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Calendar
Conferences/Seminars
Committees
Contact Us
ACEC National
Upcoming Events
ACEC WI Annual Meeting
May 13
Waukesha
Principals Roundtable Breakfast
May 18
Green Bay
Future Leaders Institute Application Deadline
July 9
Upcoming Committee Meetings
Budget
May 7
Madison
Membership Recruitment Subcommittee
May 7
Conference call
DOT Liaison
May 11
Madison
Human Resources
May 13
Chicago
Budget
May 17
Madison
Membership Retention Subcommittee
May 24
Conference call
Business Practices
May 25
Madison
Membership
May 27
Madison
For more information, visit our calendar.
2009-10 Board of Directors
President
Stan Sugden, PE
Ruekert/Mielke
Waukesha
President-Elect
Tom Pulse, PE
Ayres Associates
Eau Claire
Secretary-Treasurer
Greg Jewell, PE
Jewell Associates Engineers
Spring Green
ACEC Director
Kevin Hagen, PE
GRAEF
Madison
ACEC Alternate Director
Jeff Hanson, PE
AECOM
Madison
PEPP Director
Rick Schmidt, PE
Bonestroo
Mequon
Director at Large
Dave Brose, PE
EMCS
Milwaukee
Past President
Jim Owen, PE
MSA Professional Services
Baraboo
Executive Director
Carol Godiksen
ACEC WI
Madison
ACEC WI Affiliates
Gold Sponsors:
Johnson Insurance
Services
SilverEdge Systems Software
Silver Sponsor:
MasterGraphics
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Click here for a print friendly version
May 3, 2010
Table of Contents
Government Affairs News
Legislative Session Recap
Congressman Petri Fundraiser
Future Leaders Institute
Education Programs
Annual Meeting
Green Bay Principals Roundtable Breakfast
Lorman Partnership
ACEC WI Board of Directors Election Ballots
ACEC Annual Conference Recap
Member News
Committee News
State Agency News
ACEC National News
Conduit Fund & WisPAC
SMPS Program – Using the Web to Brand
Business News Wire
Government Affairs News
Legislative Session Recap
The legislative session came to a close on April 22. It was a very active session for industry-related bills. The State Senate had a productive session seeing 115 of its 708 bills signed into law, with another 133 pending action by the governor. The Assembly did not fare quite as well. There were 978 bills introduced in the Assembly, with 99 signed into law through April 28 and another 61 pending. Senators were on the floor 30 days during the 16-month session, while representatives were in session 36 days. While we were unable to pass QBS legislation, we saw two major victories defeating an outsourcing bill and passing PE licensure legislation.
A big thank you goes out to our grassroots lobbyists. The contacts you made on behalf of the industry were extremely instrumental in our success this legislative session.
SB 447/AB 792 – Outsourcing Bill - Thanks to the strong support of our grassroots lobbyists, we were able to defeat this legislation. While, on the surface, the bill appeared to be good government, it had a huge fiscal note and the potential for a tremendous loss of Wisconsin jobs. Legislators heard from many of our members urging them to oppose this bill. The impact of grassroots lobbying was demonstrated here with our final push to ensure a vote was not scheduled. This was an extremely important victory for the industry.
AB 288 – PE Licensure – In the closing stages of the session, the PE Licensure bill passed the Senate on a voice vote. We expect the governor to sign this bill into law.
SB 442 / AB 654 – QBS – Unfortunately, our QBS bill was not successful in passage. There was strong opposition from local units of government and the bill was not given a vote in the Senate committee. We will reintroduce the bill next session with renewed hope to pass this important legislation by 2012.
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Congressman Petri Fundraiser
Monday, May 17
5:30 – 7:00 pm, Madison
The Wisconsin transportation community, including ACEC WI, WTBA, TDA Wisconsin, Operating Engineers Local 139, and the biking community are gathering for a joint fundraising reception in honor of Congressman Tom Petri. Supporting Congressman Petri is an important step to ensure the Wisconsin transportation industry is recognized in Washington.
