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Attend
NJSPE’s
Spring Leadership Conference Our PE society develops engineering leaders. We have long recognized that to achieve our vision for the Professional Engineer we must lead. We develop leaders through education and by providing them the opportunity to apply what they learn as a leader of our society. This one-two punch works better than almost any program your firms or organizations can offer. This spring, NJSPE is holding a leadership conference to learn to lead, and to plan and strategize our next steps in our mission. This conference has been evolving over the years from being simply an orientation activity to one in which we look to broader issues and touch our passion for engineering. It has become an important activity for the society’s leaders to understand and implement the society’s direction as well as to challenge it and plant the seeds of change and improvement. It is a chance for you to lead and continue to learn what leadership is all about. This year we are collaborating with teachers who spend their days developing leaders. Chuck Stump will be helping you understand the importance of passion in what you do and how to find time to do those things you care about. Al Gray, Ph.D., PE, CAE, the NSPE Executive Director, will interact with participants regarding the exciting changes in the society at the national level and how our local leaders will benefit. We’ll also be handing out electronic resource manuals to facilitate communications among us, the all-important underpinning of leadership. I invite you to participate in this program and to contribute to the PE society as a means of learning to lead. If you are interested, please contact Patricia Brewer at NJSPE at 609.393.0099. This spring’s leadership conference would be a good day for you to assess your desire to learn to be a leader and consider the opportunity the society offers. John A. Rhodes, PE A PE Challenge! Tell us in 300 words or less what you would change and why. Email responses to pbrewer@publicstrategiesimpact.com. Winner receives the recognition of the ‘Best in Engineering’, and a $150 Visa gift card. Entries must be received by May 15, so do it now!
NJSPE Educational
Foundation Annual MATHCOUNTS Golf Outing
NSPE to Survey Members’ Needs Although the exact date for deploying the survey has yet to be fixed, it is likely to occur within the next two or three months. Members should be looking for information to be provided by NSPE about the survey and how to participate.
NJSPE Structure Being Studied Nine chapters and some practice divisions…this is the grassroots structure of NJSPE. But does this continue to be the optimum arrangement for NJSPE to serve its members? President McGough has appointed a task force to review this question. Chaired by Vice President-nominee Kevin Becica, PE, PP, CME, this group of state society and chapter leaders is evaluating the current design of our organization and comparing it with other state societies in NSPE as well as other engineering associations. There are no preconceived conditions being set, but a recommendation will be forthcoming – whether for a major change, some minor tweaking, or status quo. Interestingly, six of the existing chapters comprise only one county while the South Jersey chapter (PESSNJ) is comprised of seven counties and sprawls across the entire lower, one-third of New Jersey. The remaining two chapters are comprised of three and two counties, respectively. And, most regrettably, the Northwest Chapter, which had been comprised of Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties, was disbanded at the December 2005 Board of Trustees meeting. This action is both sad and encouraging. Withdrawing the charter of any chapter is a last resort. However, for a few years, there had been no meetings conducted in the Northwest Chapter territory, no officers elected, and no other activity noted. Efforts by two NJSPE Presidents to stimulate any of these functions were unsuccessful. The action of the Board in December is one of the reasons for creation of this task force that is reviewing our entire chapter structure. The concern is that members in other parts of NJSPE also may not be receiving the services that have been customary for chapters to deliver…like opportunities for networking, conduct of chapter business, delivery of educational programs, and accountability for chapter dues collected by NSPE but deposited in a chapter account of some type. The report of this task force is anticipated in the next couple of months. Any member who would like to join this task force or at least provide a viewpoint about the NJSPE structure is invited to contact our Executive Director, Joe Simonetta, CAE, by e-mail at jsimonetta@publicstrategiesimpact.com. PSPE Engineers Conference - Sessions Approved
for Credit Earn up to 5 Professional Development Hours - Friday, May 19
