January 2026 Newsletter

A Message from the ASCE JAX Branch President:

Hello and Happy New Year!

I would like to begin this newsletter by thanking all our sponsors who helped make the Eastern Region Younger Member Council (ERYMC) successful. This was the first time the Jacksonville Branch hosted the event, welcoming Younger Member Groups from throughout the eastern seaboard. We received excellent feedback from attendees and were impressed by everything the City of Jacksonville had to offer!

Don't forget, as we start the new year, membership renewals are past due. A link to renew your membership is listed below in the newsletter. Check out ASCE's partner programs to take advantage of discounts for membership fees that your company with 10 or more members may take advantage. Check out the link below for more information:

We are looking forward to an exciting year, with E-week coming up in February and the Jacksonville Branch's 75th Year Anniversary happening next year. Join us as we gear up for another great year to be a Civil Engineer in Jacksonville.



Best Regards,

Michael Nee, PE

ASCE Florida Section, Jacksonville Branch President



Editorial and

Advertising Contact

secretary@jaxasce.com

ASCE JAX Branch Officers

PRESIDENT

Michael Nee, P.E.

VICE PRESIDENT

Ian O'Gorman

TREASURER

Courtlyn Hisey, P.E.

SECRETARY

Grant Curtiss, P.E.

PAST PRESIDENT

Sam Alix, E.I.

2026 Eastern Regional Younger Member Council (ERYMC) | January 8–10, 2026

From January 8–10, 2026, the ASCE Jacksonville Branch proudly hosted the Eastern Regional Younger Member Council (ERYMC) Conference at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Through the collective efforts of our Local Planning Committee, the conference welcomed more than 200 engineers and young professionals from across the eastern region to Jacksonville.

Months of collaboration made this event possible. Together, the team delivered a dynamic conference featuring professional development workshops, leadership sessions, and networking opportunities designed to support and connect younger members of ASCE. 

We would like to recognize the dedicated volunteers who worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of ERYMC 2026.

ERYMC 2026 Local Planning Committee

Chair:

Courtlyn Hisey

The teamwork and dedication of these committee members helped create a welcoming and impactful experience for attendees. We also extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors, whose support was instrumental in bringing ERYMC 2026 to life.

Hosting more than 200 engineers in Jacksonville was a meaningful achievement for our Branch and a testament to what can be accomplished through collaboration. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to support the next generation of civil engineers.

ASCE Memberships are PAST DUE! Renew Today!

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

Isabella Caporini, E.I. (Community Service Chair)

We have been busy the past few months volunteering our time with local charities and events.

In starting off the new year strong, on Saturday morning, January 24th, fellow ASCE members gave back to the community by volunteering at Feeding Northeast Florida. Our great team was able to package up 4,479 pounds of food, which will provide 3,732 meals for families and individuals in need across Northeast Florida. Great work team!

At the end of 2025, on November 22nd, ASCE JAX members volunteered their time at Light the Night, which was held at Vystar Park in downtown Jacksonville. At Light the Night, our members gathered with the community to celebrate, honor, and remember those touched by blood cancers. The event was organized by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

(Open Position)

Recently, our very local Duval County Public School (DCPS) district held their 13th Annual Elementary and Secondary District Science Fair at the Schultz Center on January 14th and 16th. Fellow ASCE YMG members tabled a booth at both Science Fairs. At the Elementary Science Fair, Jacksonville Branch YMG members held an engineering challenge for the students, challenging them to build towers using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows, which was "physically" demanding work! During the Secondary Science Fair, Jacksonville Branch YMG members brought laptops with the ASCE Bridge Florida design software running to allow students to design their own bridge and also advertise the upcoming competition on April 11th at UNF.

There's a new college in town! The University of Florida Jacksonville campus is opening it's doors in August of 2026, and are expected to start new construction on a campus in 2027. Visit https://jax.ufl.edu/ to learn more about this new opportunity for furthering your education.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

James Austin, P.E. (Events Chair)

Rex Robinson, P.E. (Technical Committee Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT! The Jacksonville Branch is looking for a new location to host our technical presentations and luncheons. If you have a space at your company to host an event over the lunch hour, please reach out to secretary@ascejax.com. PDH/ CEU credits are typically provided at each technical presentation!

Past Events:

On December 18th, just ahead of the Christmas Break, the Jacksonville Branch gathered at Aardwolf Brewing Company to enjoy good food and conversations. Everyone savored a variety of delicious dishes, and the drinks from Aardwolf were excellent as always. The team is already looking forward to the next holiday celebration!

Task Committees

Northeast Florida Engineers Week (E-week) Committee

Sam Alix, E.I., Nichole Bohaczyk, P.E., Madeline Batey, P.E. (E-week Committee)

Plans are underway for the upcoming E-week, events are planned to start with Kickoff Luncheon on February 12th, 2026. Golf tournament, MATHCOUNTS, Networking Happy Hour, Awards Banquet and Casino Night to follow!

Also, Nominations are open for the following categories, which are due January 31st!

One entry per category per company/ organization.

Young Engineer of the Year

Engineer of the Year

Technician of the Year

More information about E-week and nominations in link below:

E-Week Events

Thursday, 2/12/2026

Kickoff Scholarship Luncheon

Hosted by ASCE Jacksonville Branch

We welcome engineering societies and other donors to present scholarships to high school and college students.

11:30 AM-1:30 PM

UNF University Center

Monday, 2/16/2026

Scholarship Golf Tournament

Join engineering professionals and organizations for an E-Week fundraising

golf outing.

10:00 AM-4:30 PM

Deercreek Country Club

Friday, 2/20/2026

MATHCOUNTS

Hosted by FES

Northeast Florida hosts the chapter-level competition for middle schools in Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns County and more.

6:00 AM-3:30 PM

UNF University Center

Wednesday, 2/25/2026

Happy Hour Social

Hosted by JEST

Network with fellow professionals and students in a casual, social setting.

5:30 PM-8:30 PM

Dave & Busters

Friday, 2/27/2026

Awards Banquet & Casino Night

Recognize outstanding companies, projects, and individuals! Enjoy happy hour, the keynote speaker, music, and the casino! 

ASCE Bridge FL Committee

Edgar Garcia, P.E., Grant Curtiss, P.E. (ASCE Bridge FL Committee)

Tell all of your kids (or neighbors)! The 20th Annual ASCE Bridge Florida design competition is coming to UNF on April 11, 2026. All middle and high school students are encouraged to attend and win MONEY!

First place in each age group will be provided the opportunity to compete at a state level against other students for even more MONEY and recognition at the ASCE Annual Conference in Ft. Lauderdale this Summer.

We are also looking for any gracious companies to sponsor this event, encouraging kids to jump into STEM and take their career to new heights. Please reach out to bridgefl.ascefl.jaxbranch@gmail.com for more information on how you can support the next generation of civil engineers.

Join the Jacksonville Branch YMG on February 4th from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM for a webinar featuring Rachel Cantor Fogarty, founder of RC Associates. This free webinar will focus on how you can take your digital image to the next level through your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can improve your digital image!

Want to get more involved? Chair a committee!

The following committee chairs are open to

ASCE Jacksonville Branch members:

Membership Chair

Government Relations Chair

Sustainability & Resiliency Chair

Awards & Scholarship Chair

K-12 Outreach Chair

Upcoming Community Events