Vol. 11 Issue 3 March 2011 President's Report Programs Wake-Up Call Breakfast Series March General Meeting Resources
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President's Report
Boy has this been an interesting year. Our (ACEC-CO) officer terms change at the Annual Meeting April 22nd. I will be handing over the gavel to Eric Young and Mike Ellsberry will move into the Vice President slot. My tenure as President has gone by way too quickly and there is a lot I have not yet accomplished but as past President, I can still work on these goals. From what I hear, the economy in the Denver Metro area is starting to improve. The rest of the state is not fairing as well. I will continue to promote membership appreciation and retention across the state through these difficult economic times when firms may consider dropping membership in ACEC as a cost-cutting tactic. Read More..
In the News
ACEC/CO Board Signs Statement of Support for National Guard and Reserve
ACEC National plans to sign a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve during the Annual Meeting in April in Washington, DC. The Statement of Support is a simple statement affirming that we do support our troops and will follow the law of the land regarding employment rights. The ACEC/CO Board of Directors supports this effort and encourages our members to do so also. Use the link above to view actual statement.
"Outstanding Women" and "New Faces in Engineering" Honored at February General Meeting
At our February General Meeting, ACEC/CO celebrated National Engineer's Week by recognizing our "New Faces in Engineering" and honoring our "Outstanding Women in Engineering."The New Faces of Engineering Awards strive to promote the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on society. Read More..
We are proud to announce that Noelle Cochran, P.E., URS has been named ACEC/CO's 2011 Outstanding Woman in Engineering. The Outstanding Woman award recognizes women who demonstrate exceptional technical, educational, community involvement and leadership competence in the engineering industry. Read More..
ACEC/CO Awards $1000 to Bridge Building Scholarship Winner
The 44th Annual Colorado High School Bridge Building Contest took place during Engineer's Week on February 26. Benjamin Motaei, a senior at Cheyenne Mountain High School, took first place in Region 2 with a 24.54 gram basswood bridge that held 96.09 kilograms, 3762 times its own weight. He received $1000 in scholarship money from ACEC/CO. Read More..
QBS Newsletter
Find out what's happening with QBS Colorado by viewing its 2011 Winter Newsletter.
News from National
ACEC BIT Gets New Web Site
The ACEC Business Insurance Trust (BIT) has developed a new web site. ACEC Member Firms now have access to faster, easier-to-navigate, and more complete services and information on the new site. Visit the new ACECBIT.COM today to see how easy it is to take advantage of your ACEC Membership.
President's Report
From ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf. Read more..
Membership Notices and
Engineers in the News
Membership Notices for new and prospective members and other membership changes.
Engineers in the News from our members and member firms.
ACEC/CO Events
Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.
- ACEC/CO North Area Membership Meeting
Thursday, March 17, 11:30 a.m. at Tetra Tech, 3801 Automation Way, Fort Collins. Program: "Northern Integrated Supply Project." Read More..
- March General Meeting
Tuesday, March 22, 11:30 a.m. Topic: "Healthcare Reform Legislation & It's Implications on Facilities" Read More..
- AEC Night with Denver Nuggets
AIA, ACEC/CO and AGC have teamed up with the Denver Nuggets to host both a continuing education program and a night of networking for those in the AEC industry. Discounted tickets for AIA Colorado, ACEC/CO, and AGC Colorado members. Read More..
- Wake-up Call Breakfast
Wednesday, April 6, 7:30 a.m. at Sunrise Sunset Restaurant. "Update on FasTracks" will be discussed. Read More..
- Annual Spring Transportation Symposium
Friday, April 8, 2011 at Denver Pepsi Center. Sponsorships still available. Register now! Read More..
- I Will Survive: The 2011 Economic Forecast
April 21, 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Denver Downtown Convention Center. ACEC/CO is a co-host of this event that examines emerging trends on the national level and will highlight the economy for Colorado. Read More..
SAVE THE DATEACEC/CO Annual Meeting
Friday, April 22, 6:30 p.m.
