Awards Banquet Draws Over 270 Attendees; 22 Sponsors
Make an
Impact with Legislators at Capitol Consulting Day
Board of Directors Positions Available for 2008-09
Nominations Sought for Firm of the Year &
President’s Award
Delta Dental Insurance Rates Remain The Same
News From Around the Membership
Still Time to Register for Mn/DOT Consultants
Conference
Annual Basketball Tournament Slated for February 23
Water Damage From Sprinkler Systems May Be Preventable
Travel Restrictions on Batteries and Battery
Powered Devices
Awards Banquet Draws Over 270 Attendees; 22
Sponsors
The
41st annual ACEC/MN Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet drew over 270
attendees at International Market Square on
January 25, 2008. This year, 27
projects from 22 firms were submitted for the competition.
The awards competition recognizes engineering achievements that exhibit
the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. The evening began with Master of
Ceremonies Doug Differt (URS Corporation.) welcoming members, clients and
guests to the event, followed by a brief address from current President Bill
Bennett (LHB) and the scholarship awards presentation by Scholarship Chair
Lance Newman (Progressive Consulting Engineers).
The Scholarship Committee distributed a total of 12 scholarships totaling over $26,500 to students from University of Minnesota campuses throughout the state. If your firm has an internship program and is looking for candidates, ACEC/MN would be happy to send you resumes of the scholarship applicants and winners. Contact Melissa Langowski at Melissa@acecmn.org for more information.
ACEC/MN
would like to thank all of the volunteers who made the event possible,
including event readers Jodi Winkelman (Bonestroo) and Jerod Rudolf (BKBM
Engineers, Inc.), and plaque presenters Karen Amundson (Westwood Professionals)
and Dan Sergeant (Ulteig
Engineers).
ACEC/MN would also like to thank all
of the banquet sponsors for their generous contributions to the event. Elite
Sponsors: H.
Robert Anderson & Associates, Inc.; Coleman, Hull & van Vliet, PLLP;
GRN of the Twin Cities – The Holcomb Group; HIWAY Federal Credit Union;
Meagher & Geer, PLLP; Platinum Sponsor: Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.; Gold
Sponsors: Cobb,
Strecker, Dunphy & Zimmermann, Inc.; Dennis J. Linder & Associates; HRH
A&E’ Mackall Crounse & Moore, PLC; Silver Sponsors: McGrann Shea Anderson Carnival
Straughn & Lamb; Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association; Moline Concrete
Products Co.; RA&MCO Insurance Services; Bronze Sponsors: Encompass, Inc,; GS Direct;
International Masonry Institute; SEH; VEIT Companies; Printing: The First Impression Group; Signage: Engineering Repro Systems; Event: Oak Marsh Golf Course.
This year’s grand award winners, who are eligible to
compete in the national competition are:
Firm Project
Barr Engineering Company
Dam Removal and Fish Passage Creation
Bonestroo
Cascade
Creek Realignment Project
TH
61/Jamaica Ave. Interchange Roundabouts
Earth Tech, Inc.
Water
Treatment Plant Improvements
Encompass, Inc.
St. Mark’s
Church Fire Investigation & Restoration
Ericksen,
Roed & Associates, Inc. Cobalt
Condominiums
LHB
& Donohue & Associates, Inc. Chatfield Wastewater
Treatment Plant
Stanley Consultants
Saving St.
Anne’s
URS Corporation Midtown Greenway Bridge
More complete information on all the award winners
can be found in the awards issue of the Framework newsletter that was distributed to banquet attendees.
If you did not receive a copy of the brochure or you would like additional
copies, please contact the ACEC/MN office at 953-593-5533.
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Make an
Impact with Legislators at Capitol Consulting Day
ACEC/MN
members are invited to St. Paul on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30
a.m. to participate in Capitol Consulting Day. This event gives members the
opportunity to meet with state legislators to discuss issues facing the
engineering community. A few of the issues for this session include:
Once again,
there are two tracks offered at this event. Track One is for those members
familiar with the legislative process and plan to meet with legislators.
