The ACEC Index tracks the stock performance of ACEC’s publicly held Member Firms, as compared to the New York Stock Exchange Composite and Total U.S. Construction Spending.
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Energy
DOE to Inject $100 Million into Six CO2-Recycling Projects
The federal government is channeling more than $100 million into six projects that will convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel, plastics, cement, and more...click here for more.
‘Mega-Project’ Wind Farm Gets Underway in Mojave Desert
Construction is now beginning on the multibillion-dollar Alta Wind Energy Center in the Mojave Desert foothills...click here for more.
Water
Court applies Superfund Liability to Highway Stormwater Runoff
A federal court recently ruled that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is potentially liable under the Superfund for highway stormwater runoff...click here for more.
Transportation
Virginia Streamlines Procurement Process for Public-Private Partnerships
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has introduced a plan to streamline the state’s procurement process for public-private partnerships so that long-postponed repairs to bridges, roads, and other deteriorating infrastructure can be completed...click here for more.
Washington State to Go Live with Active Traffic Management System
Above I-5 in Washington State there are some new signs on the stretch between Boeing Field and I-90 that are part of a revolutionary new system that could change how freeways around the country manage traffic...click here for more.
Other
OSHA Issues Long-Awaited Revised Crane Safety Rule
OSHA has issued a new rule intended to reduce death and injuries involving construction cranes...click here for more.
Click here for more News Briefs.
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"ACEC Online Job Board is...targeted to our industry."
“We at Stanley Consultants feel the ACEC Online Job Board is one of the most effective tools to find new hires. Our Human Resources staff trust and respect it and it is targeted to our industry.”
Gregs Thomopulos, CEO & Chairman
Stanley Consultants, Inc.
Employers are increasingly looking to niche job boards for their recruiting needs because mass market job boards often don’t have the right candidates. By using a niche job board, such as the ACEC Job Board, you get direct access to a focused group of qualified engineering talent specific to your needs.
Save money and reach thousands of candidates. With over 500 posted A/E/C industry jobs and more than 25,000 candidate resumes, the ACEC Job Board’s advanced search features produce effective, specific results for both job seekers and employers.
Save 20 percent on any posting or package by using the discount code TARGET at checkout.
For more information, contact Nina Goldman at 202-682-4325 or write ngoldman@acec.org.
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Over 550 Searchable Jobs Posted
Over 25,000 Searchable Resumes Posted
Over 2,150 Registered Employers |
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Last Five "Help Wanted" Open Positions:
Regional Technology Practice Leader—Cambridge, MA
Construction Materials Testing Technician—Tempe, AZ
Engineering Group Leader—Irving, TX
Water Resources Specialist—Midwest U.S.
Project Designer, Electrical Engineering (Revit)—
San Diego, CA
A Sampling of Posted Resumes:
Geotechnical Engineers—1,219
Water Resources/Wastewater Engineers—1,756
Transportation—1,515
Civil Engineers—2,408
Structural Engineers—1,644
Environmental Engineers—1,592
View These and Other Resumes and Jobs
on ACEC's Job Board
www.acec.org/jobbank |
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Conquer Office Politics with ACEC Bookstore Publications
Political Dilemmas at Work
How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career
Gary Ranker, Mike Phipps & Colin Gautrey
To order, click here.
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Games at Work
How to Recognize and Reduce Office Politics
Mauricio Goldstein, Philip Read, Kevin Cashman
To order, click here.
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Save 25% on Industry Trends Survey Through August 31
The 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey Report is the only national A/E/C annual survey asking all of the incisive questions and resulting in a compendium of up-to-date information to help firms make sound management decisions.
Some of the trends in the 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey Report include:
- Infrastructure Funding Needs
- (New) Sustainability as a Factor in Design and Construction
- Costs of Healthcare as Increasing Percentage of Labor Costs
- BIM (Building Information Modeling) Process and Software Adoption
- Outsourced Functions
- Training Needs by Rank for Engineering Firm Employees
The report also includes sections explaining economic, social, and political drivers behind expanding markets, and offers a unique window into firm finance and operations, employment and training, project management, design software, and business performance. All information is broken down by firm size, location and market focus.
Available in two formats.
For downloadable copy, click here.
For printed copy, click here.
Click here to see all of the publications and merchandise available at the ACEC Bookstore.
