Michigan Engineering Newsletter

March/April 2024

Registration is open for the 2024 Michigan Infrastructure Conference scheduled for May 9 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing!

This annual one-day event, hosted by the Michigan offices of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), will provide attendees unique and innovative solutions for a variety of infrastructure projects. Sixteen (16) distinct breakout sessions will be offered throughout the day as well as a lively afternoon keynote by award winning TV journalist and international speaker Lee Thomas, who has been living with vitiligo his entire career. From corporate engagements to millions of views of his TED talk, Lee has traveled the world sharing his stories and techniques on overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Michigan’s first black Speaker of the House, Joe Tate, has confirmed his attendance and will discuss key initiatives for the House of Representatives.

Exhibit space and sponsorships are available.

Please visit the ACEC Events Page here to register and obtain more details.

Sign up now to enjoy discounted early bird registration rates which will end on April 26. Come and network with your colleagues, clients and friends while fulfilling your CEU credit requirements.

Architects, Engineers & Surveyors

Legislative Day

Licensed design professionals who engineer Michigan’s infrastructure gathered in Heritage Hall at the Michigan State Capitol on Wednesday, March 13, to meet with elected officials and discuss key issues for the industry. ACEC/Michigan, along with partners AIA, MSPE and MSPE, brought more than 100 engineers, architects and surveyors to Lansing for the annual “lobby day,” as Kelley Cawthorne scheduled more than 100 unique meetings with members of the House and Senate.

Infrastructure funding, Qualifications-Based Selection, and changes to the land division act were among the top issues on the minds of participants. A lunch was offered at noon in Heritage Hall to further network with legislators and a reception for attendees took place that evening.

Funding for Michigan’s transportation system is projected to significantly decline in the coming years, which will greatly impact the progress in re-building and modernizing Michigan’s aging transportation system.

2024 Engineering & Surveying

Excellence Awards Gala

The 59th Annual Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala, an ACEC/Michigan hallmark, was held on Saturday, March 9, at One Campus Martius in Detroit. ACEC member firms were recognized for design achievements of superior skill and ingenuity, industry leaders were honored, and scholarships were presented to the next generation of engineering talent.

During this special event, ACEC/Michigan members and their guests saw firsthand the impact engineering and surveying has on our everyday lives.

Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award

This year’s most prestigious award – the Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award – went to Tetra Tech (Brighton) and HDR (Ann Arbor) for the Second Avenue Network Tied Arch Bridge in Detroit for the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Second Avenue Bridge is one of America’s most unique bridges. The skewed layout and unbraced arch ribs are a “first” in the US and innovative accelerated bridge construction processes dramatically reduced I-94 traffic impacts. The network tied arch design and self-propelled modular transporter construction process are first-time uses in Michigan.

Surveying Eminent Conceptor Award

This year’s Surveying Eminent Conceptor Award went to Fishbeck (Grand Rapids) for the M-46 Drainage Structure Condition Assessment for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Fishbeck’s survey team created an innovative solution to document 775 drainage structure condition assessments by using a 360-degree camera to capture the structure rim and interior of each. The data was then organized and cataloged in a GIS viewer for ease of use and future reference.

Image and Leadership Awards

This year’s ACEC/Michigan Vernon B. Spalding Leadership Award was presented to Michael Cooper, PE, LEED AP, MBA, FACEC of Harley Ellis Devereaux to honor his outstanding leadership roles in ACEC and several community organizations.

Mike has been with HED for 30 years and is the current President of the firm. Mike is a past President of ACEC/Michigan and a former ACEC National Executive Committee Member. He remains heavily involved in the national organization, currently serving as Vice Chair of their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and as a member of their Strategic Planning Cabinet.

The ACEC/Michigan Felix A. Anderson Image Award was presented to Sean J. Kelley, PE, MBA of The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. for his actions and contributions to enhance the image of the profession.

Throughout his 38 year career, Sean has always been passionate about elevating the stature of the engineering profession and creating a more sustainable built environment. For the last 20 years, Sean has been a Senior Principal at The Mannik & Smith Group. He served 10 years on the ACEC Michigan Board of Directors, including a term as President. He helped develop the ACEC/Michigan Emerging Leaders Program and led the program's Business Development session for many years.

ACEC/Michigan 2024 Firm of the Year

SME was named the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/Michigan) 2024 Member Firm of the Year at the recent Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala.

This is the highest ACEC/Michigan honor bestowed and the only award program instituted to recognize ACEC/Michigan member firms for their leadership in professional practice and community service. Recognition is based on actions taken by a member firm to progressively develop its management practices and for assuming leadership roles in community outreach activities and ACEC/Michigan programs that strengthen the profession for all members.

For more information about how your firm can win this award, visit the ACEC/Michigan website.

ACEC Awards Scholarships

ACEC/Michigan awarded $20,000 in scholarships this year, divided between 6 engineering and surveying students enrolled in an ABET accredited college or university. The students must have lived, worked, or gone to school in Michigan and worked for a consulting engineering, surveying, or architectural/engineering firm within the past 24 months. The criteria is based on GPA, work experience, school and work references, and community activities. Applicants must also write an essay answering the question provided.