Order of the Engineer Ceremony - Friday, May 19 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 Order of the Engineer was initiated to foster a spirit of pride, individual integrity and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and practice; and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer. The Obligation is a creed similar to the oath attributed to Hippocrates. Medical graduates generally take that oath which sets forth an ethical code. The Obligation likewise, contains parts of the Canon of Ethics of major engineering societies. PSPE is proud to host another induction ceremony for engineers wishing to join the Order. Indicate your ring size on the registration form. (Replacements can be obtained easily by returning your ring to the National Order of the Engineer.) Use the conference registration form to participate in the ceremony $99 Rate EXPIRES April 21 - Make Your Hotel Reservation
Today Complete Conference Details: PSPE Engineers
Conference PA Society of Professional Engineers
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I remember reading about these tumultuous months in our history when I was a child, and I remember feeling extremely proud of what our forefathers and foremothers were able to accomplish. It was in Boston. It is all still there. July 6th through the 8th, MaSPE will host the NSPE Annual Meeting. Each year, the meeting moves around the United States, sometimes quite far away. This year, you have a tremendous opportunity to attend, because it is but a short drive. You can be a part of history as NSPE seats our very first House of Delegates in the Cradle of Liberty. You can also see the State House where the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston. In the street below is the site of the Boston Massacre. The Harbor that became a massive tea pot is just down the road. Fast forwarding to the present, Boston is a city of great culture with many family attractions. Let’s make this annual meeting the best meeting ever. Consider taking some time off with your family, come to Boston, visit our nation’s, revered past and witness the birth of a new NSPE.Legislative Update
These changes will permit the TTFA to issue bonds and refunding bonds, and to receive additional revenues, sufficient to provide a TTFA program of $1.6 billion annually in each of the next five fiscal years, FY 2007 – FY 2011. Legislators were not completely satisfied with the measure, as many feared that additional borrowing was not the way to solve this major funding problem. One of the main sponsors of the legislation was Assembly Transportation Chair John Wisniewski who said, “Members on both sides of the aisle, myself included, are not happy with every portion of this plan. Despite these fixes, I maintain my strong commitment to finding a long term, stable funding source for the TTF. In the interim, we have created a system that will enable the state to press ahead with transportation projects and provide us additional time to craft a lasting TTF financing mechanism." Bylaw Revisions Approved The primary change was to create the position of NSPE Delegate, who will be NJSPE’s representative to the new House of Delegates. This body – with one representative from each affiliated state society in NSPE – will be the ultimate governing body of the Society. It will have authority to elect the NSPE President-Elect and 10 at-large members of the NSPE Board of Directors (including one from our Northeast Region) and to consider any proposed revisions to the NSPE Bylaws. The person serving as the NJSPE NSPE Delegate will also serve on the NJSPE Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. This is a two-year term with the next election to be held in early 2008. Any Licensed Member is eligible to submit her/his credentials for consideration by the Nominations Committee. VOTE!!! President Vice President Secretary Treasurer First Past President Second Past President A more detailed bio for each candidate can be found by clicking here. Official ballot can be found by clicking here. Ballot must be returned no later than May 19. Awards & Installation
Banquet Scheduled This year’s honorees include Robert C. Kirkpatrick, PE, PLS, PP, who is receiving the Distinguished Engineering Service Award. The Outstanding Engineer is Beth P. DeAngelo, PE. Receiving the Outstanding Young Engineer Award is Robert J. Thiel, PE. Other individual awards include Adam Henick as Outstanding Citizen and Mary Yeomans as Outstanding Educator. The Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award is for the Route I-95/Scotch Road Intersection Improvements. Owned by the NJDOT, the primary design firm was Arora and Associates, P.C., and the contractor was Ferreira Construction Company. In addition, Schoor DePalma will receive the Professional Development Award - Private Practice.For more information on the winners, visit the Awards Page at njspe.org. Board of Trustees Approves Award Recipients The first order of business was the Awards Committeereport which was presented by John Tardy. The committee recommendations were unanimously carried by the board. Awards will be presented at the June 8, 2006 annual Awards & Installation Banquet. (See separate article in this issue.) The Nominations Committeerecommended John A. Rhodes for President, Kevin Becica for Vice-President, Robert J. Thiel for Secretary and John J. Cantwell for Treasurer. The recommendations were accepted by the board and will be included on the ballot. Bernard Berson provided an update on the Engineering Measurement Task Force. Its initial meeting was attended by representatives of CEC, NJSME, Larry Powers and by the president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. The engineers