ASCE Region 8 | November 2020
“Help you matter more and enable you to make a bigger difference”
Region 8 Director's Column
I am thankful for the many volunteer leaders that make our Society move forward each day. It is easy to get frustrated with the social limitations that the pandemic has caused. However, you all keep sacrificing your time and energy outside of your day job and personal life and that means so much to our membership and our profession.

I am thankful for the FY21 Section Presidents listed below that have remained committed to leading their local membership. They continue to work with their local leaders to brainstorm innovative ways to bring added membership value to their constituents.
Alaska – Justin Kanouse
Nevada – Jonathan Smith
Arizona – Gary Miller
Oregon – Joshua Goodall
Columbia – Tatiana Skadorwa
Seattle – Homero Flores
Hawaii – Dayna Nemoto-Shima
Southern Idaho – Lauren Nuxoll
Inland Empire – Kevin Picano
Tacoma-Olympia – Tom Szymoniak
Montana – Bryan Vanderloos
Utah – J. Darren Burton
Thank you to the Region 8 Board of Governors for your dedication to the Society and to our Region’s membership. Thank you for being so easy to work with and being receptive to my wild and crazy ideas.

Thank you to the ASCE staff that help make our volunteers vision a reality. Thank you for the daily support of our goals and your patience of working with our volunteers.

Congratulations to Mr. Aaron D. Dotson of the Alaska Section for being selected by ASCE’s Cold Regions Engineering Division to receive the 2020 CAN-AM Civil Engineering Amity Award for “an academic and research career dedicated to water and wastewater treatment with specialization in cold regions processes with small remote systems typical of Alaskan bush communities.” To view announcement of other Region 8 members that have won Society awards, please visit our new Region 8 Awards webpage.

If you are interested in having me participate in your local virtual events or strategic planning sessions, please send me an invite. I would like to learn more about what each of your groups are doing and what challenges you have.

Mahalo for being a member of ASCE and for all that you do to help our great profession. #Region8isgreat!!! Please be safe and continue to be diligent in washing your hands and wearing your mask for the benefit of others around you and yourself.

Mahalo and Aloha,
Tony C.G. Lau, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE
Society Director, Region 8
Email: tlau_1987@hawaiiantel.net
Society Board of Direction Fall Meeting
The Society Board of Direction Fall Meeting was held virtually on October 26 and 27. Highlights below.

1.)The final report of the Task Committee on Credentialing was accepted
a.) A new task committee will be formed consisting of stakeholder parties such as Sustainability and Civil Engineering Certification (CEC) to jointly develop a plan for the path forward

2.) The second reading of the revised Code of Ethics was approved
a.) The revised Code of Ethics goes into effect immediately

3.) The proposal to change the requirements and dues for Life Members was rescinded. Letters were sent to all current Life Members

4.) The Board approved the proposed changes below from the Task Committee on Committee Realignment
a.) The Committee on Sustainability will move to the Committee on Technical Advancement. Create liaisons between the Infrastructure Resiliency Division, Climate Change Division and the Committee on Sustainability to increase collaboration and avoid duplication
b.) The Committee on Pre-College Outreach will move to report to the Member Communities Committee to align with the recent ASCE staff reorganization
c.) The Anticorruption and Ethical Practice Advisory Council (formerly the Committee on Ethical Practice) will move to the Public Policy Committee and be called the Committee on Anticorruption and Ethical Practice
d.) The Department Heads Coordinating Council (DHCC) will continue to report to the Committee on Education and have representation on the Committee
i.) The Task Committee recommends the Industry Leaders Council consider Department Heads as potential members
ii.) DHCC should have a liaison to the Committee on Student Members and the Committee on Student Conferences and Competitions
e.) The Government Engineers Council (GEC) will continue to report to the Board of Direction for the initial 3 years starting January 2021
f.) The Public Agency Peer Review Committee will report to the GEC
g.) The Members of Society Advancing and Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC) will continue as a standing Board Committee.
h.) Realign ASCE committees into five categories
i.) Advancing the Profession
ii.) Advancing the Career
iii.) Advancing the Organization
iv.) Public Policy and Practice
v.) Education

5.) The Committee on Student Conferences and Competitions (CSCC) proposed realignment of student conferences along geographic region boundaries was approved
a.) CSCC will work with the Region 8 leadership to establish the structure of the student conferences in our Region
Society Board of Direction Members during the Fall Virtual Meeting
2020 ASCE Annual Convention

The 2020 ASCE Annual Convention was held virtually from October 28 to 30. It was supposed to be held in Anaheim, CA at the Disneyland Hotel, but our cousin COVID-19 got in the way. Don’t worry about the losing the opportunity to visit Uncle Mickey Mouse. ASCE plans to hold the 2022 Annual Convention in Anaheim.

The Convention program consisted of session categories ranging from Professional Development to Strategic Issues/Public Policy to State of the Industry and Profession. There was a virtual exhibit hall to meet and interact with sponsors and exhibitors. There were even two social events – A Community Happy Hour and a Trivia Contest.
Jean-Louis Briaud, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, Dist.M.ASCE was installed at the 2021 Society President at the Annual Membership Meeting. Other Society officers installed include:

  • Dennis Truax, Ph.D., P.E., DEE, D.WRE, F.NSPE, F.ASCE, 2021 Society President-Elect
  • John C. Folts, P.E., M.ASCE, Society Director, Region 1
  • Kevin D. Nielsen, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, Society Director, Technical Region
  • Lawren Pratt IV, P.E., LEED AP, M.ASCE, Society Director, Region 5
  • Kenneth H. Rosenfield, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE, Society Director, Region 9
  • Elizabeth Ruedas, P.E., ENV SP, M.ASCE, Society Director, At-Large
  • Maria C. Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE, Society Treasurer

Society Awards were also presented during the Annual Membership Meeting. The 2020 award winners included three from Region 8.