Due to the generous contribution of Professional Concepts Insurance Agency (PCIA), ACEC annually awards a $1,000 PCIA scholarship to a deserving engineering student who demonstrates exemplary community service. All applications submitted for the ACEC/Michigan scholarships are evaluated for this additional award. This year's award went to Ben VanderHeide.

SMPS/ACEC Seller-Doer Workshop:

Relationship-Based Negotiations with Dan Oblinger

This year's Seller-Doer Workshop for Technical Professionals will take place on April 4 at 9:00 AM in East Lansing. ACEC/Michigan is excited to partner with the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) SE Michigan and West Michigan chapters for this annual interactive business development program. We encourage anyone who is involved in marketing and/or business development to attend.

What if a hostage negotiator could sit next to you for your most stressful and valuable professional conversations? We are excited to host Dan Oblinger, veteran hostage negotiator and A/E/C consultant, as he leads our Seller-Doers in a series of team exercises so we all can discover the foundational principles of relationship-based negotiations! Learn to preserve profitability, create strong agreements, and preserve client satisfaction through simple and powerful principles and negotiation practices. Leave with new capabilities and a customized plan for continual growth long after the event is over.

Registration is available through the SMPS event page. ACEC members are eligible to attend at the SMPS member rate but must contact ACEC for the discount code.

Applied Ethics for Engineers

On April 19, ACEC/Michigan will hold an "Applied Ethics for Engineers" webinar. This program will explore various ethical pitfalls for engineers. Topics will include failure to identify and address issues concerning public safety, how far the obligation to maintain client confidences can extend and avoiding acts of perceived impropriety from solicitations to providing gifts to public officials. This course will analyze conduct against the NSPE Code of Ethics and provide real world examples of how the Board of Ethical Review has decided similar cases. At the conclusion of this program, attendees will have a better understanding of ethical “gray areas” and will be able to develop contractual safeguards to better manage client expectations and support the engineer’s ethical decision-making process.

PEs will receive 2 CEUs in order to meet the new continuing education requirements.

Our speaker will be Brett Stewart, the Manager of Loss Prevention and Education for the Design Professional Unit of AXA XL. Our facilitator will be Jamie Piercy, Vice President, Professional Concepts Insurance Agency.

To register, visit the ACEC website event page.

ACEC/Michigan and ASCE Michigan Section will once again be partnering with construction associations, the Black Caucus Foundation and labor organizations to offer students from the Detroit area an opportunity to learn about careers in the engineering and construction industry. This will be the 13^th anniversary of the Construction Science Expo and this year's event will be held on May 7, 2024 at the Durfee Innovation Society in Detroit.

We expect over 800 middle and high school students to attend. There is an entire floor of the venue dedicated to engineering, and we need your help! For more information, click here.

Your firm can participate in various ways including:

Sponsorship – various levels are available and help to pay for giveaways, lunch, venue costs, etc.
Volunteer – we need group leaders and volunteers to help with various tasks for the event.

If you have any questions or would like to help, please contact ACEC/Michigan.

We are excited to announce ACEC/Michigan and ASCE Michigan Section will also be partnering with construction associations and labor organizations to offer the 2^nd Annual Lansing Construction Science Expo at the Impression 5 Science Center on October 1, 2024. Stay tuned for more details.

ASCE "Cities of the Future" IMAX movie

The ASCE Michigan Section and Southeastern Branch has partnered with The Henry Ford Imax Theater to offer a free viewing of “Cities of the Future” for K-12 students in the Metro Detroit Area at 11:00 am on Friday, May 17.

Featuring five young ASCE members working to solve the world’s most pressing challenges with inspiring solutions, the film also follows a team of middle school students as they compete in the Future City Competition and uses jaw-dropping CGI and the immersive size and sound of the IMAX experience to allow audiences to “step into the future.”

To reserve a seat, click here.

ASCE Scholarship Applications

The Michigan Section of the ASCE encourages the advancement of the Civil Engineering profession by qualified and interested students. To that end, the ASCE Michigan Section offers financial support through two scholarships: the Mackinac Scholarship and the Zuidema Scholarship. These scholarships have been endowed through the efforts and generosity of individual Civil Engineers and leading Civil Engineering companies throughout Michigan. Applications are due by Memorial Day.

Click here to access more detailed information and the application itself.

ACEC National Awards Nominations

Young Professional of the Year Award

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 ACEC Young Professional of the Year Program. The Young Professional of the Year Award strives to promote the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on society. The campaign is designed to enhance and improve the image of engineering by recognizing young, diverse and talented engineers, thereby portraying engineering as an exciting profession open to everyone. Each state organization is allowed to submit a maximum of two (2) nominees to ACEC National for award consideration.

Contact ACEC/Michigan for the guidelines and nomination form. Nominations are due to ACEC/Michigan by April 24.

Community Service Award

This prestigious award recognizes Council members throughout the nation for their community service accomplishments. The award honors those who effectively impact the quality of life in their communities, and who are perceived in their communities as true leaders.

Each state organization is allowed to submit a maximum of one (1) nominee to ACEC National for award consideration. Contact ACEC/Michigan for the guidelines and nomination form. Nominations for the Community Service Award are due to ACEC/Michigan by June 5.