Introducing new leadership and presentation of Awards
ACEC/CO Engineering Excellence Awards WorkshopFriday, June 17, 7:30 a.m.
Get first-hand tips and knowledge from judges and past winners for your 2011/2012 EEA Project Entry
More details to come!
ACEC/CO Career Training Center
- Rainmaker Training Series
Training on becoming rainmakers and advancing your rainmaker skills. Three sessions: May 19, June 16 and July 21, 2011. Read More..
- April Webinars
Wednesday April 6, 11:30 a.m. "Sustainable BIM" and Wednesday, April 13, 11:15 a.m. "Recommended Practices for Engineering Expert Witnesses" Live Webinar held out of ACEC/CO's office. Read More..
Additional Professional Development
Opportunities and Events
- SMPS Upcoming Events:
Check out the upcoming events for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Read More..
- DBIA Rocky Mountain Lunch Program
March 23, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Lakewood Country Club.
This insightful DBIA presentation will look at the advantages of design-build, emerging trends, and how design-build can deliver for you. The presenter is DBIA’s Richard Thomas, Vice President of Advocacy and External Affairs. For more information and to register, click here.
- LEED Green Building Course
Performance Dynamics International (PDI) offers an Introduction to LEED Green Associate and New Design & Construction. The Program is designed to assist in preparing to take the LEED Green Associate Exam. Read More..
- USDA Engineers Training Seminar
You are invited to attend an Engineers Training Seminar, Water & Environmental Program Projects by USDA Rural Development. This seminar is Monday, April 25, 8:00 a.m. - 4:45p.m. For more information contact Allison Trujillo at 720-544-2920, allison.trujillo@co.usda.gov.
- APWA Street Conference 2011
The West Slope branch of Colorado APWA and the Colorado Association for Roadway Maintenance (CARMA) present its 24th Annual Spring Street Conference April 27-29 at the Doubletree Hotel in Grand Junction, CO. Click here for more information and registration.
- APWA Management Conference 2011
The American public Works Association (APWA) will be holding its annual Management Conference May 5-6, 2011 at Red Lion Hotel, Denver. This is an opportunity to showcase your company to numerous public works entities that will be in attendance. Visit http://colorado.apwa.net for attendee and sponsorship registration.
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Over the last two months I have had the privilege of representing the Council at a couple of events. Murray McBride, our education committee chair, and myself attended a breakfast meeting with the Adams County Education Consortium (ACEC, also). There were two other engineers that were not in the consulting field and one IT professor from one of the for profit higher education schools. The main focus for these high school educators and administrators was to learn what skill sets engineering employers are looking for, how to get students and parents interested in the STEM program and how to get more females interested in engineering. On the last item I responded that the issue of getting more women into engineering appears to be less of concern than just getting more high school and middle school students interested. After presenting awards at our February General Meeting for Outstanding Women in Engineering and New Faces in Engineering (most of who were women) I think that point of view was supported. In association with Engineer’s Month, we had a successful Legislative Day at the state Capitol. Bill and Lacy Artist, our lobbyists, did a fantastic job of getting leadership representatives to speak to our group of 35. Your legislators really do want to hear from you and your thoughts. We were a little flat footed when the Representatives asked us for questions. Next year the plan will be to have some questions ready. Our PR consultant, Uli Creative, did a great job of producing this year’s Colorado Engineers TV show which was shown in February on public access channels of various municipalities across Colorado. The show features our Engineering Excellence projects and a sustainability comment from Deb Kleinman from the US Green Building Council of Colorado. At the state-wide Bridge Building competition held at the Denver Federal Center, ACEC-CO presented a $1000 scholarship to the winner of the Southern Colorado Region. The skill and design imagination used by these High School students is amazing. I understand this competition is so well received outside of Denver that separate competitions take place in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The past presidents meet once a year, officially, to hear from the current president, the state and direction of the council and to provide input. The current board of directors has been spending time discussing short and long term strategic topics one of which is whether we should establish a state “Minute Man” fund to mimic ACEC Nationals fund. The purpose of the fund would be to pool money to contribute towards supporting issues of common interest to state members rather than asking for immediate contributions like was needed to oppose Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101. Your board would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. In closing, it has been my honor to serve as your President for the past year. Plan to attend the Annual Meeting on April 22nd for the passing of the gavel to Eric as well as presentation of the George Washington, Orley O. Phillips and other awards.- Bill Hoffmann, ACEC/CO President |
"Outstanding Woman" and "New Faces in Engineering" Honored at Feb. General Meeting
At our February General Meeting, ACEC/CO celebrated National Engineer's Week by recognizing our "New Faces in Engineering" and honoring our "Outstanding Women in Engineering."
