Message from the President |
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To the ACEC-FL Community,
It is official, we just wrapped up the first quarter of 2022. It is hard to believe that we are already 25% through this year. There have been significant developments this first quarter of the year that affect our profession. As I reported in previous messages, ACEC-FL has been involved in several areas such as our activity regarding the 2022 Session of the Florida Legislature. Although our activities are concentrated around the legislative session, it is a constant process with activities for the following year beginning the day the current session closes. As such, our team of lobbyists and staff has already begun the process of looking toward the future and tracking issues that may impact the engineering community in the upcoming year.
One such example is a result of a proposed bill that did not pass, SB 1702 – Mandatory Building Inspections, sponsored by Senator Jennifer Bradley (R-5), and its companion version in the House, HB 7069 – Condominium and Cooperative Associations. As a result, we anticipate many local governments will be taking up measures to address some of the issues embedded in these two bills. An example of this is a recent notice of proposed change to the Code of Miami Dade County (Code). The proposed changes were on the agenda at the Miami Dade Chairman's Council of Policy meeting on April 13, 2022, but the discussion and voting were deferred to a later date. The proposed ordinance relates to Building Recertification requirements and proposed changes to the Code such as:
- Establishing a duty to report for Professional Engineers (PE) to the building official for unsafe structures and penalizes any PE for not doing so.
- Design of buildings by architects and engineers
- Electrical inspections
- Notification to condominium owners
You can read the proposed ordinance prepared by the Regulatory and Economic Resources Department by clicking here.
This information and notice of the meeting were passed on to representatives of ACEC-FL member firms in the area by ACEC-FL Regional Director Coriann Salas of WGI. The purpose of the notification was to alert our members of activities that affect the profession and encourage their involvement in these processes. This is a good example of the power of the organization and the purpose of our structure with Regional Directors focusing on issues such as this which are specific to regional issues. For additional information on our regions and our Regional Directors, please click here.
The organization has also been active in other areas such as Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Council (GMEC) 2022 Conference, “From the Ground Up,” held at the beautiful Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, FL March 30th-April 1st. This was a wonderful annual event hosted by GMEC which brought together over 140 attendees, plus staff, exhibitors, sponsors, and guests. A special thanks to the GMEC Conference Committee and staff for arranging and executing a wonderfully successful event – Ms. Rachel Andre, PE of GEC (GMEC Executive Committee Chair), Mr. Gregg Stevens, PE of Colliers Engineering and Design (GMEC Secretary), and Mr. Rick Acree, PE of Terracon who emceed the event which featured keynote speaker, Mr. JC Arteaga, AIA NCARB, DBIA, CBO. Mr. Arteaga gave an insightful presentation on “How to manage large programs with multiple geotechnical engineers.”
As I mentioned in my last message, celebrating accomplishments in our profession is important. The reason is based on the significant contribution engineers provide to the betterment of society. Sometimes this is more apparent than others such as when we admire the beautiful silhouette of a cable stay bridge that traverses a beautiful body of water, or when we look at the wonder of a skyscraper that penetrates the night sky, or the beauty of a restored estuary full of native plants and wading birds. These are strong visual cues and reminders of the importance and contribution that engineers make to society. However, sometimes those achievements are just as important but not so easily recognized. This is especially the case regarding the contribution our engineering brothers and sisters make in the practice in their field of geotechnical engineering. As the slogan of this past conference states, “From the Ground Up”, the building of a strong foundation is imperative to the success of the overall project. Therefore, it is appropriate to recognize their contributions to our profession and the impact it has had on those around us.
As many of you know, our profession lost a valuable member last year, Mr. Larry Madrid of Madrid Engineering. Not only was he a wonderful man, but he was also an outstanding engineer that made significant contributions to his profession and to our organizations, ACEC-FL and FES. GMEC honored Larry and his legacy by naming an award after him, The Larry Madrid GMEC Award. This award is given to an individual who, by virtue of their service, has had a significant positive impact on the geotechnical and materials engineering profession. This year's recipient is a gentleman who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and this recognition is well deserved. I would like to personally congratulate Mr. Jay W. Casper, PE.
Mr. Casper of Terracon has over 40 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer and has worked on some of Central Florida’s most important projects. He is a constant contributor to the organization and routinely is involved with mentoring up-and-coming future engineers. This is a well-deserved recognition for an individual who consistently promotes the betterment of others and the advancement of our profession.
Congratulations, Jay! Well-deserved and well done.
Kindest Regards,
Peter K. Partlow, P.E.
ACEC-FL Board of Directors, President
RES Florida Consulting, LLC d/b/a E Sciences
34 East Pine Street
Orlando, FL 32801
Telephone: (407) 481-9006
Fax: (407) 481-9627
Cell: (407) 716-1303
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Would you like to see your classified ad
in the next edition of the ACEC-FL Update?
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When: April 20, 2022
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Where: Microsoft Teams
Join us for our April meeting and hear from Kelley Smith Burk, Executive Director of the Florida Office of Energy.
You do not need to be a part of the committee to attend.
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When: May 25-26, 2022
Where: Hyatt Regency Orlando, I-Drive
Hear from the new FDOT Secretary, Jared Purdue, and earn up to 5.5 PDHs!
