Energy $1 Billion in ARRA Funds Allocated for Clean Coal Repowering Program The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $1 billion in funding for a project to build a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide storage network... click here for more. Buildings/Land Health Facilities Turn to Engineers to Increase Operational Efficiencies Modern health facility professionals must weigh unprecedented oversight of every decision they make, especially those surrounding when and how much money to invest in new or expanded facilities... click here for more. Water USDA Funds 34 Water Quality and Public Sanitation Projects in Rural Communities The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $157.3 million in funding for 34 projects in rural states aimed at improving water quality and public sanitation... click here for more. Transportation Most States Received More Than They Contributed to Highway Trust Fund Since 2005 The majority of federal funding for state highways is provided through several grant programs called the Federal-Aid Highway Program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration... click here for more. Study Calls for Restoring “True User Fee Nature of Federal Fuel Tax” A recent study suggested an alternative to the most recent procedures for reshaping the federal surface transportation program... click here for more. Click here for more News Briefs.

"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.

Over 550 Searchable Jobs Posted Over 25,000 Searchable Resumes Posted Over 2,150 Registered Employers Last Five "Help Wanted" Open Positions: Project Manager-Water/Wastewater—Foxborough, MA GIS Technician—Hanover, MD CAD Manager—Cambridge, MA Environmental Project Manager—Hanover, MD Civil Site Design Engineer (EIT)—Austin, TX 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

Resources for Firm Owners at the ACEC Bookstore The Owner’s Dilemma Driving Success and Innovation in the Design and Construction Industry Barbara White Bryson with Canan Yetmen To order, click here.

Project Delivery Systems Owner’s Manual Tom Warne, P.E. & Jeffrey L. Beard To order, click here.

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.

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

Webinars Tackle Firm Valuation, Best Project Management Practices ACEC business webinars provide critical business information for Member Firms navigating current market challenges and seeking new business opportunities. Here’s a look at upcoming topics: September 8—Enhancing Efficiency and Collaboration with Digital Signatures, by Boaz Lantsman, ARX, and Chris Krafft, Black and Veatch Fulfilling ‘better quality and faster delivery at lower costs’ demands means adopting new technologies. 21—What is the Right Value for Your Firm? by David Cohen, Matheson Financial Advisors Firm internal/external sale in your future? Start building more shareholder value now. October 5—How to Write the ‘Perfect’ NEPA Cumulative Impact Analysis, by Owen Schmidt, former Senior Counsel, USDA Understanding the necessary and that which can be left out to get to ‘perfect.’ 7—Survival and Success: Essential Project Management Practices for Sub-Consultant Structural Engineers, by Scott Braley, Braley Consulting First seminar in CASE fall program. November 16—Systematic Client Feedback: How to Get It, Use It, and Benefit From It, by Mike Phillips, DesignFacilitator Ten usable criteria for monitoring your firm’s ongoing performance.

Get Legal Strategies You Need for Refusing 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.

How to Write Proposals That Will Win You New Business August 24, 1:30-3 p.m. In today’s fiercely competitive market, your firm must strategize, write and present the most powerful, persuasive proposal possible to win business. That’s almost impossible without the ‘perfect’ written proposal. Clare Ross, The Clare Ross Organization, explains the why and how of creating a proposal that is solid, cost-effective and appealing. Key points include: What are the essentials of a good proposal? What are the key points of content the decision-maker wants to see? What’s the best way to organize the content? How can you create a compelling value proposition that the decision-maker won’t miss? What are the best ways to differentiate yourself from your competition? How can you write your proposals faster? Click here for details and to register.

Add Courtroom Know-how, Provide Expert Witness Services November 11-12, Orlando, FL Litigation for dispute resolution is an ongoing and serious fact-of-life in the A/E industry—for clients and, all-too-often, for A/E firms. Though your key staff may be highly qualified as engineers, only the professional who is comfortable with courtroom process and procedures should serve your firm (or your clients) as an expert witness. Applying Expertise as an Engineering Expert Witness, ACEC’s one-of-a-kind 1½-day course is being offered November 11-12, in Orlando, to prepare participants for legal service with recognition and a Certificate of course completion. In addition, 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). Course faculty represent all courtroom perspectives: Duncan G. Cameron, Donovan Hatem—attorney; Guy Vaillancourt, Woodard & Curran—expert witness; and Arthur Bergman, New Jersey Superior Court Judge—judicial. The presenters will cover 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, agreement and compensation for taking on an outside assignment, and other areas of expertise necessary for offering legal service as an added client service or in your firm’s behalf. Click here for details and to register.

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. Register before August 13 to receive a special reduced advance price. Click here for agenda and to register.

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.

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.

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.

Register Fast, Fine-Tune Leadership Skills With September SEI 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