  • Robert Sowby, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, of the Utah Section who was selected by the Society’s Committee on Younger members to receive the 2020 Daniel W. Mead Prize for Younger Members for the paper, “To Uphold and Enhance the Profession.”
  • Amanda Tanaka, P.E., M.ASCE, of the Hawaii Section who was selected as the 2020 recipient of the Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement for “professional achievement in service to the advancement of the profession, evidence of technical competence, high character and integrity, and contributions to public service outside her career.”
  • Jie Zhang, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, of the Seattle Section whose editorial team was selected by the Society’s Awards Committee to receive the 2020 State of the Art of Civil Engineering Award for the book, Computational Fluid Dynamics: Applications in Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Treatment, published by EWRI, June 2019.

ASCE honored eight new Distinguished Members during a Celebration of Leaders. The 2020 class listed below included two members from Region 8.

  • Lorne G. Everett, Ph.D., D.Sc, Hon.D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE
  • George E. ("Edd") Gibson Jr., Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, NAC
  • Region 8 and Professor and the Sunstate Chair of Construction Management and Engineering at the Arizona State University School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
  • Vaughan Griffiths, Ph.D., D.Sc., D.GE, P.E., C.Eng., Dist.M.ASCE
  • James R. Harris, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI, Dist.M.ASCE, NAE
  • Ron Klemencic, P.E., F.SEI, Dist.M.ASCE, NAC, NAE
  • Steven L. Kramer, Ph.D., Dist.M.ASCE, NAE
  • Region 8 and Professor at the University of Washington,
  • Ronald K. ("Kerry") Rowe, Ph.D., P.Eng., Dist.M.ASCE, NAE
  • Richard M. Vogel, Ph.D., Dist.M.ASCE

The Industry Leaders Forum provided attendees with an in-depth look at the new Future World Vision Mega City 2070. The interactive, immersive Megacity is being constructed in a real-time 4-D computer simulation, allowing for both individual experiences and community collaboration. Visitors to the Megacity can explore through several levels of interface – the city story, the energy lens, the transportation lens, the water and wastewater lens and the data view.

Hope to see you all at the 2021 ASCE Annual Convention in Chicago, IL.
Amanda Tanaka, PE, M.ASCE was awarded the Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement
Jie Zhang and Xiaofeng Liu received the ASCE State of the Art Civil Engineering Award
Virtual Installation of the Incoming Society Officers
Community Happy Hour – Halloween Costumes
Arizona Section Update
In September I provided an article for the Region 8 newsletter providing a brief update on what the AZ Section had been working on over the past year. Since then much of our efforts, work and planning has seen the results of the labor by many ASCE volunteers.

  • The release of the Report Card For Arizona Infrastructure
  • Induction of incoming officers
  • First virtual annual state conference

The Arizona Section, under the leadership of Jose Aguilar, has been working diligently over the last year and half to update and release the 2020 ASCE Arizona Infrastructure Report Card from our last release in 2015. In addition to the Government Relations/Public Relations University that was held, the report card release on September 16th was well attended. All in attendance are looking forward to the future opportunities and discussions this creates with the communities and elected officials throughout the State. 
As the past ASCE AZ Section President-Elect and now incoming Section President, one of my first responsibilities was to organize a Section Conference that was held virtually Thursday October 22nd. Typically, the conference is a day long with many speakers and topics, but given the current circumstances was changed to a two-hour virtual event. While I was disappointed to change such a successful event, I was grateful to the volunteer conference committee who took their time to attend meetings and help make important decisions.

During the conference, not only did we have a great panel discussion, but we got to hear from the Society President, Guna, who also conducted a virtual induction of officers ceremony for the section. Participating in the induction ceremony, and working with the conference committee volunteers over the past several months, I am honored to be a part of an organization with so many people who are passionate about what they do and are willing to volunteer their time. This reminds me of the following quote by Rick Warren:
“When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”

These sentiments were clearly seen during the conference when nominations for awards were presented. One of the best examples was an Outstanding Senior Award presented to the University of Arizona Student Chapter President, Spencer Browne. I was stunned to learn from his nomination that he led the first ever virtual Civil Engineering Career Fair at U of A that hosted more than 30 companies.

At times it can be disappointing that all of our planning may have different results than intended. However, I am encouraged by the continued motivation, creativeness, and passion of all of the officers and volunteers in ASCE to further the Civil Engineering profession and support its members.

Gary Miller
AZ Section President
ASCE 80's Night Christmas
Region 8 Calendar of Upcoming Events

  • Deadline to Submit Nominations for Society Director & Region 8 Governor Candidacy, December 1, 2020

  • Region 8 Board of Governors Winter Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, February 18, 2021 (Tentative)

  • Region 8 Assembly Winter Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, February 19-20, 2021 (Tentative)

  • Society Legislative Fly‐in, Washington, DC , March 2021

  • Pacific Southwest Student Conference, University of California, Los Angeles, March 25-27, 2021

  • Rocky Mountain Student Conference, Brigham Young University, April 8-10, 2021

  • Mid‐Pacific Student Conference, California State University, Fresno, April 13-16, 2021

  • Pacific Northwest Student Conference, University of Washington, April 15-17, 2021

  • Regions 8 and 9 MRLC, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Anaheim, Orange County, CA, July 9-10, 2021


Visit Region 8 Events for more information.