You will also have the opportunity to:
- Learn more about major projects underway or being planned in Florida
- Get up-to-date information about state policies and initiatives that are shaping your profession
- Network with other professionals in transportation, development, and infrastructure
- Interact with FDOT decision-makers from all districts
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(occurring concurrently with the 2022 Transportation Conference)
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Digital Delivery Design Review
May 25, 2022
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
May 26, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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May 25-26, 2022 (both days)
8:00 am - 5:00 pm each day
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May 25, 2022 (both days)
1:00 pm -5:00 pm
&
May 26, 2022
8:00 am -5:00 pm
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Save the Date for These Upcoming FES | ACEC-FL Events: |
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When: July 20-23, 2022
Where: Waldorf Astoria Orlando
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If you missed ACEC Florida and FES' wrap-up calls on the 2022 Legislative Session, you can view recordings here: |
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2022 Legislative Wrap-Up on General Bills |
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2022 Legislative Wrap-up on Environmental Bills
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ACEC-FL CCNA Letter Campaign
ACEC-FL directs an educational letter campaign to educate public entities regarding the Consultant's Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA). This campaign is driven by ACEC-FL members who anonymously send Request for Proposal (RFP) to headquarters. This method ensures that the government agency does not know which firm filed the complaint. ACEC-FL staff in return corresponds with government officials in an effort to educate them on the CCNA law and encourages them to amend their RFP process. This has been a successful program and we encourage all members to participate.
If you see an RFP that may be violating the CCNA law, please email Allen Douglas. If a member firm or licensed engineer within a member firm knowingly violates CCNA, ACEC-FL believes you may be in violation of Chapter 61G15, rules and regulations.
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Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and coaches, the Florida MATHCOUNTS® Competition held on March 16, 2022, in Jacksonville was a huge success! Congratulations to the following winners who will go on to compete in the National MATHCOUNTS competition May 7-9, 2022,
in Washington, DC.
Good luck to our Florida winners!
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Kevin Liu, First Place Winner
Westglades Middle School
Broward Chapter
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Aaryan Vaishya, Second Place
William Middle Magnet School
Tampa Chapter
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Michael Wei, Third Place
Abraham Lincoln Middle School
North Central Chapter
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Anish Patel, Fourth Place
Abraham Lincoln Middle School
North Central Chapter
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Florida MATHCOUNTS Nationals Team |
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2022 ACEC Florida Awards &
Recognition Opportunities
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These are the upcoming deadlines for ACEC Florida Awards. Make sure to nominate a deserving engineer or firm today!
Young Professional of the Year Award - Due April 22, 2022
Community Service Award - Due April 29, 2022
Professional Development Award - Due April 29, 2022
A.W. Gilchrist Award - Due April 29, 2022
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One of the Best Benefits of Your ACEC-FL Membership:
Don't Miss Out on Another RFP or RFQ Again!
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The Florida Register is a weekly email that includes public announcements from every region of Florida.
Our search covers ALL engineering disciplines as well as design-build projects and surveying projects.
The COMPLETE proposal is presented for each RFP so that you have all the information that you will need to get started!
Each ACEC-FL member firm receives two copies of the Florida Register included in its annual dues.
Sign up for the Florida Register today to get weekly RFPs and RFQs emailed straight to your inbox!
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Call for Volunteers who Focus on Whole-Building Engineering Design
Our Structural Engineering Committee is currently being realigned to focus on whole-building engineering design as the Vertical Support Committee. We are currently soliciting committee members from all firms that practice structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and other engineering specifically related to buildings.
In addition to the issues that affect all Florida engineering companies that ACEC-FL monitors, we expect that the Vertical Support committee will also focus on issues specifically surrounding the Florida Building Code, local Florida permitting agencies, and interface with other building-specific trade organizations such as the AIA and AGC. Typically, this committee meets by phone once a quarter and meetings usually don’t last more than an hour.
If you or a member of your firm is interested in joining this committee, please contact fes@fleng.org.
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April 2022 Edition of FBPE's newsletter.
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Hires, Promotions, Awards, & Other Firm Member News |
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Send us news to post here of your firms' hires, promotions, awards or any other firm news! Email Stacey Butler at sbutler@fleng.org.
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INVEST IN THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION
In order to be competitive in an increasingly uncertain climate, it is critical that the members of FES and ACEC-FL participate in the political process through meaningful PAC engagement.
Donors enjoy a host of benefits throughout the year including access to special events, donor acknowledgment gifts and recognition.
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Ways to Give - Those interested in supporting our efforts to advance the goals of engineers and engineering firms may do so in the following ways:
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Supports candidates for STATE office who support the needs and goals of engineers and engineering firms.
Contributions are disseminated at the discretion of the PAC Board, FES and ACEC-FL
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Supports candidates for STATE office who support the needs and goals of engineers and engineering firms.
Donors direct how their funds are disseminated
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Supports candidates for FEDERAL office who support the needs and goals of engineers and engineering firms.
These funds are managed and disseminated by the ACEC/PAC out of Washington, D.C.
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How do I participate? FES|ACEC-FL is a unique organization in that we have members who are both individual engineers as well as members that are engineering firms. With that in mind, a dual-track approach has been implemented, each having its own levels of investments with corresponding benefits.
If you are interested in FEPAC or CELC, please contact Laura Heiselman, Director of Government and Political Affairs at lheiselman@fleng.org or 850.980.1238.
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For details on upcoming FES / ACEC-FL events, please see our full calendar of events: |
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If you are interested in having an item published in the ACEC-FL Update,
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American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida
850-224-7121
STAY CONNECTED
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