NOVEMBER 2024

Dear Alexis,

In case you missed it, November 5^th was not only election day this year, but also ASCE Day! The day marked ASCE’s 172^nd year since it’s founding in 1852. If you did miss it, don’t worry – we have a bunch of ways to celebrate this month with the many events you will find in this newsletter.

This month, as your branch president, I would typically have the honor of telling you about all of the amazing things ASCE has going on based off of the events at the ASCE Annual Convention, but unfortunately, ASCE had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Convention that was taking place in Tampa, FL due to Hurricane Milton. People came in from around the World to celebrate, learn & network, but safety was a priority to everyone who came and I hope that everyone was able to get home safely as locals prepped for the storm. It feels like déjà vu as I mentioned in October’s issue of the newsletter about Hurricane Helene, but Milton hit much closer to home and I hope everyone effected by Hurricane Milton is safe and on the path to recovery. My thoughts are with those who have endured this powerful storm along the coastal areas, and I wish strength and resilience to all.

In October, the 3^rd Student Success Conference was hosted by the Florida Section in Orlando. Students from around the state were invited for an all day soft skills seminar with a career fair on October 25^th. Every year, the Florida Section hosts this successful and growing event and it’s great to see the youngest of our members get engaged with professionals and grow their enthusiasm about joining the profession. Be on the lookout next year for the opportunity to support this event with some of the State’s best future professional engineers. The Florida Section Quarterly Meeting followed the Student Success Conference on October 26^th in Orlando. These meetings are a chance for ASCE leaders from across the state give updates on everything going on in their Branches and I continue to be amazed by how much talent and engagement we have in the East Central Branch.

As we kick off the month of November, it's hard to ignore the unmistakable signs of the season—especially with holiday displays already filling the stores. It's a time for reflection, celebration, and, for many, preparation for the holidays ahead. As Thanksgiving inches closer on our calendars, it’s good to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for, not only in our personal lives, but also the engineering community. Please consider joining us at our canned food drive later this month and potentially even starting a canned food drive in your local engineering office if given the opportunity. As always, I want to say “Thank you” to all of our Branch and State leaders and volunteers who work hard to bring our members all of the events and opportunities ASCE has to offer.

And a quick reminder: membership renewals are due by December 31, 2024! Continuing your ASCE membership ensures that not only can the Society work on our engineering interests through advocacy and offer things like 10 PDHs a year, but also know that your State and local branches are also supported, in part, by your membership dues. This allows us to invest in education, advocacy & networking opportunities in Central Florida. We look forward to continuing to grow as an organization and continue to offer opportunities for our members to engage and progress the engineering profession.

Thank you for your continued support! Until next time,

Thomas A. Anzelone, PE

ASCE Florida Section East Central Branch President

Editorial and Advertising Contact

Khanh Olka, P.E.

ASCE ECB Officers

PRESIDENT

Thomas Anzelone, P.E.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Juan Gonzalez, P.E.

VICE PRESIDENT

Isadore Carrie III, P.E.

TREASURER

Mallory Murray, P.E.

SECRETARY

Catherine Felter, P.E.

PAST PRESIDENT

Corey Bloxam, P.E.

This issue

GI
SEI
T&DI
Sustainability Committee
Education Committee
YMF
Student Chapter Activities
Employment Opportunities

GEO - INSTITUTE

UCF GI Student Chapter will be hosting Craig H. Benson from the University of Wisconsin Madison as part of their Distinguished Speaker Series.

Presentation Title

Elevated Temperature Landfills: Causation, Prevention and Best Management Practices

Presentation Details: December 5^th from 10-11 a.m.

If you would like to attend in person the event is being held on UCF’s Main Campus in Engineering II, Room 202A. UCF will also providing a live access to the lecture through the link below:

Zoom: ucf.zoom.us/j/97650321712

PDHs may be provided.

Please contact Jiannan.Chen@ucf.edu if you have any questions.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

SEI is planning a networking event in January 2025 for professionals and students in East Central Florida. If you would like to sponsor or co-sponsor this event, please contact Khanh Olka at khanh.olka@amermhi.com.