Outstanding Women in Engineering 
We are proud to announce that Noelle Cochran, P.E. of URS has been named ACEC/CO's 2011 Outstanding Woman in Engineering. The Outstanding Woman award recognizes women who demonstrate exceptional technical, educational, community involvement and leadership competence in the engineering industry. The award was established by the ACEC/CO Public Relations Committee in 2004. This year six women were nominated and each proved to be outstanding on their own merits and very worthy of recognition for their achievements.
Noelle is a recognized leader in the workplace, in professional organizations, and in the community. At URS, she is a Vice President, Senior Engineer and Senior Project Manager.
Noelle believes that as a senior engineer, she has the responsibility to grow and lead junior engineers both in their day to day work as well as in their careers. She has developed a Career Advancement Plan for the URS Denver Environmental Department, developed an in-house technical training program for engineers, and trained newly licensed engineers on their responsibilities and what it means to be licensed.
Noelle also provides significant leadership within URS regarding risk management and loss prevention. She mentors URS project managers on risk management, contracting, and professional liability and has developed risk management training programs.
Noelle has been recognized for engineering achievements by continuous advancement throughout her 24-year career by her employers, professional organizations, and clients.
Noelle is President NSPE-CO, and a participating member of SWE, ASCE, and SAME. Noelle’s has been a volunteer or committee member for 20 years for NSPE MATHCOUNTS program, a national mathematics education and competition program for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
Nominees:
Tatyana Alexieva, P.E., MWH started her career more than 20 years ago, when there were very few women in the mining industry. As a leader in developing sustainable, environmentally friendly designs and promoting environmentally responsible mining, Tatyana is an inspiration to women pursuing their engineering education. Tatyana has managed multinational, multidisciplinary projects around the globe, including the design and engineering of some of the world’s largest tailing storage facilities. She has always considered among her major accomplishments: creating designs for mine facilities that minimize impacts on the environment, promoting sustainability and creating local jobs.
Marjory O’Brien, P.E., Tetra Tech is a highly accomplished leader with a broad based civil engineering background and diverse experience in client service management, program management, transportation and land development. Currently she is Tetra Tech's Director of the Architecture and Engineering business unit working directly for the Global Federal Group, where she has successfully developed and utilized effective management methods for the concurrent completion of multiple design and construction projects for USAID’s Afghanistan Engineering Support Program. While in Afghanistan, serving as Chief of Party for the USAID OIEE program, Marje led the establishment and implementation of a woman’s mentoring program at Kabul University.
Heather Paddock, P.E., URS is a leader in the Colorado Springs office of URS. As a roadway design technical leader for over 10 years, Heather is recognized by clients as an expert in her field and is recognized by junior staff as an invaluable resource and mentor. She has been instrumental in the success of numerous, large and complex transportation projects in Colorado and in other parts of the county. Heather served as Deputy Project Manager on the Woodmen Road Corridor Improvement project for the City of Colorado Springs. The Single Point Urban Interchange has been identified as one of the most unique of its kind in the United States. She has spent over six years working on the Woodmen project. In her roles on the project, she has left an indelible mark on the north end of Colorado Springs.
