For recent ACEC news, click below:
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Energy
U.S. Energy Department Closes $4.75 Billion in Solar Loans
The U.S. Energy Department completed $4.75 billion in loan guarantees for four solar projects before the Sept. 30 for a 2005 program funded by the stimulus act... click here for more.
Buildings/Land
Coalition Looks to Stimulate Livable Communities Solutions
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in collaboration with others, will initiate competitions and networks designed to stimulate imaginative ideas for creating sustainable and livable communities... click here for more.
Other
Report Questions EPA's Greenhouse Gas Ruling
According to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General, the agency should have conducted a more detailed scientific review before concluding two years ago that greenhouse-gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare... click here for more.
Click here for more News Briefs.
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Mergers & Acquisitions Tools at BooksforEngineers.com
Ownership Transition: Options and Strategies, Third Edition
Lowell Getz and Paul Lurie
Filled with "how to" advice and valuable forms and exhibits to make the ownership transition process easy, Ownership Transition: Options and Strategies gives both existing owners and would-be owners of design professional firms insight into issues involved in both "cashing out" and "buying in."
To order, click here.
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Mergers and Acquisitions:
A Step-by-Step Legal and Practical Guide
Edwin L. Miller, Jr.
Combining elements of both traditional law text and business books, this book provides a solid foundation for how-to's for business acquisitions, including principal business terms, customary contractual provisions, and legal issues.
To order, click here.
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How Firms Succeed
A Field Guide to Design Management
James P. Cramer & Scott Simpson
How Firms Succeed: A Field Guide to Design Management is a hands-on guide to running any design-related business, from a two-person graphics team to mid-sized and global firms. The authors combine practical solutions with business theory, providing insight into the art of inspirational management and strategic thinking.
To order, click here.
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Over 575 Searchable Jobs Posted
Over 26,000 Searchable Resumes Posted
Over 2,400 Registered Employers
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Last Five "Help Wanted" Open Positions:
Manager of Business Development—Benton Harbor, MI
Civil Engineer-Project Manager—Federal Way, WA
Structural/Bridge Engineer—Rockville, MD
Marine Structural Engineer—Jacksonville, FL
Engineer IV, Systems—Independence, MO
A Sampling of Posted Resumes:
Mechanical/Electrical—7,991
Transportation—1,620
Environmental Engineers—1,598
Civil Engineers—5,251
Structural Engineers—1,878
Water/Wastewater—742
View These and Other Resumes and Jobs
on ACEC's Job Board
www.acec.org/jobbank |
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Let the ACEC Job Board Work for Your Firm
Post your firm's open positions on the ACEC Job Board. As a niche job site the Job Board gives you direct access to this focused group of qualified engineering talent specific to your needs.
Take advantage of discounted member rates and our participation in the Engineering & Science Career Network. As a part of the network, your job posting appears on 38 industry job sites, at no additional charge. Your firm will have exposure to thousands more job seekers and access to our resume database with over 26,000 searchable candidate resumes.
The ACEC Job Board is your source for new employees. For more information, contact Nina Goldman at 202-682-4325 or write ngoldman@acec.org.
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Mergers and Acquisitions, VMT Fees in Online Seminars
October
12—Mergers and Acquisitions 101, by Bill Mandel, Atty. and CPA, and Laura Howard, Atty, MBV Law
All you should know about the basics of M&A—from market terms to what to expect—and whether it's something to consider.
13—USACE's Sustainability Program: An Inside Perspective by Douglas Warnock, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Details on policy and plan, current and potential program of sustainability projects and initiatives.
18-19—Human Resources Forum, Las Vegas
18—Federal Contracting: Avoiding Big Risks for the Unwary by Neal Sweeney, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Understand the unique "special world" of federal contracting, the regulations and policies that impact performance and profits.
27—Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Fees: Long-term Solution for Financing Transportation Programs? by James Whitty, Oregon Department of Transportation
Get details on transportation funding study of technology and policies for transition to VMT-based fee system to replace fuels taxes.
November
2—Know What Drives Your Clients—Make Your Firm Invaluable, by Rich Friedman, Friedman & Partners
Ask the right questions of the right people at the right time to maximize vital research ROI.
8—FAR-Compliant Accounting System: An Overview, by Scott Butler, Beason & Nalley
Detailing the challenges and structures of incorporating FAR 31 cost principles and elements for a "compliant accounting system."
9—Engineering in the Cloud—Integrating Cloud Services Into Your IT Strategy, by Chris Pinckney, CIO, PSOMAS
Get up-to-speed on this hot, hot IT topic...from available offerings to cost-saving potential.
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Sen. Brown Seeking Senate Vote on ACEC-backed 3% Mandate Repeal
Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) has told ACEC that he will offer an amendment on the Senate floor to repeal the 3 percent withholding mandate. The amendment could be attached to China currency legislation that the Senate is considering this week, or to another bill in the near future.
House leaders are targeting the last week in October for a House floor vote on the 3 percent withholding mandate.
The ACEC-led advocacy effort has garnered 255 Representatives and 32 Senators in support of repeal. Click here to see if your Members of Congress have cosponsored the legislation.