Student and Young Professional Scholarships

to attend SEI Congress 2025

Apply by January 3, 2025

SEI Structures Congress 2025 will be hosted in Phoenix, Arizona from April 9 -11, 2025. The event aims to advance the structural engineering profession for a better future. They will have a robust technical program, engaging keynote speakers, and numerous networking opportunities.

SEI Society provides complimentary registration, and travel reimbursement to qualified students, and ambitious young professionals. Good luck, and we hope to see you at the Congress!

SEI Student Scholarship

SEI Young Professional Scholarship

Please email Khanh Olka at khanh.olka@amermhi.com if you would like to join the ECB SEI Chapter. The Chapter meets virtually every month on the second Wednesday over lunch to organize upcoming technical luncheons and networking opportunities.

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities, allowing the East Central Branch members to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. Below are some upcoming events and other news recommended by the committee.

Upcoming Webinars & Events

● ASCE Pickleball Event with Pickleball Recycling

November 13, 2024, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm, ClearOne Sports Centre (4141 John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804).

ASCE ECB YMF is hosting a pickleball event for all skill levels. An instructor will be available for anyone who needs one and we will be providing the necessary equipment and non-alcoholic drinks. The cost to attend is $10 per person. The ECB Sustainability Committee is sponsoring and providing pickleball recycling for the event. Learn more & register here.

● UF/IFAS Event (In-Person) - Green Your Scene: A Sustainable Landscaping Workshop and Garden Tour

Thursday, Jan 6th, 10am - 12pm, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County (6021 South Conway Road Orlando, FL 32812)

This introductory class will cover the Florida-friendly Landscaping™ 9 principles in detail, which focus on sustainable landscaping practices that are intended to reduce water, fertilizer, and pesticides by properly selecting and maintaining plants that thrive, provide nutrients and habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, and help keep pollution out of our waterways. $10 attendance fee. Learn more & register here.

Volunteer Opportunities

● Central Florida RECON (CFR) Waterway Cleanup Fleet – CFR RECON is a group of friends and concerned citizens protecting Central Florida’s surface waters and natural environment by removing trash and debris from lakes, rivers, and streams. All those who enjoy canoeing and kayaking and would have a couple of hours are welcome to join upcoming events! The RECON fleet is growing and currently has 9 kayaks available to use at events. Shoreline volunteers are also welcome if you feel the urge to walk instead of being on the water. Click the link to check out upcoming events! Click here to view all RECON events on Meetup. Click here to view the Facebook page.

Community Resources

● Adopt-a-Tree 2024: UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

November 9, 2024 - Barnett Park (4801 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808)

Trees available to Orange County residents on a first come first to adopt basis. Two tree saplings per household per year. Click here for more information.

● Election Signs & Stands Drop off Locations

November 6-17, 2024 - Multiple Locations

Divert waste from the landfill and drop off single use election signs. The signs will be used to manufacture enviro-fuel cubes used by cement and electrical power industries to replace coal as a cleaner energy source. Metal frames must be removed from the signs and will be recycled locally in Central Florida. Click here for more information.

● Household Hazardous & Electronic Waste Community Collection Event

November 16, 2024 (8am - 1pm) - East River High School (650 E. River Falcons Way, Orlando, FL 32833)

As a free service, Orange County residents may bring their household hazardous and electronic waste to a community collection event or drop-off location. No commercial waste is accepted. Click here for more information.

News / Resources / Interesting Reads

● ASCE Pathways to Resilient Communities: Infrastructure Designed for the Environmental Hazards in Your Region

One of the most reliable ways to ensure increased performance and resilience of our nation’s built environment is the widespread adoption and enforcement of up-to-date, modern building codes and standards. Click here to read the full document.

Join the Committee

If you would like to join the ECB Sustainability Committee, please reach out to our Committee Chair Steve Sommerfeldt. The committee typically meets (virtually) on the last Tuesday of the month during lunch to plan out future activities and ideas related to sustainability. We welcome any new and/or seasoned individuals interested.

Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today!

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

(K-12 OUTREACH)

Engineering Days

All on Fridays and all 9-11 AM

November 1^st Camelot Elementary – need 9 people

November 22^nd Timber Lakes Elementary – need 12 people

January 10^th Stone Lakes Elementary

February 21^st Avalon Elementary

If you would like to volunteer for an Engineering Days, please contact David Schmitt at dave.schmitt@dseorl.com

Future Events

February is full of STEM events, if you are interested in advance notice of these events, please contact Mike Olka.

If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov

ASCE putting civil engineering back on the big screen with Cities of the Future film

The film was released in February 2024

Trailer for Cities of the Future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5iYRsIuLYE

ASCE Future World Vision

https://www.futureworldvision.org/cities-future

If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov

E-Week 2025 – February 18 - 24

The E-Week committee meeting will be held this month. If you are interested in joining the committee please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov.

YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM

The goal of the ASCE Younger Member Forum (YMF) is to promote professional development among young engineers. YMF hopes you will join us for some of our upcoming events.

Upcoming Events

Join us for our upcoming pickleball event at ClearOne Sports on November 13th from 6-7:30 pm. Thank you to our court sponsor ECB Sustainability Committee. All skill levels are welcome. This will be a great event to come learn a new sport or refine your skills. We will be providing non-alcoholic drinks. The cost to attend is $10 per person to cover the equipment cost and instructor fee.

Register for the upcoming webinar with proceeds benefiting the EWB's Nepal and Guatemala water supply projects on November 14th. The topic will be the Nexus Between Water Quality and Tribal Cultural Lifeways. Our presenter is Captain Michael Stover, P.E.. In this presentation, Mike Stover will explore the connection of water quality to the preservation of tribal sustenance practices, traditional lifeways and cultural connections to the natural environment in Native American communities. Legacy industrial toxins, hydropower without adequate fish passage, and the effects of climate change pose a threat to the survival of tribal cultural and dietary lifeways. Recent advances in federal policy and regulations are helping to thwart the impacts to Tribal culture through promulgation of protective water quality standards, permit conditions and industrial licensing.

Register for our upcoming canned food drive with the East Central Branch benefiting Second Harvest Food bank. The event will be at A La Cart's Sodo location on Michigan St. Your first drink will be provided. Thank you to our sponsors KPM Franklin and Ardurra.

Save the date for our annual Holiday Toy Drive event benefiting Toys for Tots on Monday, December 9^th. Your first drink will be provided. Thank you to our sponsor GEC.

Recap

We hosted the UCF v. Arizona tailgate and we hope everyone had a great time. Don't forget about our upcoming Pickleball sporting event!

October Report

Since hurricane Milton, our focus has been maintaining the club’s momentum and keeping our members involved with various events and meetings. We have had three successful General Body Meetings with YMF ECB, DRMP, and PGA! Each group offered insight into their companies/organizations.

Unique student development events were also a huge part of this month’s success. The Student Success Conference gave ASCE members the opportunity to brush up on their soft skills, build up their resume, network with industry leaders and bond with other Florida ASCE students. We also had the privilege of representing UCF at the ASCE Florida Section Quarterly meeting in Orlando.

Additionally, Bohler hosted a LinkedIn Event for students to learn more about how they can obtain a potential job through the site. There have also been various social events including three home tailgates, our painting pumpkin social, and a beach social/cleanup. Our students were also able to volunteer for STEM Day at our local elementary school. We guided grades K-5 through fun activities like building a marshmallow spaghetti tower. Spreading the word about engineering is an important part of what ASCE does so we were happy to participate!

