Michigan Engineering Newsletter

September/October 2022

Legislative Update

SB 642 - QBS for state agencies - The House Regulatory Reform Committee met on September 20 & 21 and SB 642 was on the agenda. Executive Director Ron Brenke testified in support of the bill and the bill was unanimously voted out of committee to the House floor. The bill has already passed the full Senate.

HB 5538 - Design/Build for Schools - The Senate Regulatory Reform Committee met on September 20 and HB 5538 was on the agenda. Ron Brenke testified in opposition to the bill citing various safety concerns and conflict with Article 20. The bill did not move out of committee.

SB 1133 - Extension of sunset - Introduced by Senator Wayne Schmidt, SB 1133 would amend the Revised Judicature Act to extend, by 20 years, the $4 fee for recording an instrument with the county register of deeds. The bill was unanimously voted out of committee and to the House floor.

2023 MDOT/ACEC Partnering Workshop

Planning is underway for the 2023 MDOT-ACEC Partnering Workshop! The annual event brings together transportation professionals from across the state to get the latest information, technology, and processes being used to design and build our transportation system.

If you would like to be a presenter at this year's event, please use this link to submit your proposal. We encourage you to team up with MDOT staff to present, as we want to continue to strengthen our partnership. Submittals are due by October 5.

Save the date of February 2, 2023 for the Workshop at the Lansing Center. A leadership networking reception will also be held the evening of February 1.

ACEC/Michigan 2023 Firm of the Year Award

ACEC/Michigan's "Member Firm of the Year" award program is now open for entry! 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 Gala on March 11, 2023, in Grand Rapids.

Applications are due by November 23, 2022. Visit the ACEC/M website for submission details.

ACEC/Michigan Scholarships

ACEC/Michigan is planning to award over $15,000 - $20,000 to approximately 5 engineering and surveying students enrolled in an ABET accredited College or University. Applications are now available on the ACEC/M website, and are due by January 6, 2023.

Applicants will be judged on a written essay, their work experience, employer/faculty recommendations, community involvement and their GPA.

Pass this opportunity along to any eligible interns your firm has hired!

Watch for scholarship raffle information in the near future.

MDOT/ACEC Partnership Charter Award

The MDOT-ACEC Partnership Charter 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.

Projects accomplished by team effort between MDOT project managers and ACEC consultants are eligible to receive this award.

Watch the ACEC/M website for this year's entry information (coming soon!).

ACEC/Michigan Finance Forum

CFOs, Controllers and those managing the finances for your engineering firm:

On Tuesday, October 25, at 10:00 AM, ACEC/Michigan will be hosting a virtual Finance Forum!

Katharine Mottley, Vice President of Tax and Workforce Policy, ACEC National, and Jenny Ray and Scott Sutton, Principals with Somerset CPAs, will be presenting as well as facilitating discussion.

Topics will include:

Inflation Reduction Act
Tax provisions remaining on the congressional agenda
Overhead Rate updates
Key Performance Indicators every AE firm should track
Section 174 of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017

We’ll leave time for questions and open discussion as well! Sign up today!

PSMJ Project Management Bootcamp

ACEC will host the popular PSMJ Project Management Bootcamp on January 19 - 20, 2023 in Lansing.

Get ALL of PSMJ's time-tested profit-boosting project management secrets PLUS what every Project Manager needs to thrive in a post-COVID world.

Learn how to:

Manage project team members working from anywhere.
Communicate with clients who are working from anywhere..
Pause and re-start work to minimize disruption and preserve cash flow.
Run virtual meetings without losing productivity.
Add more value and keep pipelines full by bringing in work from existing clients.

And so much more! BONUS: Discounted registration fees are offered for ACEC members and multiple attendees. Register today!

ACEC/Michigan New Website and

Community Forum

Members of the ACEC Business Insurance Trust (BIT) receive a range of exclusive benefits including cost savings, organizational support, and access to a team of legal and risk management experts not commonly available with a local broker through the Trust’s relationship with Greyling, the broker and program administrator.

The ACEC BIT program is led by Trustees that are active engineers and staff that includes a mix of people that have worked in senior management for engineering firms.

More than insurance, the BIT provides vital support analyzing risk issues in professional services and reviewing contracts by industry attorneys. Visit the BIT website for more information.