Jennifer Williams, URS is a geotechnical engineer and Team Leader at URS with more than14 years of experience. She is a direct supervisor of technical staff, and serves as a client manager, program manager, or deputy program manager for several multi-million-dollar URS contracts. She has served as project manager for challenging design and construction projects, managing project teams as large as 20 people. One of Jennifer’s major current projects includes the design and construction of the rehabilitation of a rock and earthfill dam in Idaho. This high profile project is located in a popular blue-ribbon fishing stream with public interest in the repairs and environmental considerations of the river.
Kim Proia, P.E., URS has established herself as a leader in the important field of transit planning and design in the Mountain Region. She is an accomplished design engineer and project manager for commuter rail projects in Utah and Denver. She has successfully designed a commuter rail system for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and has managed two projects for the Regional Transportation District in Denver. For RTD, she served as the URS Project Manager for the completion of the North Metro AA/EIS and the Preliminary Engineering phase. Kim served as the Project Manager for the Northwest Corridor Basic Engineering/Environmental Evaluation, which included an environmental document, and for which the US Army Corps of Engineers served as the federal lead agency, one of the first such projects successfully completed in the country.
ACEC/CO participates in Engineers’ Week “New Faces in Engineering” program. The New Faces of Engineering strives to promote the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on society. ACEC/CO would like to thank our ten nominees for their contributions to our profession.
Emily Becker, Wright Water Engineers At Wright Water, Emily is involved in all facets of water and wastewater systems from master planning to design and permitting. She particularly enjoys design of water and wastewater treatment processes. She has performed construction observation on numerous projects including a large regional storm water detention and water quality pond, rehabilitation of a County Park water system, and upgrades to a wastewater treatment system in a mountain resort development. Emily is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers without Borders and Women in Design.
Rae Doner, CTL/Thompson has many engineering contributions outside of work. She has designed and built structures of worship for villagers in the heart of the jungle of Suriname, South America. With limited to no access to electricity, hardware stores, quality lumber, and skilled laborers, Rae along with a team of about ten Americans pack hand tools in their suitcases and travel hundreds of miles by plane, bus, and canoe to face unplanned challenges and erect an entire building in just 14 days. Rae uses technical design and her understanding of materials, scheduling, construction management and complicated problem solving skills to help others.
John Eklund, Ayres Associates has quickly learned a variety of new hydraulic modeling software and has been a major contributor on a wide variety of water resources projects. He performed design and complex SWMM modeling for the Dry Creek Diversion Project in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In a similar effort he developed a SWMM model and extensive HEC-RAS modeling for the Orchard Mesa Drainage Master Plan study in Mesa County, Colorado. He is currently providing hydraulic analysis and scour evaluation for a design-build bridge replacement over the Mississippi River in Minnesota, and is developing Plans of Action for Scour Critical bridges throughout Nevada.
Katharine Duitsman, P.E., Felsburg Holt & Ullevig is one of the rising talents at Felsburg Holt & Ullevig who provides engineering solutions to traffic issues. Much of Kat's work is concentrated along I-225, a vital highway that serves the Denver metro area and is a primary route to and from Denver International Airport.Kat was on the project team responsible for designing the new interchange complex at I-225/Colfax Avenue, now currently under construction. This interchange was one of the "shovel-ready" projects to receive American Reinvestment and Recovery Acts funds. Kat has also played a role to support FasTracks. Kat's work on the roadway design will ultimately contribute to providing citizens a sustainable transportation option.
Natasha Hernandez, EIT, LEED AP, The RMH Group, lends her expertise to complex, diverse projects across a multitude of sectors while working for The RMH Group. She has worked on projects for Lockheed Martin, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Bureau of Land Management. Her favorite aspect of the job is the ability to see projects from initial design through final construction and realizing how integral well-crafted engineering is to the built environment. In addition to her engineering experience, she also had an opportunity that is rare for young engineers: managing the local office of her former firm. This experience provided her with effective business development skills and the ability to maintain positive client relationships.
