FACERS Connect Newsletter
Volume 1 Issue 3
From the President's Desk: Doug Gable, Polk County

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2017 FACERS Annual Meeting on June 27 - 30 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.  Faith Alkhatib and Amy Blaida did a great job of putting together the program of speakers for the November conference and I am sure that the upcoming program will be outstanding.  

This year we are recognizing two retiring FACERS members and past presidents, Jim Stivender from Lake County and George Webb from Palm Beach County.  They have certainly been an asset to FACERS for a number of years.  It seems like the end of an era.

John Goodknight and the FAC staff certainly do a great job of keeping the FACERS membership informed of all of the pending legislation under consideration in Tallahassee during the legislative session.  Some of the current legislation that is of interest to FACERS members is SB 596 / HB 687 cell phone tower bill, HB 789 Procurement of Professional Services,  and HJR 7105 Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption. 

Just a reminder that FACERS is a great and inexpensive way to obtain Professional Development Hours for Florida Professional Engineers. The FAC staff does a great job in tracking attendance at the technical sessions and distributing the PDH certificates.  Hoping to see everyone in Palm Beach for a great conference!


FACERS Annual Meeting Registration is Now Open

The 2017 FACERS Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Florida Association of Counties Annual Conference June 27-30 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Palm Beach County, FL.

  •  FACERS Member Registration Fee: $100
  •  FACERS Non-member Registration Fee: $175
PRELIMINARY AGENDA

*The FACERS Annual Meeting fee is waived for those who are registered for the FAC Annual Conference. If you are registered for the FAC Conference and plan to attend FACERS events, please contact Shelby Dotson at [email protected]
or (850) 922-4300.

Save the Date-2017 FACERS Fall Meeting


Please mark your calendars & plan to join us!
 2017 FACERS Fall Meeting
November 15-17, 2017
Hyatt Regency Sarasota
Sarasota County, FL
 
FACERS Member Spotlight- Honoring our Retirees
  George Webb, PE
County Engineer
Palm Beach County, Florida


"I am a Florida "Cracker" - born in Palm Beach County, worked in government for 39 of my 40+ years  - first job was with the City of West Palm Beach --- family DNA all over the Palm Beach County Road and Bridge Division (great uncle was assistant director from 1929 - 1970, grandfather was a superintendent from 1947-1951, and my father was head of the bridge section from 1967-1974)"
Mr. George Webb brings 40 years as a transportation engineer to his role as County Engineer for Palm Beach County, Florida.  He has been the County Engineer for the last 26 years. Other past positions include Assistant and Deputy County Engineer, Palm Beach County, Florida.
 
Mr. Webb has been active in transportation engineering and other professional societies throughout his career.  His record of service includes the following State and National positions:
*  National president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer of the National Association of County Engineers (NACE);
*  State president, vice president and secretary of the Florida Association of County Engineers and Road Superintendents (FACERS); and
*  NACE representative to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties.
 
In 2005, Mr. Webb was selected to serve as a designated local representative to the Federal Highway Administration's Connected Vehicle program.  Since 2005, Mr. Webb has traveled to California, Michigan, and Washington, DC to work with other local, State, and Federal officials and industry representatives on this groundbreaking project.
 
He was also recently reappointed (for the third time) by the then US DOT Secretary, Secretary Foxx, to the 15 member Connected Vehicles advisory committee.
 
Mr. Webb is a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Florida Engineering Society, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.  He holds Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Master of Transportation Engineering degrees from the University of Florida.
 
Mr. Webb will be retiring from the County as the longest serving County Engineer in August, 2017. 

Fond Memories of  George
"We were in Milwaukee for George's swearing in as the NACE President. Across the street from my hotel there was a George Webb restaurant (the Waffle House of the North) so naturally I ate breakfast at George Webb each morning I was there."
-Jim Stivender
Q&A with George Webb

What's playing on your iPod?
Zack Brown, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffet and current country artists
 
What's the last book you read?   
The Bear and the Dragon- by Tom Clancy
 
What are your favorite things to do on the weekends?        
Honey do lists - I enjoy making lists and crossing things off as I complete them (I have been married for 30 years (this October) - so my wife and I have this system down pat)
 
What is your plan for retirement?
I will be 64 - it is more work than you think - we are going to Asheville for an extended amount of time this fall to see our son and granddaughter - so we have to deal with how to secure the house here in Palm Beach County, what to take with us, etc. - and now I have to get educated on Social Security, insurance, Medicare and all the other  "senior stuff"

    Jim Stivender, PE      
County Engineer
Lake County, Florida

"Since 1989 I have worked under 20 different Commissioners and 8 County Managers."
Jim Stivender Jr. is a life-long, 5th generation, Central Florida Resident. He is both a licensed land surveyor (4178) and engineer (36893). His career with Lake County government began in 1976 as a draftsman. He left the County in 1979, went to college, graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Engineering, and returned to the County in 1981. He was appointed to the position of Director of Public Works in 1989, a position he has held for the last 28 years. In 1995, Jim was honored by FACERS as Rural County Engineer of the Year, and served as the group president in 2002.