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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:
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| Lipinski Calls for Fully Funding Infrastructure at ACEC/PAC Meeting
Ted Coffey of AECOM (left) and U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL) discussed a variety of engineering issues at the July 29 meeting at ACEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. |
ACEC, in conjunction with AECOM, CDM, HDR, Inc. and Michael Baker Jr. Inc., hosted a breakfast meeting last week to support the re-election of Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL).
Lipinski, who is an engineer, is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and also sits on the Science & Technology and Small Business Committees. The congressman discussed key industry issues, including the efforts to pass multi-year bills to fund major surface transportation, aviation and water projects.
“Congressman Lipinski has been a steady advocate for fully funding our nation’s infrastructure needs,” said Ted Coffey of AECOM. “This event was a great opportunity to showcase our industry’s support for his work in Congress.”
ACEC has hosted a series of events for lawmakers of both parties in recent months. For more information, contact Greg Knopp, ACEC’s executive director of political programs, at gknopp@acec.org.
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| CIO Roundtable, IT-Focused Programs Highlight Upcoming Fall Conference
Member Firm CIOs and IT professionals will have a full agenda of technology focused sessions at the upcoming ACEC 2010 Fall Conference in Puerto Rico, October 17-20.
For the first time, IT professionals can participate in a CIO Roundtable, which will be held at the same time as the popular CEO Roundtables. Following those sessions, there will be a combined CEO/CIO Roundtable for participants to discuss organization-wide challenges and issues of mutual concern.
The CIO track of professional development sessions includes:
- IT Tools to Better Orchestrate Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Social Media and Beyond
- Using Commercial Software in Structural Designs for Buildings
- Information Modeling for Transportation
- Using Information Technology to Track and Stimulate Project Funding
- Managing Employee Mobile Computing Devices in the Office and in the Field
- Sustainability with BIM—Opportunities in New Markets
- Zero Change Orders: How Integrated Project Delivery Can Improve Your Bottom Line
For information on the CIO track, click here. To learn more about the Fall Conference and to register, click here.
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| Design Professional Firms Brace for Indemnity Turmoil
Design professional firms nationwide are bracing for the aftershocks of two California court rulings that can force firms that indemnify clients to also pay for the clients’ legal fees—even when the design firm was not negligent.
In the case of Crawford v. Weather Shield, the California Supreme Court ruled that a contractual indemnity clause compelled a subcontractor to pay the legal fees of the general contractor for a third-party suit, even though the subcontractor was not itself found negligent.
Subsequently, in the case of UDC-Universal Development v. CH2M Hill, a California appellate court held that this “duty to defend” existed even though the trial court found that CH2M Hill was neither negligent nor in breach of contract.
ACEC/California is currently working on a legislative remedy to these court rulings, with assistance from the ACEC Minuteman Fund.
Firms doing business in California need to ask how much these decisions will expand the scope of their unintended exposure, and what they can do to protect themselves.
The ACEC Business Insurance Trust reached out to the experts at Marsh, exclusive brokers for the ACEC BIT Professional Liability Program, for guidance on the UDC decision. Click here to learn more. |
| House Floor Action on ACEC Initiatives Moved to September
The House of Representatives attempted to advance two ACEC priorities last week, but both efforts were stalled for procedural reasons.
A bill that included provisions to cap the liability of structural engineering firms and other contractors working in the 9/11 response and recovery effort was withdrawn due to concerns over other sections in the legislation.
ACEC is working with the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), to build support in anticipation of the House taking it up in September.
House leaders also suspended consideration of ACEC-backed legislation that would repeal a mandate in the health care law that would substantially increase IRS reporting requirements for businesses. Under the new law, firms would be required to file IRS Form 1099s for purchases of any goods and services valued at more than $600 annually.
ACEC is working closely with business community allies to identify additional opportunities for passage when Congress returns in September. |
| Call for Renewable Energy Projects for Engineering Inc.
ACEC will highlight four Member Firms and their renewable energy projects in the November/December 2010 issue of Engineering Inc.
If your firm is involved with any form of renewable energy, and you think your project would be of interest to Engineering Inc. readers, ACEC would like to hear from you. The project can be in an on-going phase or recently completed.
To submit a project for consideration, please e-mail the following information to Engineering Inc. Staff Editor, Andrea Keeney, at akeeney@acec.org, by COB on Wednesday, August 11, 2010.
