Kansas Professional Engineer
eNews
August 2008, Issue 3
In this Issue:
KSPE Executive committee
Installed AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The following 2008-2009 KSPE Executive Committee
was sworn in at the Annual Conference on Thursday, June 26 in Wichita.
President
Thomas Roberts PE
Kansas State University
Manhattan
President Elect
Douglas Danaher PE
Wilson & Co Engineers &
Architects
Overland Park
First Vice President
Brian Armstrong PE
Bartlett & West Engineers
Topeka
Second Vice President
Glenn Knak PE
Bucher Willis & Ratliff Corp
Salina
Secretary
Keith Beatty PE
TranSystems
Wichita
Past President
Christopher Price PE
HNTB Corporation
Overland Park
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 PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
by Thomas Roberts, P.E.
Colleagues
These are exciting times for the licensed
professional engineer! Under the excellent leadership of Chris Price, P.E.,
HNTB, KSPE leadership developed an excellent plan to make KSPE the
recognized voice of licenses professional engineers. In June, 2008, our
constitution was revised to include those who desire to partner with us to
promote and protect the role of the P.E. and engineer interns.
Doug Danaher, P.E., , President-elect, is now
leading the effort to update the bylaws. Membership Chair Stacey Lamer,
P.E., and her committee are leading the charge to expand our membership
base. Executive Committee member Keith Beatty, P.E., is developing the Fall
Professional Development conference and a plan for future membership
development programs.
Executive Committee members Glenn Knak, P.E.,
and Brian Armstrong, P.E., are working Chapter Leaders across Kansas to
facilitate member participation. Ron Gaches, Executive Director, will
continue to help us understand our role in communicating with the Kansas
Legislature. Chapter & state leadership will discuss and develop action
plans during the August 8, Leadership Retreat in Topeka.
The KSPE strategic focus is three-fold:
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Increase the impact on the Kansas
Legislature and public policy
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Clarify/align the KSPE message and more
clearly communicate that message to current & potential members, the
Kansas Legislature, and the general public, and,
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Provide for the sustainable growth of KSPE
membership and revenues.
There are many challenges facing our profession,
public understanding of engineering, aging infrastructure, globalization,
workforce shortages, and changing demographics to name a few. We need your
participation – stay tuned!!
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Annual
Conference Sponsor and Vendor Recognition
KSPE would like to thank the following sponsors
and vendors for their support of the 2008 Annual Conference held June 25-27
at the Marriott Hotel in Wichita. Their support helped make this year’s
event a great success.
Platinum Sponsors
HNTB Corporation
MKEC Engineering Consultants, Inc.
Gold Sponsors
Bartlett & West, Inc.
Baughman Co., P.A.
BWR
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A.
Ruggles & Bohm, P.A.
Terracon Consultants, Inc.
Silver Sponsors
Crafton Tull Sparks
GBA
Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association
Kiewit Power Engineers Co.
Kirkham Michael & Associates
Lockton Companies
Missouri Kansas Concrete Pipe Association
Poe & Associates, Inc.
Wilson & Company, Inc.
Bronze Sponsors
ACEC Business Insurance Trust
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
Affinis Corp.
AXA Advisors, LLC
BG Consultants, Inc.
Black & Veatch
Cretex Midwest
Kansas Blue Print
Kansas State University College of Engineering
Larkin Group Inc.
LC Engineers, P.A.
Level-4 Engineering, LLC
M J Harden Associates
MO/KS Chapter, ACPA
Nowak Construction Co., Inc.
Oldcastle Precast – Vanguard Division
Schwab-Eaton, P.A.
SK Design Group, Inc.
TranSystems
University of Kansas School of
Engineering
Wichita State University College of
Engineering
Vendors
ACEC Business
Insurance Trust
Advanced
Drainage Systems, Inc.
AERO-METRIC
Applied
Technology Group Inc.
A.S.P.
Enterprises, Your GeoSource Distributor
AXA Advisors,
LLC
Contech
Construction Products
Kansas Asphalt
Pavement Association
Kansas Blue
Print
Mayer Specialty
Services, LLC
Missouri Kansas
Concrete Pipe Association
M J Harden
Associates
Project Lead the
Way
Wood-Snodgrass,
Inc.
Terracon
Consultants, Inc.
University of
Kansas School of Engineering
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 EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
by Ron Gaches, J.D.
What a great summer to be a member of the Kansas
Society of Professional Engineers!
The highlights of KSPE activity are numerous;
here’s a few:
Professional Engineer License Recognition Event
– The excitement in the Statehouse could be felt by all 125 who attended
this first-in-more-than-twenty-years
recognition event for those receiving their Professional Engineers license.
In partnership with the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions and
Kansas Association of Land Surveyors, KSPE co-hosted a formal presentation
of their professional license to 27 new PEs and one new Land Surveyor. KSPE
President Tom Roberts served as emcee of the event, and was joined by
keynote speaker KDOT Secretary Debra Miller, and Kansas Board of Technical
Professions Chairman Richard Moberly, who presented licensees with their
official license. Special thanks to KSPE Membership Committee Chair Stacey
Lamer for all of here work in making this special event happen. Based on
the favorable responses from all participants this will become a regular
event.
Annual Conference – The Wichita Chapter once
again hosted a fabulous annual conference. Excellent PDHs on Thursday and a
solid Project Management program on Friday morning were highlights. The
vendor show was completely full and total attendance, including the Young
Engineers Roundtable featuring K-State Coach Bill Snyder, exceeded 200.
NSPE President Bernie Berson was a special guest and led the Installation of
2008-2009 Officers and presented longtime KSPE member Michael Garrison with
the NSPE Fellow recognition. Details about our KSPE Award Winners are in
the newsletter.