Jim has two grown children, Tim and Jamie.

In his spare time, Jim enjoys working outside on various projects only to pause for college football and basketball.
Fond Memories of Jim

" When I was being sworn is as NACE President, Jim Stivender & Ramon Gavarette ran up on stage and yelled 'We're not worthy! We're not worthy!' . " - George Webb

Q&A with Jim Stivender
What's playing on your iPod?
What's an iPod? I listen to Sirius XM - Classic Rock and Current Pop.

What's the last book you read?
1999 A Soldier's Story by Omar Bradley, 2003 Ripples of Battle, Civil War "Shiloh" and WWII "Okinawa".

What's your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Projects around my property. Examples: Restoration of a 1961 CJ5 Willy's Jeep and a 1969 730 Case Tractor.

What's your favorite part of FACERS?
The people and their common stories of issues from county to county.

What are your plans for retirement?
Retirement starts in August as I travel to The Village of Goreville, IL to observe the total eclipse of the sun on August 21st. During the fall months I'll go on several short trips, and then I'll be spending the Christmas holiday in New England. In 2018, I plan to build a workshop for projects and brush up on my land surveying skills for brain food. Finally, I look forward to coming back to visit FACERS twice a year for entertainment and C.E.U.s.

Fun Facts:
Lake County's population in 1980 was 104,870 and increased to 325,875 by 2015.

Submit Your 2017 FACERS Award Nominations
Show us your projects!
2017 Award nominations are open from April 6 - June 1, 2017.

2017 Award Categories
Local/ State Agency Collaboration
Small Agency/Rural Engineer
Public Works Employee
Team Project
Large Agency/ Urban Engineer
Make a Nomination

Do you have a completed public works project in your county or city that you are proud of? Has your city or county engineer or public works director collaborated with state or local agencies to enhance your community? Now is the time to recognize them!

From counties and cities to state agencies and engineers, the consultants, contractors, and inspectors that work for these agencies improve our communities everyday. Each year, FACERS honors these individuals, public works departments, and local projects completed in the previous year.
 
2016 FACERS Award Winners included:
  • State and Local Collaboration Project of the Year: Lake County Public Works; Lake County Roundabout Project at County Roads 561 and 455
  • Large Agency Project of the Year: Marion County; NW 35th Street Roadway Improvement Project, Phase 1A and 1B
  • Public Works Department of the Year: Flagler County Public Work
 
The awards will be presented at the FACERS Annual Meeting June 27-30, 2017 in Palm Beach County.
 
For additional information regarding the 2017 awards or to submit a nomination, visit the FACERS website here: http://fl-counties.com/facers. 


Sponsor Spotlight

Whitaker Contracting Corporation ("Whitaker") is a family owned and managed general contracting company with roots in Guntersville, Alabama, that date back 60 years. Whitaker has grown to be one of the leading aggregate and asphalt producers in the state of Alabama with 5 quarries and 4 asphalt plants. After building roads in the Southeast for close to 6 decades, Whitaker made the decision to expand to Florida to focus on pavement preservation.

Whitaker manufactures, installs and guarantees HA5, a High Density Mineral Bond that has been specified as such in numerous agencies across the US. HA5 provides an armor-like shell with exceptionally high durability that extends the life of asphalt with a near-neutral charge that can hold an exceptionally high concentration of specific fine aggregates and other components that resist deterioration. HA5 also contains a protective barrier from ultraviolet rays which accelerate pavement deterioration. The performance of HA5 is backed by an industry best 5-year standard. HA5 reduces cracking and raveling by blocking the harmful damage of the sun and the rain, greatly extending the life of the pavement. Whitaker also engineers the technology and equipment needed to install HA5.

Whitaker is a longtime supporter of Public Works agencies, and Whitaker recognizes that advocacy plays an important role in the Public Works industry's success. Whitaker has made a longstanding commitment to Public Works in Florida without hesitation and plans to continue to support the state as a true partner.                            
Have something to feature in FACERS Connect?
If you have content you would like to include in the next edition of FACERS Connect, contact Shelby Dotson at (850) 922-4294.