ACEC/MN lobbyist Randy Morris will host a brief planning session to coach
members on how to effectively interact with legislators to make sure our
message is understood and delivered effectively.
Track Two
is for members less familiar with the legislative process, but are interested
in learning more about how the legislature works. Members attending this track
will tour the Capitol, visit the House and Senate Chambers and sit in on a
committee hearing.
Sign up today so the
consulting engineers can leave a lasting impression at the Capitol!
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Board of
Directors Positions Available for 2008-09
ACEC/MN is currently seeking candidates for the 2008-09 Board of Directors. Four director positions need to be filled, as well as the young P.E. position. Participation on the board exposes you to a variety of activities and issues affecting the engineering profession. It is a great opportunity to expand your base of knowledge while giving something back to the profession.
Directors
of the board serve two-year terms after which they have the opportunity to move
up to an officer position. The young P.E. position is a one-year term for a
younger P.E. who is interested in learning how the ACEC/MN board functions.
This is an opportunity for an individual to preview future leadership
opportunities in the association.
Board
members are expected to attend monthly board meetings at the ACEC/MN office
(typically the second Thursday of each month from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.),
attend an annual planning meeting and serve as director to at least one ACEC/MN
committee. Board members are also encouraged to attend events including
seminars, monthly meetings, the annual meeting and the awards banquet.
The list of potential candidates will be reviewed by the ACEC/MN
Nominating Committee, which is scheduled to meet in early March. The Nominating
Committee will recommend a group of candidates that will be forwarded to the membership
for approval at the annual meeting which will be held in late May. If any of these positions sound
appealing to you, contact David Oxley at 952-593-5533 by Monday, March 3 in
order to be considered.
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ACEC National News
Call
for Community Service Awards
ACEC
is soliciting candidates for the 2008 Community Service Award. This award
recognizes engineers who are influential leaders in their communities. The 2008
recipients will be honored at ACEC’s Fall Conference in Montreal. The
nomination forms and criteria are due to ACEC national by June 6, 2008 and can
be found at /pdfs/commsvc.cfm.
How Does Your Firm
Measure Up?
Want to know how your
firm compares with other Member Firms in areas such as productivity, financial
performance and business practices? Simply complete the quick and easy 2008-
2009 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey by February 15 that
was recently mailed to all Member Firms, or use the convenient link below to
take the survey electronically and receive a FREE electronic copy of the
survey results—a $299 value. Your participation in the survey is
extremely important and confidential
Take a few minutes today to
complete the survey. Click
here to take the survey online or complete and return the questionnaire
recently mailed to all Member Firms.
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Nominations
Sought for Firm of the Year & President’s Award
ACEC/MN members are invited to
submit nominees for the President's Award and Firm of the Year Award. These
awards are designed to recognize individuals and firms that made significant
contributions to ACEC/MN and the engineering profession over the past year.
Nomination forms can be found at www.acecmn.org and the deadline for
nominations is
Monday, April 7. Please
send your completed forms to Lynae Peterson at lpeterson@acecmn.org or fax them to
952-593-5552
The President's Award is presented
to an individual employed at an ACEC/MN member firm that has made a significant
contribution to ACEC/MN and has been a valuable asset to the consulting
engineering profession over the past year. This could include regular or ad hoc
committee activity; attendance at the awards banquet, monthly meetings and
seminars; promoting ACEC/MN to the public and/or acting in the interests of
ACEC/MN; or other activities. Current members of the ACEC/MN Board of Directors
are not eligible for this award.
The
Firm of the Year Award is presented to an ACEC/MN member firm that, through
their activities, has made a significant contribution to the advancement of
ACEC/MN and the consulting engineering profession. The selection for this award
will be based on activities or involvement of firm employees that have
benefited the association and the profession. Consideration will be given to
the size of the firm and availability of time and resources when selecting the
recipient.