Kathron Rubush, LEED AP, Ayres Associates started her career in civil site design work and has expanded upon those skills with a municipal utility operations focus. Most recently, she has been involved in the analysis of sanitary sewer collection systems, including confined space manhole entry, field data collection, condition assessment, flow monitor analysis for infiltration and diurnal patterns and hydraulic modeling. Results obtained with a state-of-the-art unsteady flow hydraulic model have saved several Colorado cities hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary wastewater capital improvement projects.
Ryan Sisson, Bohannan Huston is a vital resource on Bohannan Huston's (BHI) transportation engineering team. His project experience includes working with clients throughout Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, and various private clients. Most recently, he completed construction plans for a box culvert extension and Saint Anthony’s Falls Energy Dissipater (SAF) on State Highway 392, the first design of its kind for CDOT. Ryan developed a GIS-based crash database tool to process DOT Agency data for safety analyses. He also implemented the first use of InRoads Quantity Manager on a BHI transportation project, working with in-house developers to create customized reporting routines to aid tabulations and plan production.
Shannon Tillack, Wright Water Engineers In her three years of engineering experience, Shannon has performed design on numerous types of projects. Shannon performs drainage study reviews for new development projects and has served as project engineer for several flooding litigation cases. She has created extensive spreadsheet templates for drainage calculations for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. Most recently, Shannon has been responsible for developing a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Regulation No. 84: Reclaimed Water Control Regulation Program for a major water provider in the Denver Metro area.
Megan Van Wieren, Eaton's EMC Engineers started her career in mechanical system design for commercial buildings and multi-use developments. Shortly after arriving at EMC, Megan transitioned from mechanical design to energy engineering. Since that time her work has been primarily focused on the retro-commissioning of existing buildings to optimize mechanical system performance and reduce energy use. Her recent projects have included retro-commissioning for Genentech Hall, a laboratory facility at the University of California-San Francisco; 1.3 million square feet of school facilities for the Laramie County School District in Cheyenne Wyoming; and 54 buildings at Osan Air Force Base in South Korea.
Erica Toren, Martin/Martin has been a key player in helping the structural department at Martin/Martin transition to the use of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM). She was the primary modeler on JHQ Arena at Missouri State University which was the first large, complex project Martin/Martin completed with BIM. Most recently, she completed the Joint Forces Readiness Center for the Wyoming National Guard in Cheyenne and the 47th BCT Dining Facility at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs which required special analysis for blast resistant design. Erica is currently the Chairperson for Green Mountain High School’s “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy.
ACEC/CO's New Faces Receive Young Professionals Award
We are pleased to announce that Emily, Kat and Ryan were selected to represent ACEC national in National Engineers’ Week “New Faces” competition. The three of them are featured on the Eweek website.
The three have also been selected for ACEC National's Young Professional’s Award! They will be honored guests of ACEC national and will receive their “Young Professional” awards at ACEC’s Fall Conference in October at the Caesar Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. Congratulations!
ACEC/CO Awards $1,000 to Bridge Building Scholarship Winner
The 44th Annual Colorado High School Bridge Building Contest took place during Engineer's Week on February 26. Benjamin Motaei, a senior at Cheyenne Mountain High School, took first place in Region 2 with a 24.54 gram basswood bridge that held 96.09 kilograms, 3762 times its own weight. He received $1000 in scholarship money from ACEC/CO.
The event, which is sponsored by the Professional Engineers of Colorado, the Bureau of Reclamation, and ACEC/CO, is a statewide program aimed at providing interaction and communication among practicing engineers, high school students, and other professionals. ACEC/CO has been a sponsor of the event since 2000 and has awarded $11,000 in scholarship money over the past t 11 years. The top winners of each region are eligible to compete in the international contest, which will take place April 30, 2011 at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Congratulations Benjamin from ACEC/CO and good luck!
General
- Won a $500 million funding increase for airport improvement projects in Senate-passed FAA reauthorization bill; and in the House committee action on the same bill, secured language to promote the use of QBS on airport projects funded by Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs).
