ACEC OKLAHOMA UPDATE
September 1, 2020
In This Update:

  • Payroll Tax Deferral Guidance

  • ACEC OKLAHOMA Board Meeting Recap

  • ACEC Fall Conference Going Virtual

  • ACEC OKLAHOMA Engineering Excellence Awards Entry Info Now Available

  • Consulting Engineers PAC Approved Contributions to General Election Candidates
Payroll Tax Deferral Guidance Released by IRS August 28th
The payroll tax deferral guidance was released Friday, August 28th. It does not have a lot of detail. The guidance does not explicitly say that employers must defer withholding and transmitting the payroll taxes, and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has said publicly several times that it is optional.

Katharine Mottley
Vice President, Tax and Regulatory Affairs
ACEC OKLAHOMA Board Meeting Recap
The ACEC OKLAHOMA Board of Directors met on Thursday, August 27th via Zoom and 21 ACEC OKLAHOMA members joined in on the Zoom meeting.

Here's a recap of the Board meeting and actions:

  • Approved the Year-End 2019-2020 Financial Report which reported a small net gain for the year as well as showing that the Council is in a strong financial position with cash reserves above the Board Policy 40% level.

  • Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and continuing concerns regarding when in-person will be allowed, the Board unanimously voted to "postpone" the 2021 Leadership For Engineers class until such time in-person meeting are again allowed.

  • ACEC National Director Brent Schniers reported that the ACEC Fall Conference would be held in a virtual setting rather than as scheduled in San Diego, CA. Schniers urged all members to participate in this educational and informative event.

  • Schniers also reported that ACEC was conducting an update of the 2009 QBS Study.

  • Chairman of the Board Chad Grinsteiner updated the membership on the search process for a new President/CEO to replace President Sullins upon his retirement in December. He reported that the Search Committee reviewed a number of applications, held a series of Committee meetings, and eventually interview eight candidates. The Search Committee then unanimously recommended four candidates to the Board of Directors. The Board conducted in-person interviews on August 19th, then met again and through a QBS-type process, unanimously ranked the four candidates. Finally, he reported that the Board had begun the process of entering into negotiations with the top ranked candidate, and if were successful, expected to have an announcement for the membership in September.

  • Chairman Grinsteiner reported that in conjunction with the President search, a By-Laws change was possibly needed to address a section of the By-Laws which, when adopted in 2011, did not anticipate a change in operation or different business models which might be available to the Council at this future date.  If necessary, a Special Meeting of the Council will be called to amend the current By-Laws.

  • Chairman Grinsteiner next reported on efforts to implement the newly adopted Strategic Plan including the formation for new Committees which would be responsible for developing the implementation plan for each section of the Strategic Plan. The Board approved the formation of the new committee structure.

  • President Sullins reported that a Stakeholders group was being formed to develop strategies and an action plan to address a $180 million loss of funding to ODOT enacted during the last legislative session.  The group includes the Board of Directors of AOGC, ACEC OKLAHOMA, Oklahoma Asphalt Pavers Association, Oklahoma Concrete Pavers Association, and the Oklahoma Aggregates Association, with the first meeting set for late September. 
ACEC Fall Conference Going Virtual
The 2020 ACEC Fall Conference is coming to your desktop! That's right, instead of having to travel, you can experience the entire ACEC Fall Conference from the comfort of your home/office!

This is a tremendous opportunity and we urge all ACEC OKLAHOMA members to take advantage of this special opportunity.

For full details, click the picture to the right.

  • Registration is now open, and is only $349.00 which includes access to all sessions, roundtables, networking events and the virtual exhibit hall for all three days of the Conference, and,
  • Access to all conference sessions and the virtual exhibit hall for up to 90 days post event.
ACEC OKLAHOMA
Engineering Excellence Awards Entries Now Open
ACEC OKLAHOMA is now accepting entries for the 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards competition.

Entries are due no later than Friday, November 6, 2020. Judging will take place shortly after the entry deadline, after which firms will be notified if their entry is eligible for submission to the ACEC National competition. Deadline for submission to the national competition is Friday, January 8, 2021.

If all goes as planned, winners of the ACEC OKLAHOMA competition will be announced and presented on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at the General Membership Meeting and EEA Awards Dinner.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your firm's outstanding projects as well as recognize your clients and the services you provide to them.

We encourage your firm to enter. Click here to download the "Call For Entries" information.

Consulting Engineers PAC Approves Contributions to General Election Candidates
With the 2020 elections just around the corner, your PAC Trustees and Voting Members met August 21st, to discuss races in the 2020 General Election in which the PAC might or should be involved. 

During the meeting, contributions to the following candidates were unanimously approved:

Representative Mickey Dollens (D)
Representative Jon Echols (R)
Representative Toni Hasenbeck (R)
Representative Kyle Hilbert (R)
Representative Mark Lawson (R)
Representative Robert Manger (R)
Representative Ryan Martinez (R)
Representative Cyndi Munson (D)
Representative Terry O’Donnell (R)
Representative Mike Osburn (R)
Representative Daniel Pae (R)
Representative Jacob Rosecrants (D)
Representative Lonnie Sims (R)
Representative Marilyn Stark (R)
Senator Dave Rader (R)
Senator Greg Treat (R)

In the next few weeks, Consulting Engineers PAC will meet with all of the above named candidates. If you know and/or have a personal relationship with any of the candidates, please let us know as soon as possible. We will be trying to schedule in-office meetings at member firm offices, and it would be perfect to hold at your office if you know the candidate.

Also, the "Summer Sweepstakes" drawing was held with Keith Angier taking the top prize, and Mike Knapik and Rhonda Dudeck winning the 2nd & 3rd prizes respectively.

Thanks to all to entered the Sweepstakes and for everyone's continued support of Consulting Engineers PAC!
James F. Sullins, CAE
President & CEO
220 N.E. 28th Street, Suite 135
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone: (405) 525-7696
Cell: (405) 826-6481
Fax: (405) 557-1820
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