Board of Regents Engineering Working Group –
Spurred on by Senate President Steve Morris, the Kansas Board of Regents has
assigned a Working Group to develop a comprehensive plan to increase Kansas
engineering school graduates by 50%. The Morris initiative was in response
to concerns expressed by major industries and consulting firms about their
inability to resource adequate local graduates to fill open jobs. KSPE
members on the Working Group include KU Dean Stuart Bell, Chris Price, Tom
Swenson and Keith Warta.
Transportation Finance Task Force – Past
President Chris Price is assembling a task force to make recommendations to
the 2009 legislative session about how to adequately finance the next
comprehensive transportation plan. The task force came about as a response
to requests for help in dealing with this issue Chris received from Senate
Vice President John Vratil and State Senator Julia Lynn.
Constitution Changes Approved – KSPE members
approved proposed constitution changes to authorize associate members in the
Society. A By-Laws Task Force led by President Elect Doug Danaher is
meeting in September to prepare recommendations for the full Board to
implement the associate membership program.
NSPE Annual Conference – A few days in Portland,
Oregon is always a welcome change in the heat of July. Several KSPE leaders
attended the NSPE Annual Conference in Portland to participate in numerous
continuing educations programs, society committees and governance
activities. This meeting was the last of Tim Austin’s term as the North
Central Region Board member for NSPE.
This fall promises to be full of chapter and
state society activities. A Fall Professional Development program is
tentative scheduled for October 24th and Tom Roberts and I are
looking forward to our chapter visits. Until then, please don’t hesitate to
contact us if we can be of assistance.
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KSPE Award Winners
Announced
KSPE
would like to congratulate the following award recipients who were
recognized at the KSPE Awards Luncheon held at the Annual Conference on
Thursday, June 26 in Wichita.
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Christopher Bohm with Ruggles &
Bohm, P.A. in Wichita has been named the Outstanding Engineer of
the Year. This award is presented to a registered
professional engineer over the age of 40, who is recognized by his
or her peers to be a highly qualified engineer with a high level of
integrity. Nominees for this award are evaluated on the basis of
their contributions to the profession, through their activities and
personal growth in the engineering field. They are evaluated on
their contributions and activity in KSPE, at the chapter, state
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T. Michael Garrison, P.E. was one of 21
professional engineers that NSPE has named to its 2008 class of
Fellow Members. The Fellow membership grade honors those active NSPE
members who have demonstrated exemplary and devoted service to their
profession, their Society and their community. NSPE President
Bernard Berson,
P.E. was in attendance at the Conference to present Mr. Garrison his
award.
NSPE launched its Fellow Recognition Program
in 2001 and has named over 400 of its members as Fellows. |
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City of Overland Park received
the Professional Development Award For
encouraging professional growth and promoting professional
opportunities for engineering employees. |
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The City of Wichita received the
Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award for their
engineering leadership in the design and development
of the Wichita Riverfront Pedestrian Bridges. |
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Donald Taylor of Topeka was
awarded the first ever Kansas Society of Professional Engineers
Award. Recipients are selected for their membership in
both technical and non-technical organizations; service to the
profession; service to his/her community and for the benefit of
humankind; honors or awards bestowed; technical, professional, or
non-professional offices held; regional, national or international
activities of unique quality; and special regional, national or
international advisory assignments. |
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Freddie Simmons with the Kansas
Department of Transportation in Topeka was awarded the Government
Engineer Award. Criteria considered for the Government Engineer
of the Year Award are: KSPE membership, education, professional
registration, awards and honors, civic and humanitarian activities,
continuing education, and engineering achievements. |
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Cory Schoffelman with Bartlett &
West in Topeka and Adam Stodola with George Butler Associates
in Lenexa have been named Outstanding Young Engineers. This
award is presented to a registered professional engineer 35 years of
age or less. Criteria considered in the selection process are: KSPE
and NSPE membership and activities; technical society activities;
special awards and recognition; published papers; civic and
humanitarian actives and education/continuing education activities
and achievements. |
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Jeffrey Shamburg with the firm
Bartlett & West in Topeka was named Outstanding Intern Engineer.
The award is given to
an engineer that has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam,
but is not yet a registered professional engineer.
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Becky Polzella, 4th
grade teacher at Coronado Grade School in Salina, has been named the
Outstanding Grade School Teacher of the Year. The
outstanding Teacher of the Year award is presented to an individual
that goes beyond the regular classroom curriculum and challenges and
expands the students’ exposure to math and/or science.
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Damon Feuerborn and Scott
Kreshel of Blue Valley High School in Stilwell were named the
Outstanding High School Teachers of the Year. The outstanding
Teacher of the Year award is presented to an individual that goes
beyond the regular classroom curriculum and challenges and expands
the students’ exposure to math and/or science.
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(Craig Denny was not in attendance) |
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Craig Denny of Lenexa was awarded
the Outstanding Citizen Award for his civic, fraternal and
other affiliations, activities and accomplishments. |
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2008 Order of the Engineer Recipients
The
Order of the Engineer is a solemn obligation to oneself to uphold devotion
to the standards and the dignity of the engineering profession. It is an
obligation to turn to practical use the principles of science and the means
of technology...to serve humanity by making the best use of earth's precious
wealth. The following received their rings at the KSPE Annual Conference on
June 26, 2008.
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(left to right)
Mohammad Awad, Joel Alan Cerwick, David W. Erickson, Freddie L.
Simmons, Daniel R. Stack and Brian Scovill |
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Welcome New Members
KSPE would like to welcome
the following new members who have joined since our last issue.
Michael Jacobs
- Wichita
Jeff Jones -
Topeka
Vivian Lopez
Olmos - Wichita
Robert Miller -
Eastern
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