The national ACEC PAC has committed funds, but we need your help as well. The suggested donation to attend the event is $200 per individual; all contributions will be gratefully accepted. Donations must be made by a personal check, payable to Citizens for Tom Petri. Please note ACEC WI Conduit Fund checks may not be used to support a federal candidate.
Please RSVP to Carol Goeas at 703-684-8328 or carol@GoeasAssociates.com.
The event will be held at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 Office located at 4702 S Biltmore Ln; Madison, WI 53718.
Congressman Tom Petri serves on the following committees
- Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
- Aviation Subcommittee, ranking member
- Highways & Transit Subcommittee
- Railroads, Pipelines, & Hazardous Materials
- Education & Labor Committee
- Early Childhood, Elementary, & Secondary Education Subcommittee
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engineers • architects • planners • surveyors • historians • business development & marketing professionals
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Future Leaders Institute Class of 2011
join the design industry's elite
Enrollment Open – Application Deadline July 9
Looking into the future, who do you see advancing into leadership roles within your firm? Is this person ready to lead a team or the entire firm? Reward your top talent and invest in the future of your firm by enrolling your firm’s future leader(s) in the Future Leaders Institute. Future Leaders Institute, formerly known as Engineering Future Leaders, is a 6-session leadership development program. While the name has changed, the content of this respected program has not.
Established in 2006, the Future Leaders Institute is open to all individuals in the design profession: engineers in the private and public sector, members and non members, architects, planners, historians, surveyors, and business development and marketing staff. The program is designed for up-and-coming leaders in the design industry with an average of 6-12 years of experience in the profession. Class size is limited. The class begins its journey in September and will conclude next May.
A program brochure, including session dates and application, is available online at http://www.acecwi.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=611.
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Download the brochure
Download the application
“The Future Leaders program has been, without a doubt, the most worthwhile training program in my career. It has been a great opportunity to develop some of the non-technical skills that are so vital to leading an organization that are simply not taught in college.”
Steven C Wurster, PE
Ruekert/Mielke
Class of 2010
“Our staff members come out of school with strong technical backgrounds, but have to learn the business side of consulting on the job. We offer them various training opportunities to acquire these skills, but none have been as comprehensive or effective as the ACEC WI Future Leaders program. We will continue to send all of our Future Leaders through this program.”
Rod Zubella, PE
Vierbicher Associates, President
Program Graduate Sponsor
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Education Programs
ACEC WI Annual Meeting
Thursday, May 13
8:00 am – 5:30 pm; Waukesha
Registration deadline is Thursday, May 6. Click here to register.
Update: Gubernatorial candidates Scott Walker (R) and Mark Neumann (R) have confirmed participation in the ACEC WI Fall Election Preview session.
ACEC WI Annual Meeting is the must-attend event of the year for consulting engineering firm owners, principals, department-level managers, and up-and-coming leaders. The meeting is designed to give you insight into where the consulting engineering industry is headed. How will you seize the moment to shape a bold and prosperous future for clients, society, and your firm?
Annual Meeting Highlights
Please see the Schedule at a Glance for the most current schedule. Due to the participation of candidates, the schedule may be updated again prior to the meeting. Detailed session descriptions are available at https://m360.acecwi.org/event.aspx?eventID=14398.
- The Future of Consulting Engineering – Kyle Davy, Kyle V Davy Consulting
- Fall Election Preview
- Principals Roundtable Breakfast
- Annual Business Meeting
- Future Leaders Class of 2010 Graduation & Reception
- WisPAC Raffle – 1st Prize: Green Bay Packer tickets for the October 3 home game against the Detroit Lions. (Thanks to Paul & Jeanne Tarvin of AECOM for donating this fantastic prize.) 2nd Prize: Autographed book by Patrick Buchanan.
A total of 5 PDH credits are available for meeting participants.
A portion of each registration fee will be donated to Engineers Without Borders – Wisconsin Professional Chapters.
Click here to register.
