Michigan Engineering Newsletter

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Issue: 5

September 2016

Legislative Update

Roads Innovation Fund

Before breaking to campaign for the general election, both the House and Senate passed Continuing Resolution 19 which releases transportation dollars from the Roads Innovation Fund.

Although there is currently no money in the Fund, legislation passed back in November 2015 required the first $100 million in revenue collected from the gasoline and diesel tax be deposited into the fund (starting Oct. 1, 2016) until the legislature passes a Continuing Resolution releasing the money. Because CR 19 was passed prior to the start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2016), income from the fuel taxes will be deposited into the Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) as in past years.

The Michigan Department of Transportation has completed a report that focuses on "materials and processes that may cost more in initial up-front spending but that still produced life-cycle construction and maintenance savings", and will be completing demonstration projects in 2017 and 2018 that use a 30 and 50-year design life.

ACEC Emerging Leaders Program Kicks Off

First Session Held in Lansing September 8 & 9

The 2016 ACEC/Michigan Emerging Leaders Program kicked off its first session in Lansing this month. The Emerging Leaders Program is for individuals committed to developing their leadership abilities. This program imparts specific skills and competencies identified by top ACEC/Michigan principals as critical for leadership success. These highly interactive sessions are taught by experts in the field of business administration and people management in professional services firms.

The 2016 class of emerging leaders wil l enjoy a dynamic schedule of topics including: Strategic Planning, Governmental Affairs, Risk Management, HR - Recruiting, Retaining and Owning, Leadership, Business Development, Economics of Private Practice, and the Senior Leaders Roundtable: From Management to Leadership - Secrets of Success. Sessions take place this fall in Lansing, Detroit and Grand Rapids.

If you're interested in having an emerging leader from your firm participate in a future Emerging Leaders Program, please visit our website to claim a spot on the waiting list for the 2017 class!

Congratulations to the following members of the 2016 Emerging Leaders Program:

Jeffrey Bagdade Atkins	Todd Munger Materials Testing Consultants, Inc.
Jill Bauer ROWE Professional Services Company	Tim Day WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff
James Carter Carter & Associates Engineers, LLC	Patrick Phelan BMJ Engineers & Surveyors, Inc.
Arif Cekic Professional Service Industries, Inc.	Brian Rowley Fleis & VandenBrink
Adam Falkowski C2AE	Joshua Salazar HDR Michigan, Inc.
Brian Fiander Harley Ellis Devereaux	Paul Schram Wightman & Associates, Inc.
Jennifer Hodges GFA	Drew Twarek Ruby + Associates, Inc.
Jason Longhurst Nowak & Fraus	Andrew Varilone SmithGroupJJR
Ken Mazurek Tetra Tech	Bryan Webster Byce & Associates, Inc.
John Michalski Applied Science, Inc.	Jonathan Yonkers FTCH

MDOT-ACEC Partnering Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

Application Deadline is October 28


	HNTB, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Great Lakes Engineering - 2015 Partnership Charter Award Winners

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the American Council of Engineering C ompanies of Michigan (ACEC/M) are excited to announce the fourth annual "MDOT-ACEC Partnership Charter Award."

This award recognizes project managers and consultants for their commitment to excellence and promoting an enhanced business partnership based on the ideals set forth in the MDOT/ACEC Partnership Charter Agreement. These ideals include mutual trust, effective communication, continuous improvement, embracing innovation, and timely issues resolution. The award will be judged equally on five important principles:

Providing Cost-Effective, High-Quality Services
Partnering in Streamlining Business Practices
Engaging in Effective Communication
Commitment to Transparency & Accountability
Promoting Innovation and Sustainability

Projects accomplished by team effort between MDOT project managers and ACEC consultants are eligible to receive this award. Entries for the 2016 award will be received by the MDOT Performance Excellence Section through October 28, 2016. Projects must be substantially complete and ready for use between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2016 to be eligible for the 2016 award year.

The 2016 award will be announced at the MDOT/ACEC Partnering Workshop on February 2, 2017 in Lansing.

Entry guidelines and the official entry form are available on the ACEC/M website.

ACEC Michigan Member Firm of the Year Award

Applications Now Available

ACEC/Michigan's "Member Firm of the Year" award program is now open for entry! (Deadline for submissions is November 23, 2016). This prestigious and coveted award recognizes ACEC/M member firms for their demonstrated leadership in promoting engineering through their activities with ACEC and in their communities. Winning this competition will greatly enhance your firm's image and your marketing efforts to both current and potential clients.

Firms are judged on three important factors:

Contributions to the Success of ACEC/Michigan
Advancement of the Consulting Design Profession
Community Involvement

A small firm (1-30 employees) and a large firm (>30 employees) are eligible to receive this award. The winning firm(s) will be announced at the ACEC/Michigan Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards program on March 11, 2017 at The Fillmore Detroit.

