ACEC is The Business of America’s Engineering Industry
As I settled in to write my first President’s Message, and was racking my brain for a topic, I found myself thinking about what ACEC does and why the organization is important to our industry. As I perused the ACEC websites and read through some of the publications, I came across a great tag line that very succinctly sums up the mission… ACEC is The Business of America’s Engineering Industry. ACEC is active and involved in variety of different issues, all with the purpose of securing our future and advancing our industry. This is true at the national, state and local levels.
But before I dive into the business, I would be remiss not to properly acknowledge and thank my predecessor, Debanik Chaudhuri. Many of you were probably not aware of this, but Debanik’s would-have-been predecessor moved out of the region this past summer just before her term as President was set to begin. Debanik was asked to step into the Chapter President role a year early, without the benefit of serving as the Vice President for a year to prepare. Debanik selflessly agreed to take on the responsibility, and performed the duties admirably. On behalf of the entire Sierra Chapter, I want to thank Debanik for his tireless efforts last year and for setting the example for myself and others to follow.
Back to the business at hand, which is the business of engineering and surveying our public infrastructure. We all have a vested interest in ensuring that our industry is strong, and our businesses are successful. ACEC is at the fore-front of ensuring that is the case. ACEC supports our cause in many ways, including advocating for the following:
· Sustainable Infrastructure Funding
· Tax Policies that Encourage Infrastructure Investment
· Regulations that Emphasize Resilient Design
· Qualifications Based Contracting & Procurement Rules
· Prioritizing STEM Education
· Protecting the Environment
· Developing and Training the Workforce
How do we do this? ACEC staff, together with its membership (you and me), are diligently working and volunteering
· Visiting Federal and State Legislatures
· Sponsoring Bills that Support our Profession
· Supporting Pro-Infrastructure Political Candates through Political Action Committees (PACs)
· Providing Scholarships to STEM-focused Students
In addition, ACEC provides access to additional benefits for our businesses, such as retirement planning and insurance coverage. ACEC is here to support all of us as we grow in our business and respective careers. It is an important organization for all us, our futures, and the next generation of engineers and surveyors. Please continue to support the organization, and I encourage each of you to get a little bit more involved (attend one more meeting than last year; bring along a young professional to a meeting; support the PAC, etc.)
With that said, in conclusion, I want to highlight a few of our upcoming events that we would love you see you in attendance (details are provided in this newsletter):
September 7th – Support the PAC at the beautiful Jacuzzi Family Vineyard in Sonoma
September 17th – Meet new colleagues and hear from Michael Green, a Leadership Expert, at the Sierra Chapter Monthly Membership Meeting
September 20th – Submit your nominations to recognize your Excellent Projects / Clients
October 2nd – 4th – Attend the Annual California Strategic Summit to stay engaged in the latest and greatest happenings in our industry
I look forward to seeing/meeting all of you over the course of our new business year, and I wish you all continued prosperity and success as we make the engineering profession a desirable place to build a career.