Thank You 2010 Annual Meeting Sponsors
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Green Bay Principals Roundtable Breakfast
Tuesday, May 18
Radisson Hotel, Green Bay
ACEC WI is sponsoring a Principals Roundtable Breakfast in Green Bay. Principals in the Green Bay/Fox Valley or those who will be in the area on May 18 are encouraged to attend. This forum is an opportunity for senior level staff to share ideas relating to consulting engineering business practice issues in today's market place. It is also an opportunity for principals in northeast Wisconsin to connect to what’s new at ACEC WI.
The breakfast meeting will begin at 7:30 am and conclude by 9:30 am. With pre-payment, the cost to attend is $40.
To register, visit https://m360.acecwi.org/event.aspx?eventID=16137.
Roundtable breakfasts will also be held as part of the ACEC WI Annual Meeting. Member principals are encouraged to attend. Click here for more information.
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Training Opportunities – Lorman Education Services
ACEC WI is dedicated to providing cost-effective training opportunities that meet the needs of our members and enhance their skills, knowledge, and competencies. We have partnered with Lorman Education Services to provide continuing education in a variety of topic areas. ACEC WI members receive a 10% discount on all registrations and orders. Visit http://www.lorman.com/training/acecwi for available teleconferences, seminars, and products.
You may register online or call Lorman at 866-352-9539. Please use Priority Code 16276 and Discount Code L9829914 when registering to receive your discount.
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ACEC WI Board of Directors Election Ballots in Mail
In accordance with the ACEC WI bylaws, the ballot for the 2010-11 ACEC WI Board of Directors election is being mailed to the designated key contacts at member firms. Please participate in the voting process. Ballots must be received at ACEC WI by noon, May 21 to be counted.
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ACEC Annual Conference
Wisconsin was well represented at the ACEC 2010 Annual Convention and Legislative Summit, held April 25 - 28 in Washington, DC. Sunday’s opening dinner included a repeat performance by the Capitol Steps, frequently referred to as the only group in America that is funnier than Congress itself. The Monday luncheon debate featured Patrick Buchanan, MSNBC, and Eleanor Clift, Newsweek.
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Wisconsin was again honored as the first state to reach its 2010 PAC goal. Accepting on behalf of PAC Chairman Raj Sheth (Mead & Hunt), were ACEC WI President Stan Sugden (Ruekert Mielke) and Executive Director Carol Godiksen. The award was given during Sunday’s ACEC Board of Directors Meeting.
Following a briefing on infrastructure-based recovery legislation, maximizing the use of private sector engineering companies, and the repeal of the 3% withholding mandate, our members hit Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday, visiting all 10 offices of our Wisconsin Congressional delegation. Attendees had an opportunity for brief personal visits with Senators Kohl and Feingold, Congressmen Petri, Kagen, and Kind.
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ACEC WI's delegation had an opportunity to visit with Senator Russ Feingold during our Hill visits. |
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Tuesday evening showcased Wisconsin in the limelight twice during the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. Only 24 of the 161 projects submitted to the EEA are highlighted during the evening and both the Marquette Interchange Reconstruction project (Milwaukee Transportation Partners) and Lake Delton and STH A Restoration project (Mead & Hunt/MSA Professional Services) were included as national honor award winners. In addition to the firms’ team members attending the event, WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi also attended.
Our thanks to the following members for taking time from their schedules to participate in the convention and hill visits.
- John Boldt (Clark Dietz)
- Dave Brose (EMCS)
- Phil Budde (Strand Associates)
- Rusty Chesmore (Mead & Hunt)
- Kevin Hagen (GRAEF)
- Jeff Hanson (AECOM)
- John Kissinger (GRAEF)
- Jeff Kronser (Strand Associates)
- Bill Mielke (Ruekert/Mielke)
- Rose Morgan (EMCS)
- Dave Murphy (MSA Professional Services)
- Jim Owen (MSA Professional Services)
- Tom Pulse (Ayres Associates)
- Matt Richards (Strand Associates)
- Ted Richards (Strand Associates)
- Raj Sheth (Mead & Hunt)
- Stan Sugden (Ruekert/Mielke)
- Paul Tarvin (AECOM)
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Celebrating the support of Federal Highways funding for the Lake Delton project are Rusty Chesmore & Raj Sheth (Mead & Hunt), Executive Director Carol Godiksen, FHWA Associate Administrator for Infrastructure King Gee, and Bill Oliva, WisDOT. |
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Member News
Clark Dietz - is pleased to announce John Boldt, PE has been named firm president.