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

At ADS, no idea is off-limits, and we celebrate creativity and bold moves. For more than 50 years ADS has been manufacturing a variety of innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional materials. Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, we are a multi-billion dollar stormwater management company, manufacturing pipe and ancillary products. What does that mean? When it storms, we capture rain with our drain basins, convey it with pipe, store it using chambers, and finally treat it with our water quality products, before safely returning water back to the environment. We handle, what we call, the entire lifecycle of a raindrop. Our products help prevent flooding, which increases the quality of life for people living in large cities, suburbs, and rural towns. We also believe in creating a circular economy and are the largest plastic recycling company in North America. We use plastic shampoo and detergent bottles to create pipes, diverting over 500 million pounds of plastic from landfills every year. ADS operates a global network of over 60 manufacturing plants and 30 distribution centers.

We have amazing stories to tell, and we need your help getting our story out there. To learn more about ADS, please visit our website at www.adspipe.com

Engineered Product Manager

The salary range: $100,000 to $175,000

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate must bring a high level of ethical, intellectual, professional, and personal values that complement the team.

Strategic Mindset – anticipates future trends and implications accurately
Decision Quality – relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions
Customer Focus – identifies opportunities that benefit the business
Business Insight – keeps up with current and possible future policies, practices, and trends in the organization, function, and in the marketplace
Plans and Aligns – breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions
Optimizes Work Processes – seeks ways to improve processes, from small tweaks to complete reengineering
Ensures Accountability – establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results
Collaborates – works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
Develops Talent – develops others through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
Builds Effective Teams – forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of styles, perspectives, and experience
Drives Vision and Purpose – talks about future possibilities in a positive way
Courage – faces difficult issues and supports others who do the same

Responsibilities

Promote and service ADS products throughout the assigned territory
Increase product approvals and acceptance of ADS products with the engineering community, regulators, contractors, and owners
Provide training, education, and technical support
Generate specified projects, conversions, and approvals to facilitate an increase in the specification database (Salesforce) and sales revenue of all assigned ADS Products
Daily in-person calls on design firms and regulators/agencies to generate new projects, and conversions, and gain approvals as necessary. Presentations and training meetings are key aspects of activity.
Daily engagement with Salesforce (CRM) database which includes managing projects, coordinating internal engineering support activities, and sales call planning.
Product Application Knowledge
Must maintain a complete understanding and application knowledge of all ADS stormwater product lines, especially related to solution categories of stormwater capture, conveyance, storage, and treatment.
Responsible for occasionally being on construction sites for observation and training or arranging for trained alternative ADS personnel to attend specific product installations when conditions warrant.
Work in concert with the sales and sales management team to protect and secure projects.
Develop and maintain relationships with key engineers and regulators in assigned territory. Join and attend functions of the key industry organizations in the region, e.g. ASCE, ICSC, APWA, TSPE, etc.

Requirements & Desired Skills

Bachelor's degree in Civil, Geotechnical, or similar engineering field required
PE in Civil Engineer highly desired
Must be a self-starter, work independently, and trustworthy
Bilingual in English/Spanish desired

ROADWAY DESIGNER II

Job Details

Posting Number: 23-12-15-3266

Pay Grade: 22N (Salary: $26.12 - $41.51 per hour)

Agency / Dept. / Office: Public Works - Engineering - Design Engineering

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Job Summary

The essential functions of the position include writing legal descriptions, reviewing legal descriptions, entering and maintaining property information in GIS for the Right of Way Section, performing property vacations, assisting with property title reviews, and assisting with property acquisition. The position is responsible for creating maps and GIS solutions for resolving business/operational problems, collecting and maintaining GIS data, troubleshooting technical problems, providing professional customer service at all times, and performing related work as assigned. The position is also responsible to acquire right-of-way (ROW) through donation or purchase for road construction operations, stormwater, trails and other projects of the Public Works Department.

May be required to assist with emergency support functions in the event of a declared emergency and/or any other emergency duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered. Requires an Associate’s degree in civil or transportation engineering, urban planning or a closely related field with four years of related experience or six years experience in Stormwater Design and Road Design.

Requires a valid Florida driver’s license. AutoCAD certification preferred.

Apply HERE

ASCE East Central Branch | www.eastcentralasce.org | Orlando, Florida