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Kansas Professional Engineer eNews

September 2006, Issue 4

In this Issue:

• 7th Annual Engineers' Foundation of Kansas Fundraiser Golf Tournament

• President's Message

• KSPE Welcomes New Members

• University of Kansas Master of Civil Engineering Degree Program

• Lawrence D. Hole, P.E., Honored for Distinguished Service

• Executive Director's Message

• President Bohm Schedules Chapter Meetings

• Small Dam Owner Seminar

• Pervious Concrete Seminar

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

by Christopher Bohm, P.E.

As if summer was not busy enough – here comes the start of school with sports practice, back to school meetings and homework help in the evenings!  I hope those of you with school age children are enjoying this flurry of activity.  As school begins for the year, so do the activities of many of your chapters, and at KSPE, the fall events officially began Friday August 18^th with a KSPE Board of Directors meeting followed by the KSPE Leadership Development Conference in Topeka.

The board meeting included discussions on a wide range of topics including:

• Support of an effort to allow the digital signatures on digital plan sheets, an effort spearheaded by Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation as they work toward an all digital plan generation model.

• A recap of June’s Annual Conference in Overland Park – the most successful conference in our history!

• Discussions about program content for the Fall Professional Development Conference, and,

• Discussions about updating the KSPE strategic plan.

The Board meeting and lunch were followed by the second annual KSPE Leadership Development Conference.  About 34 members were in attendance, along with several KSPE staff members and a representative from NSPE, Marc Selvitelli.  The afternoon was focused on accessing information through NSPE, KSPE and the Engineer’s Foundation of Kansas, cultivating leadership, conducting successful chapter meetings, and maintaining membership.  Thanks to everyone involved in making the conference a success.

September 14^th will find me in Overland Park for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Fall 2006 Conference along with Ron Gaches and Tom Roberts, P.E.  I look forward to the content of this meeting which will include a discussion on keeping the engineering pipeline full, which in my mind goes directly to the function of EFK in building a legacy in the engineering profession.  This should be an eye opening experience.

September 22^nd will find me practicing outside my demonstrated competency at the EFK Golf Tournament at Colbert Hills.  Please sign up for this important event.  Better yet, be a hole sponsor.  Better yet, add an additional $500 contribution to meet the Ruggles & Bohm challenge grant to the EFK!  If you have questions, please call me at 316-258-3237.

I am looking forward to the upcoming chapter visits and the chance to visit with many of you in person.  Please let me know what is important to you – the issues and concerns that should be addressed now, and in the future.

Have a great September!

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KSPE WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

The Kansas Society of Professional Engineers would like to welcome the following new members who joined since April 1, 2006.

John Almeida, PE - Turner Construction - Eastern

Jeff Bartley, PE - Water's Edge Aquatic Design - Eastern

David Church, PE - Kansas Department of Transportation - Topeka

Bryan Ford - Bartlett & West Engineers - Topeka

Louis Funk - Bartlett & West Engineers - Topeka

Chad Hall, PE - HDR - Eastern

Don Hellar, PE - EBH engineering - Golden Belt

Kiel Johnson - George Butler & Associates - Eastern

Jim Kowach, PE - KDOT - Topeka

Frank Laflin, PE - Chief Engineer - Eastern

Jeffrey Lolley, PE - Bartlett & West Engineers - Topeka

Ryan Mcafee, EI - LiquiTech Inc - Eastern

Ryan McCullough - Baughman Company - Wichita

Sean Miller - MKEC Engineering Consultants - Wichita

Cory Riedl, PE - EBH Engineering - Golden Belt

Anne Schroer - George Butler Associates - Eastern

David Schwartz, PE - Water's Edge Aqatic Design - Eastern

Brian Spano - Wilson & Company - Smoky Valley

Richard Stoppelmoor, PE - HDR Engineering Inc

Simon Sun, PE - HDR

James Van Acker- Hunt Martin Materials

Darrell Werth, PE - Henderson Engineers Inc - Eastern

Michelle Wilson - Bucher Willis & Ratliff Corporation - Smoky Valley

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UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MASTER OF CIVIL ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAM

Thinking about upgrading your bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree? Are you unable to quit your job? Don’t have the ability to attend daytime classes on the Lawrence campus? The University of Kansas Master of Civil Engineering degree program at the KU Edwards Campus is a perfect fit for you!

