Joint Coalition Meetings Address Employee Happiness, Housing Market, and Firm Growth

ACEC News / Education

February 21, 2019

Joint Coalition Meetings Address Employee Happiness, Housing Market, and Firm Growth

Is it a problem that nearly 60 percent of structural engineers consider leaving the profession at some point in their career?

Sabrina Duk, principal with Verahaus Structural, revealed this startling statistic when she presented the Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) preliminary 2018 Survey at the Coalition of American Structural Engineers (CASE) roundtable during the 2018 Joint Coalition Winter Meetings in Tampa earlier this month. While CASE members didn’t come up with a definitive answer, they engaged in lively debates about employee retention, equity in the engineering profession, and professional development.

The Joint Coalition Winter Meetings are an opportunity for members of CASE, the Small Firm Council (SFC), Coalition of Professional Surveyors (COPS), and the Land Development Coalition (LDC) to gather for roundtable discussions, hold committee meetings, and hear from outside speakers.

Barry Karpay, vice president of land acquisition for Lennar Homes, the nation’s largest builder, shared with LDC members about how Tampa broke into the Top 10 real estate markets for 2019 and how the most recent housing recovery–and any future downturn–will be different than those of the past.

In the SFC meeting, Mark Goodale of Morrissey Goodale sparked a lot of discussion with his presentation: What to Know as You Grow. 

“Mark’s willingness to tailor a program around the needs of small firms created an impactful and value-added experience,” said Bill Lloyd, principal with Great West Engineering and chair-elect of the SFC. “His humor and collaborative exercises kept the audience engaged through the presentation.”

For more information about the Joint Coalition Winter Meetings or about ACEC Coalitions, contact Heather Talbert.

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