- Secured language in same FAA bill to kill the new IRS Form 1099 mandate that was originally passed in the health care bill.
- The first board meeting of the new Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), a collaboration of ACEC, ASCE and APWA, elected former ACEC chair Tim Psomas as chair; its new infrastructure rating system will be released this summer.
- The Transportation Research Board and eight other education providers joined RCEP.net, which now has 63 providers (including ACEC, ACEC/Colorado, ACEC/Virginia and ACEC/Wisconsin) and holds PDH records for more than 13,000 professionals.
Government Affairs
- Lobbied for SAFETEA-LU extension legislation to avoid shut-down of federal transportation programs and preserve the stability of funding to states through the end of the fiscal year.
- Participated in field hearings on transportation reauthorization held by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in various locations across the country.
- Lobbied the SEC to broaden its interpretation of the engineering exemption in its municipal advisor registration rules.
- Hosted senior House and Senate water infrastructure committee staff, EPA officials, and head of the U.S. Energy Association to advocate ACEC positions on environment and energy issues.
Institute for Business Management
- Hosted four “blockbuster” webinars: Getting Inside Your Customers’ Minds For Success in Business Development; BIM for Bosses; An Inside View of Rural Development Programs and Funding of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and The Perfect Storm—A Bad Lawsuit, A Bad Contract, Indemnification and the Duty to Defend.
- Sold-out Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities course examined the interdisciplinary challenges of sustainability and infrastructure sustainability rating tools.
- Added a new member discount partner – Medjet Assist, which provides medical evacuation from anywhere in the world to the hospital of your choice.
- EJCDC released two newly revised documents: Engineer/Architect Agreement and Engineer/Consultant Agreement, both available in the ACEC Bookstore.
By Dave Raymond, ACEC President
Membership NoticesProspective Individual Members: Welcome Affiliate Members: Welcome Sustaining Members: |
The RMH Group recently hired Roy Mucilli, P.E., as a senior mechanical engineer.
Alvin Nienow, Ph.D., has joined The Merrick Consultancy , a management, technical, and operations consulting firm and division of Merrick & Company. As part of the Consultancy, he will focus on bioprocessing for the manufacture of renewable fuels and chemicals.
Blaine Garrett of Merrick & Company, has been elected as the 2011 President of the Denver Home Builders Association/Metro Housing Coalition. Garrett is a construction and project manager at Merrick and has been a member of the DHBA/MHC and Colorado Association of Home Builders for 12 years.
URS Corporation recently hired the following individuals to its Colorado operations: Roger Azar, a military munitions response program expert; Amanda Barngrover, a civil-geotechnical engineer; Daniel Greaves, a senior water resources engineer; Hernrik Forsling, a structural engineer; Liz Kirkpatrick, a senior permitting environmental 
manager; Natasa Krsmanovic, a mechanical engineer; Adam Lacey, a water resources engineer; Jon Mallonee, a geologist; Brian Payer, a chemical engineer; Gannon Price, a civil-geotechnical engineer; Lisa Scrivens, an administrative assistant in transportation; Tammy Shirk, a senior mining marketing specialist; Sophia Woolger, a water/wastewater engineer; Kim Wybenga, a marketing coordinator; and Crystal Zima, a senior environmental scientist.
URS also recently promoted Lisa Millet to the position of Denver Office Manager.
MWH Global has announced a CEO transition plan. In November Robert Uhler, chairman and chief executive of MWH, will become executive chairman of the board, and Alan Krause, currently president and chief operating officer of MWH will be nominated to succeed Uhler in the CEO role.
Marilen Reimer, executive director of ACEC Colorado has received the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation; the highest certification for those in association management presented by American Society of Association Executives.
Shane Newman, PE, LEED AP, joined Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers, Inc. (BGCE) Denver office as mechanical engineer.
JVA Inc. announced that Jason Claeys joined the firm as a project engineer. JVA also named Brian Kirtland, Ron Manske and Josh McGibbon as associates.
ACEC/CO Events
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