Monthly Officer Update from

Pamela Dingman, PE

Sometimes being a county engineer feels more like being an unhappy farmer. We all have experienced too much rain or not enough rain. It seems strange that we bounce between extreme drought and flooding. Nebraska broke the previous record for most confirmed tornadoes in a year this May, when we reached a staggering 66 breaking the previous record of 40. The tornado that grazed the north side of Lincoln, collapsed a major manufacturing facility with more than 70 workers inside and later damaged 100’s of homes in west Omaha. Many of these storms were accompanied by extreme rain and hail.

In my 10-year tenure as county engineer I have experienced many 100-year storm events, tornados and even a wildfire. I was recently asked by a group of citizens if I was prepared for future emergency events. It is not an easy question because none of us knows what the future is going to bring. What I do know is that I can depend on my NACE contacts to offer advice and encouragement based on their experience. It is helpful to know that we are not alone in battling challenging weather conditions.

Today more than any other point in history, we need to have a plan to build and maintain infrastructure that will make our counties more resilient in the future. In order to accomplish that goal we need to continue to work together to advocate not only for each other but also for additional funding to continue to build new more resilient infrastructure. I am proud to be part of the NACE Executive Committee and look forward to meeting the challenges of the future.

2025 Call for Presentations Now Open!

NACE invites county engineers, association partners, and Corporate Members to submit presentation proposals to the NACE Technical Program Committees for consideration for the 2025 Annual Conference in Schaumburg, IL. 

NACE technical sessions provide Professional Development Hours (PDH) for attendees so all proposals should provide educational content instead of a direct sales pitch. All proposals will be sent to the appropriate committee chair after the deadline- August 30th! Preference is given to NACE members. Speakers will receive a $100 discount on conference registration. Speakers are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. 

Alternatively, companies can be guaranteed a 1-hour slot by sponsoring one of the technical tracks. This sponsorship and all the information about exhibiting at the 2025 show will be launched in early September. 

To submit a presentation for consideration, please complete the Call for Presentations Form

The Annual Conference for 2025 will be held at the Schaumburg Convention Center and the adjoining Renaissance Hotel.

Delegate Registration will open November 1st. Exhibitor and Sponsorship Registration will open in October. For additional conference details, please contact:

Staci Morgan Gunderson

National Association of County Engineers

NACE Conference Director

(202) 255-4379 | staci@countyengineers.org

SAVE THE DATE!

Don't forget to provide your input to NACE through the Member Survey. You'll help guide and shape the future of our organization. This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by August 9.

If you didn't receive the survey, please email jvoshell@countyengineers.org to ensure we have the correct email address on file for your membership. you can also access the survey HERE.

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Grant Application Resources

National Bridge Preservation Conference

September 9 - 13, 2024

The Bridge Preservation Partnerships are regional forums of bridge professionals— from state agencies, contractors, suppliers, consultants, academia, plus local and federal government agencies—all working together to take advantage of the synergy to be gained from sharing information and identifying common issues for further investigation.

 This year’s National conference will include all four regional partnerships in one meeting. There will be three concurrent tracks with over 60 technical presentations, outdoor demonstrations of bridge preservation treatments and technology, and countless opportunities to network with bridge preservation practitioners from around the country.

Registration is now open! Click HERE to learn more.

New Member Hub & Member Forum Orientation!