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"Difficult Access" Engineering Team Inspects Washington Monument
Engineers from Wiss Janey Elstner Associates, whose Hawaii office is an ACEC Member Firm, rappelled down the Washington Monument last week to conduct an inch-by-inch inspection of damage from the 5.8 magnitude earthquake in late August. |
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ACEC/PAC Continues Strong Pace; Hits Half-Million Dollar Mark for 2011
Eight Member Organizations have reached their 2011 fundraising goal and 16 states are getting close, as of October 5, 2011. Click on the map to see the status of your state. |
Personal contributions to ACEC/PAC exceeded $500,000 for the first nine months of the year, the earliest the program has ever passed the half-million dollar threshold.
"Given the economic challenges this year, we're excited about where we're headed, but we can't afford to slow down now," said ACEC/PAC Chairman Chris Borton of Borton-Lawson in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. "These last three months of fundraising are critical given the legislative and policy environment we're heading into."
Many states have made significant progress in the past month toward their PAC goal. To check on status of your state's ACEC/PAC fundraising effort, click here.
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ACEC/Pennsylvania Shows Support for Congressman Tim Holden
ACEC/Pennsylvania leaders participated in a fundraiser for Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) (center), the ranking member on the House Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry. Also pictured are ACEC/PA Government Affairs Committee Chair Jill Thompson of Orth-Rodgers & Associates (left) and ACEC/PA Executive Director Eric Madden. |
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Join More than 700 Member Firm Leaders at Fall Conference in Las Vegas
Top CEOs, political leaders and cutting-edge professional development sessions will highlight the upcoming ACEC 2011 Fall Conference in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Oct. 19-22.
Featured speakers include former Shell President John Hofmeister, Jacobs CEO Craig Martin, CDM CEO Richard Fox, Sargent & Lundy CEO Alan "Bud" Wendorf, AMEC Earth and Environment President Hisham Mahmoud, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.
With more than 30 educational sessions, attendees can learn about the latest industry trends and management practices—and earn as many as 22.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs).
For more information and to register for the Fall Conference, click here. |
Reignite Your Business—From Increased Cash Flow to Benchmarking
November 3-4, 2011, Orlando, FL
ACEC's practical bottom-line course Essentials of A/E Financial Management and Firm Valuation, November 3-4, Orlando, will reveal how powerful accounting tools can energize Member Firm finances.
Presented by David Cohen, principal, Matheson Financial Advisors, Inc., the course will cover project management financials, income statements, balance sheet development and interpretation, firm valuation, internal ownership transition planning, mergers and acquisitions, and related financial management issues—from ways to increase cash flow to benchmarking against other firms in the industry.
Click here for agenda and to register at early-bird best price.
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Invest in Your Bottom Line; Register for Business of Design Consulting
November 9-12, 2011, New Orleans
Sharpen and update the management practices that drive successful A/E firm operations in today's changing business environment.
ACEC's marquee course, The Business of Design Consulting, November 9-12, New Orleans, features industry leading practitioners explaining current best-practices and offering new strategic insights for building a better bottom line.
Curriculum specific to the A/E workplace is presented over 23 hours (with PDHs), including segments on leadership, strategy, planning, performance management, contracts and risk management, finance, business management, ownership transition, and marketing.
Click here for the full agenda and to register at early-bird best price.
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Get Insider Update on Government Procurement and Compliance
December 5-6, 2011, Alexandria, VA (Washington, DC)
Engineering firms engaged in or looking to get into federal projects—especially federally funded transportation projects—face numerous changes in regulations and guidelines, including procurement integrity requirements, certification of overhead rates and environmental rules.
In Navigating Government Projects and FAR Requirements: A/E/C Insiders' Guide to Government Procurement and Compliance, December 5-6, Alexandria, VA, Robert R. Boyer, vice president, Government Facilities & Infrastructure, CH2M HILL, and Wayne Owens, CPA, T. Wayne Owens & Associates, PC, will provide the latest updates on federal A/E/C procurement and contracting and outline how key changes will affect engineering and construction businesses.
Click here for agenda and to register at early-bird best price.
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Considering a Merger or Acquisition? Webinar Leads You Step-by-Step
October 12, 1:30-3 p.m.
A vital part of A/E practice management includes determining if, or when it is appropriate for your firm to consider merging with another firm.
Conducted by experienced industry experts, attorneys Bill Mandel, CPA, and his partner, Laura Howard, MBV Law, Mergers and Acquisitions 101 will detail what a firm should anticipate in the steps leading up to a merger-acquisition. Although every transaction is different, all follow the same process. Understanding the market terms of a merger-acquisition deal in today's economic environment and the process of a transaction is crucial for a firm considering a merger-acquisition opportunity.
Click here to register.
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Inside USACE's Sustainability Program: Projects and Initiatives
October 13, 1:30-3 p.m.
In USACE's Sustainability Program: An Inside Perspective, Douglas Warnock, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters, examines the USACE's decade-long focus on sustainability and its impact on private sector contractors.
Warnock will describe how external environmental and energy statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders drive the Corps' sustainability program, provide details on internal policies and plans for sustainability programs, and offer examples of current and potential sustainability projects and initiatives.
Click here to register.
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How to Avoid Big Risks in Federal Contracting
October 18, 1:30-3 p.m.
Federal contracting can be a strong profit center but it poses unique challenges, with dense regulations and complex policies that will have a significant impact on performance and profits.
Neal J. Sweeney of the law firm Kilpatrick Townsend, a 25-year veteran in federal contracting, highlights many of the major pitfalls lurking for the unwary, including mandatory ethics and compliance programs, The False Claims Act, organizational conflicts of interest and the increased scrutiny of joint ventures under SBA programs.
Click here to register.
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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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