on the task force seek to define what is an Engineering Measurement and agree that some measurements with a transit and rod would fall into this category. Larry Powers is preparing correspondence to the task force in an attempt to get consensus. It was also noted that there seems to be some confusion in the regulated community on the application of the site plan rules to other types of engineering plans. Matt Halpin reported on proposed legislation that would ease the educational requirements for licensed Engineers to sit for the land Surveyors exam. The bill would reduce the amount of additional education needed in addition the standard engineering degree. Other changes that would ease the educational requirements for surveyors with extensive experience is also included. The intent is to address the current shortage surveyors sitting for the PLS exam. The legislation has not been introduced as PSI is attempting to line up sponsors. An update on the Blue Ribbon committeewas given by John Rhodes. The committee is looking into the chapter functions and grass root organization. The high attrition rate after the first year of membership is a concern. A survey is being prepared to help define what type of value our members would like to see. Joe Schooley reported on the status of the Kaplan Review coursebeing conducted at Rowan University. They are still seeking a location in the northern part of the state for a class. In discussions related to promoting the PE license, Kevin Becica reported that she and Paul LaPierre have presented talks to Rowan University students for the past four years on the need and importance of acquiring the Professional Engineers license. John Rhodes reported that there will be a meeting in early June at Lambertville for leadership orientation. He would like to use this as an event to get more people involved and is looking for motivational speakers, etc. John requested that the trustees go back to their respective organizations to get at least one person involved. Tim McGough noted that all officers should be involved with this. Tim McGough passed out a copy of the legislation being proposed by the Landscape Architects that would convert their certification process to a Professional License. The language in the bill was worked out with an NJSPE subcommittee. The Board of Trustees passed a motion to not oppose the bill, provided that it is clear that there were no restrictions of the practice of Engineering, that it is clarified that preliminary and final subdivision maps not be included in the practice of Landscape architecture. The motion also requires that a letter be written and countersigned by a representative of both organizations stating that the intent is not to restrict a PE from doing what may be defined as the Landscape Architecture that a PE would also be competent to do. The Northwest Chapter has been officially dissolved. Members have been notified to either wait for a virtual chapter to be instituted, or to join an adjoining chapter. Tim McGough reports that with the State budget cuts, funding for the licensing ceremony is in jeopardy. It is proposed that we look into a joint sponsorship with the Land Surveyors and with the state. Joe Simonetta noted that this had been done in the past, but more recently the Deputy Attorney General has ruled that this would be a conflict of interest which prohibited organizations from helping to fund the ceremony. Joe was asked to look into this, as the sentiment of the Board of Trustees was to be involved.
Career Day Attracts Prospective Engineering
Students Whatever attracts a student to considering an engineering curriculum in college, NJSPE’s annual Career Day is an excellent opportunity to learn more about engineering and what it takes to get into an engineering school…and to stay there. There are various ways to provide information about engineering to students. The Internet is an obvious resource to complement the guidance staff at school. In addition, engineers can visit schools and discuss what it’s like to work as an engineer. Or students can spend time visiting a working engineer at her/his place of employment. The approach used by the NJSPE Career Day Committee is to have students converge on a convenient venue and be given relevant information. The students start with a general session and then rotate among various classrooms during five 20-minute periods to hear presentations about various fields of engineering. Many of the engineering colleges in New Jersey and nearby Pennsylvania staff tables in another room that all the students visit. The 38th Career Day, sponsored by the NJSPE Educational Foundation, was conducted on March 15 at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus. High school students and their escorts from at least two-dozen schools across the State participated. The current committee, chaired by Robert Thiel, PE, has worked hard to expand the fields of engineering that are discussed. This year the committee added Lucent Technologies and Telcordia Technologies, renewed participation by the Naval Air Engineering Station at Lakehurst, and brought back from last year Dewberry, PSE&G, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Port Authority of NY & NJ, and Schoor DePalma. Students heard at least four of these enterprises’ presentations.