KL Engineering - is pleased to announce that Matt Regnier, design engineer, and Ryan Sirek, engineering technician, have joined the firm’s Madison office.
Bonestroo – welcomes Amanda Schaefer, planner, to the firm’s Mequon office.
GRAEF - proudly announces the election of 2 principals from the firm's Milwaukee office: Steve Huberty, PE and Michael Paulos, PE, CDT, LEED AP.
Ayres Associates – welcomes Pete Haug, PE, water resources engineer, to the firm’s Eau Claire office.
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Committee News
Business Practices - the committee is scheduled to meet on May 25.
Budget – preparation of the 2010-11 budget is underway. Meetings are scheduled for May 7 and 17 in Madison.
DNR – the committee’s next meeting is scheduled for July.
DOT – the Edgewater Hotel is the site of the May 11 quarterly committee meeting. Senior level WisDOT staff will join the meeting during the afternoon session. Click here to register.
HR – the May 13 committee meeting will be held at Collins Engineers’ Chicago office. The agenda will focus on the presentation the committee made to the future leaders class in February.
DSF – the key note speaker for the November 9 DSF Consultant Conference has been selected. The committee is expected to meet later in May.
Government Affairs – with the legislative session over, the committee is focusing on fundraising activities to promote the ACEC WI Conduit and WisPAC. A raffle is scheduled during the May 13 Annual Meeting for WisPAC. The first prize is 4 Green Bay Packers tickets.
Membership – both the retention and recruitment task forces continue to meet monthly via conference call and the full committee is scheduled to meet May 27.
Public Relations – the committee is scheduled to meet June 3.
Transportation Task Force – the task force continues to meet monthly with senior level WisDOT staff.
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State Agency News
Department of Natural Resources – The Remediation & Redevelopment Program’s RR Report is available at the following links:
http://www.wiparks.net/org/aw/rr/news/10/04-07-10.pdf
http://www.wiparks.net/org/aw/rr/news/10/04-21-10.pdf
The Wisconsin Association of Floodplain, Stormwater and Coastal Managers Association newsletter is now available at the following link.
Natural Resources Conservation Service – Revisions have been made to the Wisconsin Field Office Technical Guide: Section IV index and Standard 798. The guide is available at http://www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov/.
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ACEC News
Major ACEC Win on Project Labor Agreements Protects Engineering Firms
Article reprinted from ACEC Last Word Vol XXXI, Number 14 – April 15, 2010.
In a victory for the engineering industry, the Council successfully secured the exclusion of engineering services from the final rule implementing President Obama’s Executive Order mandating that Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) be used on major construction projects involving federal funds.
“This is a significant step forward that will protect the independence of engineers, surveyors, and engineering professionals on construction sites,” said Bob Fogle of HNTB Corp.
ACEC raised concerns that the proposed rule implementing the President’s PLA policy did not distinguish between those performing direct construction work onsite and those performing other services. ACEC argued that applying such a requirement could create conflicts of interest for engineering firms that perform critical oversight and quality assurance roles at construction sites.
The final PLA rule, which was published this week in the Federal Register, specifically acknowledges the concerns raised by the Council, stating, “This change makes clear that employers who do not perform construction work need not sign the project labor agreement.”
“This victory for ACEC is on par with a number of previous Council accomplishments, such as FSLA reforms, 9 percent tax deduction, and shutting off FAR ‘opt-out’,” said ACEC President Dave Raymond.
Click here to review the final rule. For more information, contact Mark Steiner, ACEC’s senior policy advisor for federal programs, at msteiner@acec.org.
New in the Last Word
ACEC’s Last Word has undergone a design update and now includes a new “ACEC Index” to track stock performance of publicly traded ACEC member firms and a revamped news section focusing on industry sectors. Click here to see the latest edition.