- Project name and location (firm may submit no more than two projects);
- Brief project overview, including any unique aspects (limited to one page); and
- Name, title and phone number of the Member Firm executive who will be interviewed for the profile.
If your project is selected, a reporter will interview the Member Firm executive to discuss project goals and results.
If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Keeney at akeeney@acec.org. |
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Get Legal Strategies to Combat Fee Discount Requests
August 18, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Many government and private clients have used the current economic recession as an excuse to request—or even mandate—reductions in fees paid for consulting services. In many cases these requests have been presented after the consultant agreed to its “best and final offer” or signed a contract for services.
On August 18, ACEC presents Responding to Requests for Discounts or Unilateral Fee Reductions, a unique online seminar by P. Douglas Folk, Folk & Associates, P.C., to help consulting engineers understand their legal rights regarding requests for discounts or unilateral fee reductions.
This online seminar will cover key concepts including:
- Typical requests from funding agencies for “voluntary” discounts or unilateral reductions in fees
- Legal challenges and liability risks in reducing compensation without corresponding reduction in scope
- Impact of the Brooks Act on reductions in fees without a new selection and negotiation process
- Restrictions imposed by funding agencies on reduction in fees post award
- Strategies for responding to discount requests or unilateral reductions
Click here for details and to register.
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D.C. Course Offers Insider View to Coming Federal Procurement Changes
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. This 1½-day course is of vital importance to firms pursuing federal work, as well as those contemplating entry into this market. Click here for agenda and to register.
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Sharpen A/E Business Skills: 'What They Don’t Teach in Engineering School'
September 29-October 2, Atlanta, GA
The Business of Design Consulting is ACEC’s bottom-line focused A/E business management course—a comprehensive, practical update of the elements that drive the successful firm in today’s challenging business reality.
The final 2010 presentation of the course is set for Sept. 29-Oct. 2, Atlanta, Ga., and will examine best-practices in key operational areas of finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, business management, human resources, and information technology.
Created for firm owners, principals, executives and managers, this on-target update of management priorities is a solid investment for success.
According to David Stone of Stone & Company, who will present the marketing and business development segment of the agenda, “There’s more than enough business out there for your firm.” Stone will identify the key elements of the “win business” equation in today’s fast-moving electronic communications age, integrating the fundamentals of marketing outreach with the realistic brand-building potential of e-mail and the Internet.
Click here for details, access to the course brochure, and to register at the best-price early-bird rate.
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| ACEC Partners with Green Building Council on LEED Preparation Course
In partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, ACEC will offer an online course to prepare participants to take the LEED Green Associate Exam.
Green Buildings and Preparing for the LEED Green Associate Exam is a 32-hour course that will be “live” online from Sept. 7-Oct. 29. Registrants can access the course 24/7 at their convenience.
The curriculum covers LEED across building types and rating systems, using real project case studies to highlight key concepts and strategies. After completing the course, participants can apply to take the LEED Green Associate Exam.
For more information and to register, click here.
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IT, Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing Forums Set Fall Meetings
IT Forum, September 13-14
Finance Forum, September 13-14
HR Forum, October 7-8
Sales and Marketing Forum, October 17
The fall calendar of meetings for ACEC’s popular specialty forums has added the Sales and Marketing Forum, which will convene October 17, during the ACEC 2010 Fall Conference in Puerto Rico.
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 life-cycle 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 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, the paperless office; and sharing lessons learned/horror stories since the group’s 2009 meeting. Click here to register.
The HR Forum agenda is being finalized, with the focus on updating issues of current interest, including employee communication and retention; legal, medical and benefits discussions; and recognition and rewards practices. The Forum’s special interest education sub-section will share best-practices in professional development in a challenging economic environment. Click here to register.
The Sales and Marketing Forum meets on October 17 during the ACEC 2010 Fall Conference in Puerto Rico. Conference registrants can attend at no additional fee or participants can register only for the Forum. A/E industry marketing maven David Stone will walk attendees through a self-appraisal of their overall marketing function, and introduce new ideas for re-purposing and re-energizing sales efforts firm-wide to step-up to today’s intensely competitive environment. Click here to register.
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Step Up to New Leadership Levels: Still Time to Register for SEI 16
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 |
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