The students, who came from such places as Jersey City, Mays Landing, Hightstown, and Vernon, began the one-hour General Session (see accompanying photo) by watching a 15-minute introductory video about the breadth of engineering as a career. Then the students were addressed by two subject matter experts about (1) getting into an engineering college curriculum and (2) what a college freshman can expect. Representatives of NJIT, Rowan, Rutgers, and Stevens graciously participated in two lecture halls to accommodate the throng of attendees. The representatives from the colleges’ Admissions Offices talked about the preferred courses to take in high school, minimum SAT scores, visiting colleges to see the facilities, special programs for underprivileged students, and the significance of extra-curricula activities while in high school. One speaker – in answering a student’s question – indicated that the newly added composition portion of the SAT test has yet to become a significant factor in weighing students’ potential. Discussing major differences between high school and college life, the Engineering Dean speakers talked about time management, housing accommodations on-campus, varying experiences of the faculty, and financial considerations. Some of the participating schools were first-timers, while others have been coming to the event for many years. With both guidance counselors and science teachers serving as escorts, they provided positive feedback about the program. Comments ranged from “well organized” to “right-on for helping the kids decide what to do.” The committee values highly the feedback from the adults for making revisions to continually improve the impact of Career Day. Readers who would like more information about the annual Career Day event should go to the NJSPE Educational Foundation section of njspe.org. MATHCOUNTS Continues to Excite Many NJSPE members volunteer their time to support the ‘Mathletes’ and the well-over 100 schools in this year’s competition. The State Chair is Drew Lillis, PE, and the coordinators in the six regions into which NJSPE is divided are Kevin Becica, PE, PP, CME; Calisto Bertin, PE; Robert Burdick, PE; Claudina Brizuela; Tom Fischer, PE; and John Rhodes, PE. The volunteers and these coordinators work tirelessly to ensure the success of the program, which is operated under the auspices of the NJSPE Educational Foundation. The National Society of Professional Engineers was one of the three founding organizations to create MATHCOUNTS, which today benefits from the support of many more businesses and associations. A major goal of this program is to attract talented students to consider an engineering career. In New Jersey, the MATHCOUNTS program is funded by donations and fund-raising activities. It takes well over $10 thousands to fund the annual activities. One of the key fund-raising initiatives is the annual MATHCOUNTS Golf Outing. The 16th annual outing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, at the Cherry Valley Country Club in southern Somerset County. For additional information, please contact Patricia Brewer at (609) 393-0099. The format of the MATHCOUNTS competition is a ‘Sprint’ round in which the Mathletes compete as individuals to complete 30 problems in less than an hour. This is followed by the ’Target’ round in which the individual participants must complete four pair of problems in a very tight time frame. Then, the students compete in the ‘Team’ round in groups of four. After these three rounds the scores of the participating teams is determined after each student’s score is calculated. The top 10 finishers then compete in the final competition called the ‘Countdown’ round. The 10th and 9th place finishers compete with the winner facing the 8th place finisher all the way until the final winning Mathlete is determined. The top four finishers in this round determine the team that goes to Nationals.
T&M Associates
Continues To Grow With New Promotions And Professional Licenses In addition to the new promotions, two employees have met the required standards and qualified for New Jersey professional licenses. "We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by these individuals," said Kevin Toolan, CEO of T&M Associates. "Their personal achievements exemplify T&M's overall commitment to professional excellence in the engineering and planning industry." The following is a list of T&M employees who recently received promotions:
In addition to Joseph Venezia, the following T&M employees have qualified for New Jersey professional licenses:
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PErspectives Newsletter
Layout/Graphics The opinions
expressed in bylined articles are those of the authors and do not
represent the opinions of NJSPE. The authors are solely responsible
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