State legislators deliver opportunities, challenges and one defeat to engineers

From the passage of sweeping climate change legislation to the defeat of a bill designed to improve contracting conditions for engineering firms, the 2022 session of Maryland’s General Assembly had varied impacts on professional engineers. 

Baltimore County voters to decide PE licensing Debate

Citizens in Baltimore County will have a chance to weigh in on a key engineering question come November. The county ballot in the 2022 election will include a referendum over whether to amend the county charter to remove the requirement that the director of public works must be a professional engineer. It is a topic of considerable debate and diverse practices among local governments. 

The Maryland Society of Professional Engineers elected new members of the Board and Directors at Large for their new fiscal year.

MDSPE’s President Victoria M. Ballestero, P.E., MBA of ATCS, is excited to be joined by the newest Board. Joining her for her second year as President is President-Elect, Andrew Brown, P.E. of ATCS.

Bryan Tansky, P.E., Baltimore Gas and Electric

MDSPE Vice President of Membership

As a mechanical engineering student at Lehigh University and an avid car fan, Bryan Tansky had an idea of where his profession would take him.

“I always thought my path would bring me to being a mechanical engineer working on some sort of automotive application,” he said.

NSPE honors Skip Harclerode

For decades, Howard (Skip) Harclerode II, P.E., F.NSPE, F.AIChE has dedicated time to serving on engineering boards and committees, working on legislative issues, and talking with students and young engineers about the profession. That dedication to supporting professional engineering was recognized this summer when Harclerode was named the winner of the 2022 NSPE Award.

Scholarship Winners

The MSPE Educational Foundation Scholarship was awarded to two 2022 Graduates of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

Celebrating our Profession

In the spring, MDSPE celebrated the most recent class of newly licensed engineers and honored Janie Tiedman, P.E. with the Industry Icon Award at a ceremony held at the Engineers Club in Baltimore.