The ACEC/MN Board of
Directors will select the recipients of these awards by secret ballot at the
April board meeting. The awards will be announced at the ACEC/MN Annual
Meeting, which is still being finalized and dates and locations will be
announced next month. http://www.acecmn.org
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Delta
Dental Insurance Rates Remain The Same
The rates
for the ACEC/MN sponsored dental plan were announced and the rates continue to
remain the same. The rate for a single person with or without Orthodontics is
$31.75. Family rates without orthodontics is $81.20 and with orthodontics is
$88.95.
Delta Dental
of Minnesota, which is administered by AJ Gallagher, is proud to offer a dental
plan that is exclusive to ACEC/MN members. This product was designed
to encourage preventive care while providing comprehensive coverage for basic
and major services. The rates will
remain the same until March 31, 2009.
The ACEC/MN
Delta program includes:
If you’d like more information on
the plan, contact Mike Fewer Mike_Fewer@ajg.com at AJ Gallagher.
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Joel Peterson
joined Howard R. Green Company as a Water Resources Project Manager in its St. Paul office.
American
Engineering Testing, Inc. (AET), welcomed Ben Hoefer, E.I.T. as a member of its geotechnical
division.
Mike Rief,
PE and Barritt Lovelace, PE have been jointly appointed to WSB & Associates,
Inc.'s Associate
Group. The firm also welcomed Kirk Corson, AICP, Senior Appraiser –
ROW Acquisition/Relocation Specialist to the Minneapolis Office.
Yaggy Colby
Associates Board of Directors announced the following changes in
leadership
roles: Bob Ellis,
President and Chief Operations Officer, will continue his role as COO and will
assume the duties of
the President of the firm. Scott
Samuelson, Chief Financial Officer, will assume the role of CFO of the firm and
continue his duties as Rochester Office Manager and Corporate Director of
Transportation Services Jose Rivas, Secretary, will continue the role of
Secretary as well as Minnesota Business Development Director and Corporate
Director of Architectural Services.
Mike Court, Vice President, will continue as Vice President of Wisconsin
Operations. Terry McCarthy, Vice
President, will continue his role as Vice President of Iowa Operations and
assume the role of Corporate Director for Municipal Services.
Clark Engineering Corporation is pleased to announce that Ryan
Bluhm, PE, has passed his LEED accreditation exam and is now qualified to work
on LEED certification for the design and construction of projects.
Short
Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH®), recently named six new stockholders: Duane Day, Tracy Ekola, Thomas Henning,
Daniel Penzkover and Matt Reardon. Graduate Engineer Michael Ostendorf recently
joined the firm’s civil group. Also, Mark Dierling, PE, Project Manager and
Regional Operations Manager for the firm was recently named President of The
Upper Midwest Chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America.
LHB is pleased to announce the addition
of Jeff Blackwell, Civil Engineer, to its Minneapolis office.
Westwood
Professional Services, Inc., announced that Sarah Stai has become a Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC). The firm
also announced the addition of Shannon Mullins to their Eden Prairie office as
an Administrative / HR Assistant.
Dunham’s
office space was awarded LEED-Commercial Interiors-Silver Certification by the
US Green Building Council. This is the first LEED CI Project in Minnesota and
the first LEED project of any type in the City of Minneapolis.
Wentz Associates’ new address is 7225 Ohms Lane, Suite 160, Edina,
MN 55439. Phone and fax numbers
will remain the same.
Still Time to Register for Mn/DOT
Consultants Conference
The Annual Mn/DOT Consultant Conference is scheduled
for Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008 at the Earl Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn
Center. This conference addresses topics of common concern and importance to
both the state of Minnesota and the consulting firms who are interested in
providing professional and technical services to Mn/DOT. It’s a great opportunity to get a
“heads up” on what is coming down the pike. If you’d like to attend this event,
contact Melissa@acecmn.org.
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Annual Basketball
Tournament Slated for February 23
The fourth annual ACEC/MN basketball tournament is being
organized and will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Skyview Community School
in Oakdale. We are expecting another great turnout this year. Trophies get awarded to the top two
teams in both the A & B divisions.
