect public...click here for more. Environmental Protection Agency to Issue Stricter Drinking Water Standards Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson has announced that the agency is developing stronger regulations for four...click here for more. Transportation Five States Look For New Ways to Align Infrastructure Development and State Goals Many states are struggling with transportation systems that fail to meet the needs of citizens due to being out of date, pushed beyond capacity...click here for more. U.S. Port Officials Say that Crumbling Infrastructure Negatively Affects Foreign Trade At a U.S. House Transportation Appropriation Subcommittee, members of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) testified that congestion on the nation’s highways...click here for more. Click here for more News Briefs.

Nab March Savings on the ACEC Job Board Get lucky this month in your search for new engineering talent with the ACEC Job Board. Your firm should be using the most comprehensive job board serving the engineering industry for all your hiring needs. To make this pot of gold even better, save 15 percent on 30- and 60-day postings by using the promo code LUCKY2010 when you check out. Why should you use ACEC’s Job Board? Member Firms receive discounted rates and we are a member of the Engineering & Science Career Network, so your job posting appears on 37 industry job sites, at no additional charge. Your firm will have exposure to thousands more job seekers and access to our resume database with more than 17,000 searchable candidate resumes. The ACEC Job Board is your source for new employees. For more information, please contact Nina Goldman at 202-682-4325 or ngoldman@acec.org.

Over 575 Searchable Jobs Posted Over 18,000 Searchable Resumes Posted Over 2,100 Registered Employers Last Five "Help Wanted" Open Positions: Area Manager—Lenexa, KS Project Principal—Phoenix, AZ Environmental Project Manager—Austin, TX Project Manager, Electrical Engineering—San Diego, CA Experienced Plumbing Designer—Madison, WI A Sampling of Posted Resumes: Geotechnical Engineers—1,570 Water Resources/Wastewater Engineers—1,901 Transportation—1,574 Civil Engineers—2,469 Structural Engineers—1,704 Environmental Engineers—1,640 View These and Other Resumes and Jobs on ACEC's Job Board www.acec.org/jobbank

Stay Competitive, Get Bottom-Line Topics Online Whether it's an update on the multi-functional expertise you need to manage your business more successfully, first-hand reports on the newest technology tools, market insights from key government insiders, or necessary know-how to tap the bottom-line potential of new markets, ACEC's Institute for Business Management is your best resource. Here's a look at upcoming topics: April 6—Writing the 'Perfect' Cumulative Impact Analysis by Owen Schmidt, Consultant 7—Floodplain Risk Mapping—Nationwide Changes Since Katrina by Josh Smith, FEMA and Michael Buckley, Dewberry 13—U.S. Water Demand, Supply and Allocation: Trends and Outlook 2010 to 2030 by Ben Dziegielewski, Professor of Water Resources, Southern Illinois University 15—Greenhouse Gas Reporting: How to Ensure Compliance With The New EPA Rule by Mark vanSoestbergen, International Carbon Bank and Exchange May 12—Fundamentals of Implementing the Integrated Project Delivery Process by Kenneth W. Cobleigh and Markku Allison, American Institute of Architects 18—Developing Future Leaders: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Growing 20-35-year-olds in Leaner Times by Mike Baker, David Evans and Associates, Inc.; Geordie Aitken, Aitken Leadership Group 25—Commissioning: A Market Growing in Size, Impact and Professionalism by Michael King, ARCOM; Earle Kennett, NIBS; Patrick Prendergast, GBA/ViroCon Inc. June 8—2009 A/E/C Court Cases: Lessons Learned by J. Kent Holland, ConstructionRisk.com LLC, and Lauren McLaughlin, BrigliaMcLaughlin PLLC

Download AASHTO Audit Guide Online Seminars ACEC's popular series of online seminars detailing the new AASHTO Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide are now available for purchase and download on-demand through the ACEC Bookstore. To order, click on the seminar title of interest: New State DOT Compensation and Audit Rules That Will Affect Your Bottom Line New Rules on Allowable and Reasonable Compensation FAR Compliance in a Time of Increased Government Oversight New Guidance for Successful Overhead Audits