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Conduit Fund & WisPAC
This election year is extremely important to the industry. Using the conduit as a pass-through for your political contributions benefits not only you, but also your employer and the industry. Exercise your right to be involved in the political process by contributing to the ACEC WI Conduit Fund. Getting involved and making a difference is as easy as writing a personal check or signing up for a payroll deduction.
Click here for more information on the conduit.
Conduit Contributors (as of Apr 29)
Chairman Level - $1000 or more
John Boldt, Clark Dietz
Richard Bub, GRAEF
Philip Budde, Strand Associates, Inc
Jeffrey Kronser, Strand Associates, Inc
James Owen, MSA Professional Services
John Rathke, Mead & Hunt
Theodore Richards, Strand Associates, Inc
Rajan Sheth, Mead & Hunt
Richard Smith, RA Smith National, Inc
Paul Tarvin, AECOM*
President Level - $500 or more
David Brose, EMCS Inc*
Russell Chesmore, Mead & Hunt, Inc
Timothy Falkowski, Clark Dietz
Michael Felker, Strand Associates, Inc
Kevin Hagen, GRAEF
Jeffery Hanson, AECOM
John Kissinger, GRAEF
William Mielke, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Thomas Pulse, Ayres Associates
Amy Squiteri, Mead & Hunt, Inc*
Principal Level - $250 or more
James Bakken, Ayres Associates
Joseph Bunker, Strand Associates, Inc
Brian Cater, Clark Dietz*
Stephanie Christensen, EMCS, Inc
Martin Hanson, Ayres Associates
Gilbert Hantzsch, MSA Professional Services
Julie Hoppe, Mead & Hunt, Inc
Jeffrey Kenkel, RA Smith National, Inc
Charles Kopplin, GRAEF
Thomas Ludwig, Foth Infrastructure & Environment
Michael Mertens, Jewell Associates Engineers*
Bruce Ommen, Ayres Associates
David Pellizzari, Michael Baker Jr
Matthew Richards, Strand Associates, Inc
Steven Schultz, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Ken Ward, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Kenneth Williams, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Professional Level - $100 or more
Ryan Amtmann, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Karen Beck, Mead & Hunt, Inc
Michael Forslund, Strand Associates, Inc
Terry Genske, Strand Associates, Inc
Stephan Hoffman, RA Smith National, Inc
Ravi Jayaraman, Clark Dietz
Michael Maloney, MSA Professional Services
Peter Muth, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Anthony Petersen, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Gerald Powell, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Patrick Quinn, Ayres Associates
Stanley Sugden, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Sean Sullivan, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Patrick Wohlers, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc*
Steven Wurster, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
* These individuals are participating in the automatic withdrawal program.
In addition to the Conduit contributions listed above, there were 2 contributions of less than $100.
WisPAC Contributors (as of April 29)
Contributions of $100 or more
Karen Beck, Mead & Hunt, Inc
Russell Chesmore, Mead & Hunt, Inc
Jeffrey Kronser, Strand Associates, Inc
William Mielke, Ruekert/Mielke, Inc
Rajan Sheth, Mead & Hunt, Inc
In addition to the WisPAC contributions listed above, there were 2 contributions of less than $100 and numerous contributions through ACEC WI raffles.
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SMPS Program – Using the Web to Brand (case studies)
May 20, Pewaukee
John Thiel, principal and creative director of THIEL Design will be presenting on the Web as the 24/7 window to your organization, and likely the first impression anyone has of your firm.
The potential of the Web to define and extend the brand is because it combines virtually all forms of media and information delivery—text, image, film, video, voice and sound. Begin or expand your brand story on the Web by following 5 requirements for effective Web branding and see the concepts demonstrated with some classic case studies.
Leave this session with ideas you can implement immediately that will help bring your brand to life through your Web site.
Click here for program details and registration materials.
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UW Business News Wire
Check out the latest edition of UW Business News Wire at http://buswire.ocr.wisc.edu/. The monthly online publication is intended to build and strengthen awareness of and appreciation for university resources and programs that assist the Wisconsin business community.
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