The tournament starts at 8 a.m. Profits from the tourney goes to the ACEC/MN
scholarship fund. If your firm is
interested in participating, please contact our tournament organizer Scott
Buscher at scott.buscher@westwoodps.com.
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Education
Calendar
Are you
trying to fulfill your continuing education credits but you’re not sure where
to look for classes? Check out the ACEC/MN web site www.acecmn.org to review classes, seminars and
conferences available. In addition to ACEC/MN sponsored events, other
educational opportunities provided by outside groups are listed with
registration and contact information.
Here’s a brief recap of ACEC/MN sponsored events
coming up:
2/22: ACEC/MN Brown Bag:
Underground Detention, Retention, Sedimentation and Filtration for Urban
Areas @ Marriott
Minneapolis West 11:30am
3/3: Monthly
Meeting: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How the wrong
clients can ruin your firm @ Marriott Minneapolis West
11:30am
3/12: Education
Seminar: Creating
Effective Visual Aids @ Marriott
Minneapolis West 7:30am
Additional
Workshops/Conferences
Concrete
Paving Workshop
The 47th Annual CPAM
Concrete Paving Workshop will be held March 13 - 14, 2008, in Mankato. The workshop’s theme is
“Concrete: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” Registration information is
available at (Error! Hyperlink reference not
valid.).
U of M & MNSCU Offer Seminar on New PM Software
The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities are offering a seminar on Feb. 21 from 7:30 – 9 a.m. to
educate clients on their newly project management software called
"Unifier."
Unifier provides software to help manage information through
every phase of a program or project-from planning and design, through
procurement, project execution, and into operations and maintenance. A
web-based solution, Unifier makes it easy for project team members to access
and share information.
Mike Perkins, Associate Vice President, Capital Planning/Project Management from University of Minnesota and Bill Breyfogle, Director of Design and Construction for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will address how their respective organizations will be using Unifier in the future. If you are interested in attending send your RSVP to cmaa@cpmi.com by Feb. 15.
A Review
of Essential Elements Seminar: Roofs/Walls/Pavement/Waterproofing
Small details can
cause big problems. Hear from the industry experts as they showcase examples of
mistakes others have made. Improve your understanding of key concepts for
better building envelope performance. To register for this INSPEC seminar on
April 22 at the Double Tree, contact registration@inspec.com
Construction
Experts: Practice Tips to Help You Help Your Clients
Meagher & Geer is offering a free breakfast
seminar on March 18 that will cover: the difference between lay and expert
testimony; dealing with subpoenas, testifying at depositions and trials, etc.
To register for this seminar contact rsvp@meagher.com
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Water
Damage From Sprinkler Systems May Be Preventable
ACEC/MN
member Scott Futrell submitted an article for members regarding the prevention
of weather related water damage from automatic sprinkler systems. It covers a
number of factors that contribute to weather related damage loss including the
building enclosure, mechanical equipment, howeowner or occupant, sprinkler system
and the design team.
Scott is a
fire protection consultant with Futrell Fire Consult and Design has over 30
years experience designing, specifying and investigating fire protection
systems. If you would like a copy of Scott’s article in its entirety, contact
the ACEC/MN Office at 952-593-5533.
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Travel
Restrictions on Batteries and Battery Powered Devices
Effective
January 1, 2008, you may not pack spare lithium batteries in your checked
baggage – that is, the baggage you give to the airline for handling.
For
personal use, there is generally no restriction on the number of spare
batteries allowed in carry-on baggage. That includes cell phone batteries,
“hearing aid” button cells, and AA/AAA batteries available in retail stores, as
well as almost all standard laptop computer batteries. However, you may carry
no more than two larger batteries, in the range of 100 – 300 watt hour
rating. These include some extended life laptop computer batteries, such as the
“universal” lithium ion battery.
For more information visit http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html
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· “To
understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already
achieved, but at what he aspires to.”
- Kahlil Gibran
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If you have an announcement you’d like to see
included in the next Parameters newsletter, please contact:
Lynae
M. Peterson, lpeterson@acecmn.org, P: 952-593-5533 F: 952-593-5552