NEPA Cumulative Impact Analysis: What’s Necessary, What Isn’t Writing the ‘Perfect’ NEPA Cumulative Impact Analysis April 6, 1:30-3 p.m. The single most difficult challenge for those who prepare or review environmental documents under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) may well be the so-called “cumulative impact.” With a background of 32 years with USDA in Oregon and Washington, online seminar presenter Owen Schmidt will talk through and demonstrate a six-part model cumulative impact analysis that accounts for “all that science can tell us, all that the law requires, and the rules for when to cut it off safely… both the necessary, and that which can be left out to get to perfect.” Major themes include actions that must be included in the analysis, actions that may safely be left out, sorting out the connected-cumulative-similar actions problem, sorting out the direct-indirect-cumulative impacts problem, plus all of the legally recognized reasons an environmental consequence might not be reasonably foreseeable. This online seminar is a must for anyone who writes or reviews NEPA documents, or works on federal and federally funded projects that are subject to NEPA documentation. For details and to register, click here.

Inside Look at Floodplain Risk MAP Changes, Impacts for A/Es Floodplain Risk Mapping—Nationwide Changes Since Katrina April 7, 1:30-3 p.m. Hurricane Katrina was a catalyst for change to the National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP). This online seminar examines in detail the NFIP program itself, and the effects of those changes in floodplain Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP). Josh Smith, FEMA, and Michael E. Buckley, Dewberry, will discuss floodplain mapping since Katrina, and the impact of changes for A/Es, including: Floodplain mapping effects on A/Es through EO11988, LOMCs, NAI, post-disaster grants How did Katrina affect it? An inside look at high-level issues, including an overview of Risk MAP What might be next with Risk MAP? This online seminar provides a unique and important update on NFIP for mid-level engineers and project managers. For details and to register, click here.

Learn Courtroom Skills, Add Expert Witness Services to Portfolio Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness June 10-11, Denver, CO Adding new services that capitalize on your firm’s existing expertise is a solid business strategy, and though your key staff may well be qualified, only the court-savvy engineer should take on potentially lucrative assignments as an expert witness in legal proceedings. Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness, ACEC’s unique 1˝-day course, will be presented June 10-11 in Denver, CO, to prepare participants for legal service with recognition and a certificate of course completion. The course is designed for professional engineers, architects and surveyors interested in earning credentials for legal service engagements professionally or as an added client service. Discussion will include deposition behavior, permissible out-of-court statements, ethics, pre-courtroom testimony preparation, courtroom demeanor, how to maintain credibility, the differences between a fact witness and an expert witness, plus the agreement and compensation for taking on an assignment. Attendees completing this course who wish to further enhance their professional credentials will have taken important first steps towards applying for the professional designation of Engineer Expert Witness (EXWSM). For details and to register, click here.

A/E/C Contracts: Recognize, Negotiate Current 'Red-Flag' Provisions 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.

Help 10,000 Facilities Comply With EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Greenhouse Gas Reporting: How to Ensure Compliance with New EPA Rule April 15, 1:30-3 p.m. In September 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its final rule on the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases (GHG) affecting approximately 10,000 facilities in the U.S. These largest emitters are required to have collected data since January 2010, for final reporting to EPA by March 31, 2011. Failure to report—or incorrect reporting—could potentially incur criminal penalties, injunctions, and thousands of dollars in civil and administrative penalties per day, per violation. Mark vanSoestbergen, founder of the International Carbon Bank and Exchange, and recognized expert on GHG, conducts an online seminar to provide the information firms need to be in compliance with the new EPA Rule, including: Businesses covered by the new rule How to comply with the reporting standard The types of GHGs, and their sources Tips for formulating a strategic GHG reduction plan Best practices for reducing GHGs Timelines for reporting GHGs What you need to know about downstream and upstream sources, and how to report them How to file reports electronically and gain EPA verification of emissions data Ways the mandatory reporting rule overlaps with state and local reporting obligations This unique online seminar is an opportunity to inform and update clients and potential clients whose facilities may be included in the EPA reporting requirements. For details and to register, click here.

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