Visit the ACEC/M website for more information and the entry form .

2016 Firm of the Year - Wightman & Associates, Inc.

ACEC Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards
Competition Update

ACEC/Michigan has received Intents to Enter for 41 engineering & 4 surveying projects for the 2017 Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Competition.

Projects from across the state compete each year for the coveted "Eminent Conceptor" Award. In early November, a panel of judges will evaluate the projects based on innova tio n, complexity, client satisfaction and future value to the profession.

Award recipients will be recognized on March 11, 2017 during the awards gala, which will be held a t The Fillmore Detroit. Visit the ACEC website for more details!

ASCE Michigan Section Announces 2016-2017 Board of Directors

2016-2017 Term to Run October 1, 2016-September 30, 2017

The ASCE Michigan Section is pleased to announce the following individuals who will be serving on the Board of Directors for the 2016-2017 term:

President: Steven Waalkes, PE (Western Branch)

President-Elect: Melinda Bacon, PE (Southwestern Branch)

Vice President: Christopher Owen, PE (Lansing/Jackson Branch)

Treasurer: Jacob Rushlow, PE (Southeastern Branch)

Secretary: Tim Bradshaw, PE (Western Branch)
Past President: Therese Kline, PE (Lansing/Jackson)

MSPE Fall Education Seminar

6 Professional Development Hours

When: October 6, 2016, 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

Topics: Drone Technology and Autonomous Vehicles

Where: The View at Cooley Law School Stadium, 505 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing

Cost: $120 MSPE Members

$140 Non-Members

Lunch included

To register: www.michiganspe.org

Get the latest information on Autonomous Vehicles (AV)! This session will begin by discussing the technology behind AV and continuing with related infrastructure issues. From there, we will turn to current research and testing of autonomous vehicles and how the MCity project is being used to further development. Also a look at how Professional Engineers are part of this process.

The Drone Technology session will include information on the many applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), including hyper-spectral remote sensing, work in the utility sector and infrastructure inspection. Additionally, this session will discuss current rules and regulations pertaining to the commercial use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and liabilities for, and penalties against companies that operate UAS improperly. We will also take a look at drone use from the aviation community perspective.

ASCE Michigan Section Awards Scholarships

ASCE Michigan Section is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016 Zuidema and Mackinac Scholarships.

Zuidema Scholarship:

Named in honor of an outstanding past president of the Michigan Section and the Western Michigan Branch of ASCE, the Marvin L. Zuidema Scholarship Award is presented annually to a student member of ASCE who has made a contribution to the advancement of student engineering activities.

The 2016 Zuidema Scholarship ($1,500) was awarded to Shelbie Prater and to Micah Doorn. Shelbie is a Civil Engineering major at the University of Michigan. She serves on the Regional Executive Board of the University's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. Micah is a Civil Engineering major at Calvin College. He is currently the ASCE Calvin College Student Chapter President.

Mackinac Scholarship:

Named in honor of Michigan's #1 Civil Engineering Project of the 20th Century by the ASCE Michigan membership in December 1999, this scholarship is intended to recognize a premier Civil Engineering student from Michigan.

This year's Mackinac Scholarship ($5,000 - 2 year award) was awarded to Nicholas DeSimpelare and Brock Hoffman. Nicholas is a Civil Engineering student at Michigan State University, where he is active in the ASCE Michigan State University Student Chapter. Brock is a Civil Engineering student at Michigan Technological University. He is an ASCE student chapter member and participates heavily in Concrete Canoe.

ACEC Hosting PSMJ Project Management Bootcamp

January 19-20, 2017 in Lansing

ACEC/Michigan will host the popular PSMJ Project Management Bootcamp at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West on January 19 and 20, 2017.

Attendees will walk away with effective, actionable techniques from today's most successful PMs. Every bootcamp is designed to compress a wealth of knowledge and insight gained from decades of real-world PM experience into two information-packed days. These are the must-have techniques of today's most successful project managers - highly practical advice you'll find plenty of opportunities to apply immediately upon your return to the office. Another bonus: Discounted registration fees for ACEC/Michigan members and for multiple attendees.

Class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on January 19 and from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on January 20. Visit the ACEC/M website for additional information.

ACEC Welcomes New Members!

ACEC is excited to welcome these new member firms:

ACEC Scholarships Available

ACEC/Michigan is planning to award $10,000+ to engineering and surveying students enrolled in an ABET accredited College or University. Applications are now available on the ACEC/M website, and are due to ACEC by January 6, 2017. Applicants will be judged on a written essay, their work experience, employer/faculty recommendations, community involvement and their GPA.

QBS News

The Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) Coalition is pleased to announce the following:

1. We have contracted with Famous in Your Field to develop a branding and marketing campaign to accelerate the awareness and adoption of the QBS process in Michigan.

2. A webinar explaining and discussing the QBS process has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 26. Watch for more information!

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