The KU Edwards Campus program allows you to upgrade your skills and degree with the following advantages:

• Conveniently located in Overland Park, Kansas

• Keep your current job while in the program

• 3-year schedule of Civil Engineering classes available

• Choose an emphasis in Structural Engineering or Water Resources Engineering

• Continue coursework while traveling as many classes utilize online features

The program is designed especially for you, the adult learner and has been taught by faculty from the internationally recognized KU School of Engineering for over 55 years in the Kansas City area. The curriculum consists of 34 semester hours of courses, which includes 7 credit hours of Engineering Management. If you are a licensed Professional Engineer, there is no final comprehensive exam to earn the Master in Civil Engineering degree.

To learn more about the master’s program and RSVP for our next information session on Saturday, October 21, please visit www.edwardscampus.ku.edu/civil. You may also contact Thomas Roberts, Ph.D., P.E., L.S. by telephone at (785) 864-2928 or e-mail at tomm@ku.edu.

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LAWRENCE D. HOLE, P.E., HONORED FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

At their 2006 Annual Business Meeting, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) will honor Lawrence D. Hole, P.E., with the Distinguished Service Award for his dedicated service to the engineering and surveying professions.

Hole served the engineering community for more than 25 years before his death in January 2006. As a member of the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions from 1998 to 2004, he served as secretary, vice chair, and as a committee chair. In 2003, he was elected chair of the board and was later named an emeritus member. Hole participated on the NCEES mechanical engineering exam committee for four years. He also served on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam content review committee and the Committee on Awards. He attended 12 national and zone meetings and served as assistant vice president for the Central Zone in 2004–2005.

He promoted the value of licensure not only through his Council activities but also through other professional organizations. He participated in the engineering student forums of three Kansas universities and made many presentations on ethics and licensure to university engineering classes and other professional groups. He also promoted National Engineers Week programs for nearly a decade.

Hole served as president of the Wichita chapter of the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers (KSPE) and as a founding member of the Wichita Council of Engineering Societies. He was named KSPE Outstanding Young Engineer in 1992 and was a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and of the National Society of Professional Engineers. In 2004, he was presented the KSPE Engineer of the Year Award.

The NCEES Annual Meeting will be held September 13–16 in Anchorage, Alaska. NCEES develops licensing examinations for the engineering and surveying professions. These examinations are used by engineering and surveying licensing boards across the United States as part of their candidate assessment process. NCEES also provides examination scoring and administration services to licensing boards, as well as a variety of other products and services to engineering and surveying professionals. NCEES headquarters is located in Clemson, S.C.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

by Ron Gaches, J.D.

Your Vote Counts Only if You Vote

Over the past three months I’ve watched with great interest the election of Mexico’s new President.  Two passionate and competing points of view were represented by the two leading candidates.  Following an active campaign, more than 60% of Mexico’s eligible voters participated in the election.  Today, after a partial recount, Felipe Calderon was named president by a margin of about one-half of a percent.  

What’s most remarkable about Mexico’s election is that it has been a functioning democracy for just the past ten years.  For most of Mexico’s history the country has been ruled by dictators, foreign leaders, monarchs or self-appointed political machines.

By contrast, Kansas voters set a record low turnout during the August 1^st primary elections – just 18% of eligible Kansans turned out to vote.  That turnout was a full one-third lower than the previous record low. 

What gives?  I know Kansans are interested in the quality of their state government.  I hear them complain about it all the time.  After 145 years of experience as a free state, have Kansans given up on elections?  Even discounting the fact there were very few contested races to draw Democrats to the primary, there were hotly contested Republican primaries for governor, insurance commissioner, secretary of state and many state representative seats, not to mention the state board of education board members that have brought Kansas national attention.  Most Republicans responded by going on vacation, demonstrating that the much ballyhooed moderate versus conservative split in the Republican Party is more about posturing by party leaders and pundits and less about who actually leads the state.  In fact, the low voter turnout produced wins for both conservative and moderate, demonstrating once again that political philosophy is not as important as getting your campaign on television or walking your local district.  Ultimately, it is said, all politics are local.  So where are all those local voters?  Even the hotly contested local races produced meager responses from voters.

