Energy Colorado Power Plant is First to Combine Coal and Solar The first ever hybrid solar-coal power plant is now operating at Unit 2 of the Cameo Generating Station near Palisade in Colorado... click here for more. Pressure-Sensitive Crystals Show Promise as Supertiny Power Plants Power-harvesting devices equipped with pressure-sensitive piezoelectric (PE) crystals can transform micro-vibrations on any surface into clean energy... click here for more. Buildings/Land Portland, Ore. Looks to Become Nation’s `Icon of Sustainability’ Portland, Ore., has been hit hard by the recession, but there are plans to make the city the starting point for a green-economy revolution... click here for more. Transportation LaHood Announces $293 Million for New Transit Solutions U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced a $293 million investment that will soon allow dozens of communities around the country to enjoy major transit improvements, including new streetcars, buses, and transit facilities... click here for more. Major Cities Investing Heavily in Bicycle Infrastructure A common complaint among would-be cyclist commuters is that cycling in a city is simply too frightening... click here for more. Click here for more News Briefs.

Financial Management for Design Professionals The Path to Profitability Steve L. Wintner & Michael Tardif To order, click here.

Plan Ahead for Your Recruiting Needs with ACEC’s Job Board With summer here, now is the time to plan for your recruiting needs for the fall and beyond. Post your job openings on ACEC’s Job Board and get sizzling summer savings of 15 percent on any package of three or 10 postings. Just use the promo code SUM15 at checkout. No other recruitment tool can penetrate the association niche like ACEC’s Job Board. With more than 23,500 candidate resumes, the ACEC Job Board’s advanced search features produce effective, specific results for both job seekers and employers. Visit the ACEC Job Board to create an account and post your job today. For more information, contact Nina Goldman at 202-682-4325 or write ngoldman@acec.org.

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

Stump & Raymond Represent Council at ACEC-Canada's Annual Convention ACEC President Dave Raymond and Chairman Jerry Stump (third and fourth from the left) met with ACEC-Canada officials at their annual convention in New Brunswick to discuss industry opportunities and market challenges of mutual interest. ACEC-Canada Chairman Andy Robinson is at the lectern.

Explore Bottom-Line Benefits of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan July 27, 1:30-3 p.m. An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) can be a means of business succession and transition, with principals selling some or all of their stock ownership in the firm to the ESOP on a tax-favored basis. Erin Turley, Morgan Lewis & Brockius LLP and Scott Levine, Stout Risius Ross, present a valuable online summary exploration of ESOPs as an alternative to sale of the firm to a third party, or as a tool for internal transition from one level of principals to the next. ESOPs offer dual benefits of accomplishing broader ownership and investment and eliminating the need for the next principals to access new capital. Participants will also learn how an ESOP can serve as a tool of corporate finance to achieve more favorable borrowing terms and more tax-efficient loan repayment. Click here for more information and to register.

Changes in Federal Procurement are Coming; D.C. Course Offers Insider View September 15-16, Washington, D.C. With the federal government in the midst of implementing the most far-reaching procurement reforms in a decade, ACEC presents a unique exploration into the probable and potential changes. Coping With Key Changes in Federal Procurement and Project Delivery will analyze new public safety and security requirements, contractor disclosure rules, performance-based contracting, measureable contract performance standards and the outsourcing versus in-sourcing debate—from the perspectives of both government sources and ACEC’s own procurement experts. This one-of-a-kind course includes speakers from federal agencies, as well as contracting and legal experts who focus daily on public acquisition and federal markets. For firms pursuing federal work, as well as those contemplating entry into this market, this 1½-day course is of vital importance. Click here for agenda and to register.

IT, Finance Forums Tackle Latest Issues in September Meetings IT Forum, September 13-14 Finance Forum, September 13-14 Two of ACEC’s popular specialty forums will meet on Sept. 13-14 in Chicago in separate 1½-day workshops for information sharing and networking among professional peers. The Information Technology Forum will review critical technology and bottom-line issues including: Rapidly changing consumer technology; UC/PBX hosted vs. on-site; selective outsourcing relative to cost; PM technologies; data lifecycle management; data aging and retention; e-discovery; pros and cons of network structure; how to align IT business goals; and communicating IT projects and priorities in the context and language of business. Click here to register. The Finance Forum 2010 agenda includes: Changes in the AASHTO Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide as they affect how engineering firms are compensated and audited; lifeline/key performance indicators; ACEC’s Industry Trends Survey; roundtable discussions on banking criteria, investment choices, and the paperless office; and sharing lessons learned/horror stories since the group’s 2009 meeting. Click here to register. The forums are also open to ACEC members and non-members. Forum registration is currently available at advance discounts.

SEI Challenges A/E Leaders; New Class Starts in September In the course of five separate five-day sessions over an 18-month timeframe, ACEC's Senior Executives Institute (SEI) participants acquire new tools and high-level skills and insights to prosper in our changed—and challenging—A/E/C business environment. Since its inception, SEI has attracted public and private sector engineers and architects from firms of all sizes, locations, and practice specialties, who are drawn to a highly interactive, energetic, exploratory and challenging learning opportunity. Class 16 begins in September 2010. Course size is limited, and registrations for Class 16 are being accepted. Executives with at least five years' experience managing professional design programs or businesses are invited to register for this highly regarded leadership building opportunity. For an overview of the full SEI program and to register, visit the ACEC SEI website. To inquire, contact Deirdre McKenna at dmckenna@acec.org.

 
 

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