Energy Utilities Continue to Build Conventional Coal Plants Despite Climate Change Concerns An Associated Press examination of U.S. Department of Energy records finds that utilities nationwide are building dozens of old-style coal plants... click here for more. Buildings/Land Municipalities Increasingly Turn to Public-Private Partnerships As most municipalities are struggling with financial problems, public-private partnerships for building critical infrastructure are on the rise... click here for more. Water BIM Can Offer "Immeasurable Benefits" to Plumbers, Fire Protection Engineers Building information modeling (BIM), which uses three-dimensional (3D), real-time simulation software to boost productivity in building design and construction, can be of immeasurable benefit for plumbing and fire protection engineers... click here for more. Transportation New Composite Bridge Decking Could Cut Costs, Extend Bridge Life Florida company Structural Composites is seeking federal funding to mass-manufacture composite bridge decking that could extend the life of bridges as well as bring new jobs for boat industry workers... click here for more. Other Administration Announces $1.8 Billion in ARRA Investments in Broadband Projects Vice President Biden has announced 94 Recovery Act investments in broadband projects in 37 states... 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 525 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 525 Searchable Jobs Posted Over 25,000 Searchable Resumes Posted Over 2,150 Registered Employers Last Five "Help Wanted" Open Positions: Senior Environmental Engineer (PE)—San Diego, CA Business Line Manager-Traffic Engineer— San Francisco, CA Acquisition Agent—Opportunities nationwide Hydrogeologist or Geochemist—New Hampshire Resident Engineer-Bridge—Opportunities nationwide A Sampling of Posted Resumes: Geotechnical Engineers—1,222 Water Resources/Wastewater Engineers—1,759 Transportation—1,516 Civil Engineers—2,412 Structural Engineers—1,645 Environmental Engineers—1,593 View These and Other Resumes and Jobs on ACEC's Job Board www.acec.org/jobbank

Energy System Management at the ACEC Bookstore Energy Systems Engineering Evaluation & Implementation Francis M. Vanek & Louis D. Albright To order, click here.

Becoming Part of the Solution: The Engineer’s Guide to Sustainable Development Bill Wallace 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.

Defend Overhead Rates; BIM for Bosses Highlight Online Seminars ACEC business online seminars 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 Sam Aviram, ARX, and Chris Krafft, Black and Veatch Fulfilling ‘better quality and faster delivery at lower costs’ demands means adopting new technologies. 14—Project Management for Design Professionals, by Bill Ramroth, Jr. Start right, finish strong… here’s how, A-Z. 15—Wired to Clients—Insights on Getting Inside Your Customers’ Minds, by David Stone, Stone & Company Trust-based relationships: why they’re crucial, how to build them. 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. 23—Private Partnerships for Public Needs: PPPs and Surface Transportation by Jim Hatter, Federal Highway Administration PPPs gaining favor with DOTs: models, risk transfer, finance tools explained. 28—BIM for Bosses, by Eric Wing, C&S Companies A realistic view of benefits, end goals, implementation processes. 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. 12—Insider’s Guide to Developing and Defending Overhead Rates, by Paul Haglund, Paul Haglund Consulting Be ready for increased government client scrutiny. 13—Project Partnering: Principles, Techniques, and Benefits, by Gary Bates, Roenker Bates Group Project Partnering’ $uccess for design professionals. 14—Understanding and Using AIA C401 Standard Form of Agreement Between Architect and Consultant: Deconstructing AIA B101, by Bill Geisen, GraydonHead Second in CASE fall seminar series. 28—Understanding and Using AIA C40l Standard Form of Agreement Between Architect and Consultant: Uses and Modifications, by Bill Geisen, GraydonHead Third in CASE fall seminar series. November 11—Retirement Plans—Which Plan is the Best Fit for Your Firm? By Robert Kuna, Wachovia Securities Fourth in CASE fall seminar series. 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.

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

For Your Firm, Your Clients, Yourself: Expert Witness Training a Big Value 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.

Be Ready for Changes in Federal Procurement—Get Inside Details 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.

Business Skills Up to Challenges? Get Newest Ideas, Strategies to Succeed 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.

Increasing Efficiency, Collaboration With Digital Signatures September 8, 1:30-3 p.m. At ACEC’s 2010 Annual Convention, Len Rodman, chairman, president and CEO of Black & Veatch, described how A/E/C firms are facing pressure as clients demand better quality and faster delivery at lower costs—while not taking on any of the liability. Digital signatures can help relieve some of that pressure by enabling the replacement of slow and expensive paper-based approval and submission processes with fast, efficient, and fully electronic ones. In Enhancing Efficiency and Collaboration with Digital Signatures, presented online on Sept. 8, Sam Aviram, ARX, will explore digital signature technology, compliance and security issues, and integration options as well as how digital signatures will: Improve collaboration and quality by enabling geographically dispersed engineers to digitally sign and seal documents that are secured from change, thereby binding the liability to its source Enable faster project delivery and increased agility to changing client demands Eliminate costs of printing, routing, archiving, etc. Chris Krafft will share Black & Veatch’s experience of moving to electronic processes with digital signatures. Click here for details and to register.

Project Management Seminar is Primer of Practical Instructions, Techniques September 14, 1:30-3 p.m. Author, educator and architect William Ramroth presents an introductory overview of project management for design professionals. The online seminar is a primer of practical advice, instructions and techniques based on Ramroth’s book of the same title. Topics will cover every aspect of project management, including: The importance of project management Characteristics of a good project manager Organization of multi-disciplinary design teams Planning the project Project budget, schedule, and quality control Client management Project management rules of thumb Click here to register.

IT, Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing Forums Set Fall Meetings IT Forum, September 13-14, Chicago Finance Forum, September 13-14, Chicago HR Forum, October 7-8, Cambridge, Mass. Sales and Marketing Forum, October 17, Puerto Rico 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. The Finance Forum has reached maximum capacity, and registration is closed. 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. 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.

Last-Minute Registration for Sept. 7- Oct. 29 USGBC LEED Prep 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.

 
 

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