Perhaps this old political science graduate is biased, but I believe elections DO matter and voters DO make a difference.  Certainly the November 7^th General Election is important to the future of Kansas and the opportunity for voters to shape the outcome is greater than it has been in years, maybe decades.

Why?  Because there is more good competition in state legislative races, and in exciting races for governor and attorney general, than there has been in years.  Democrats have outperformed their recent efforts at recruiting candidates for local representative seats, offering voters more choices in more seats than in several decades.  And the recent conversion to the Democrat Party by high profile Republicans Mark Parkinson and Paul Morrison give the Democrats reason to believe this traditional red state might be turning a shade of purple, if not blue. 

This is not an endorsement of any candidate or political party, just an acknowledgement that when people have a clear choice among viable candidates, as they had in the presidential election in Mexico, voters will turn out.  Kansas voters have choices that are real and meaningful.  Now, if only the Kansas voter will figure it out.

Build Your Political Capital

This year is an election year for all 165 House seats and statewide offices.  To become a constituent whose calls are always answered first, become directly involved in the campaigns for your favorite state representative and statewide officials.  Political capital is like a checking account; you can’t draw on the account until you’ve made a deposit.  Helping candidates when they need the help, during campaign season, is your most effective way to build your political capital.  Money is the mother’s milk of campaigns, but having a personal relationship with your legislators earned through your personal campaign efforts is more important than someone else’s financial contribution. 

1.      Select the candidates who are most supportive of or receptive to your thinking
 

2.      Host a candidate reception in your home
 

3.      Walk your neighborhood for your candidate
 

4.      Write a supportive letter to the local paper
 

5.      Put a yard sign in your yard and find other sign locations
 

6.      Volunteer to help with a mailing or distribution of yard signs
 

7.      Tell ten friends who you are supporting and why
 

8.      Make a financial contribution (mailings and advertising costs money)
 

9.      Help generate additional financial contributions
 

REGISTER and VOTE in the election

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PRESIDENT BOHM SCHEDULES CHAPTER MEETINGS

KSPE President Chris Bohm, PE and Executive Director Ron Gaches are visiting chapters this fall.  Contact your local Chapter for additional details.

Tuesday, September 19 – Luncheon with Wichita Chapter

Tuesday, September 19 – Dinner with Smoky Valley Chapter

Thursday, October 5 – Dinner with Golden Belt Chapter

Thursday, November 9 – Dinner with Southeast Chapter

Wednesday, November 15 – Dinner with Eastern and Topeka Chapters

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SMALL DAM OWNER SEMINAR

This free non-technical seminar will provide dam owners with information about the care of their dam, causes of failures, permitting and emergency action planning. Sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, the event is in Chanute, Kansas on August 23 from 1-5:00 pm at the Memorial Auditorium. Register online or phone Beth Cooper for information (785) 296-0573.

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UPCOMING PERVIOUS CONCRETE SEMINAR

The Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association in conjunction with the Kansas Chapter of the American Concrete Institute is proud to announce its joint annual concrete seminar.  They will be hosting a Pervious Concrete Seminar in Topeka, KS on September 20, 2006 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd.  

The seminar will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. and conclude around 3:00 p.m.  You are invited to attend this FREE seminar with complimentary lunch.  They will be talking about what pervious is, the environmental benefits of it, where to use it and working with pervious.  There will be a demonstration of pervious concrete after the classroom instruction. So bring a friend and plan to attend!  Come learn about this concrete!!!   

If you are interested in learning more about this new innovative use of concrete, please plan to attend.  Registration and additional information can be found at http://www.kapa-krmca.org/seminars.htm .

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Wendy M. Harms at 785- 235-1188 or wharms@ink.org.

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