| Volume 03 | Issue 03 | May/June
2005 |
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Editor’s Note: We apologize for the delay in publishing this issue of PErspectives. Some of the news, which had been anticipated, was deemed important enough and extremely timely such that we decided to publish late the May/June issue. |
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We Won’t Be Your Father’s NSPE Changing Connections or Contact Info |
NJSPE Member Finishes PEC Position NJSPE Member Nominated for NSPE Presidency Meet Two Members of IPL Program IV A Very Useful Website |
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NJSPE Member Finishes PEC Position Henry P. ‘Hank’ Dobbelaar, Jr., PE, PP has completed two terms as a member of the Executive Committee of the Professional Engineers in Construction Executive Board and Vice Chairman of the Northeast Region. Dobbelaar was President of NJSPE in 2001-02. Under his leadership, the PEC Practice Division flourished in most of the 12 state societies in the Northeast Region. This was reflected in the number of businesses that supported the practice division as Sustaining Firms. Of the almost 150 such firms throughout NSPE’s six regions, a disproportionately high one-third were in the Northeast Region. Coincidentally, the highest number of PEC Sustaining Firms is in our own state of New Jersey. In addition to his service to NJSPE, the Northeast Region and the PEC Practice Division, Dobbelaar is Vice President – Facilities of Stevens University in Hoboken, NJ, where he also serves as a member of the faculty in the Construction Management curriculum. He also maintains his own consulting firm, HPD Associates.NJSPE Member Nominated for NSPE Presidency Bernard R. ‘Bernie’ Berson, PE, LS, PP, F.NSPE has served NJSPE and the National Society in many, many capacities. In 1990-91, he served as President of NJSPE. In 2001-02, he served as the Chair of the NSPE Professional Engineers in Private Practice (PEPP) practice division. In conjunction with that position he served also as a member of the NSPE Board of Directors. Although NSPE is contemplating a change in the election process in 2006 (see article about FDTF Action Plan), it is expected that Berson’s selection makes him a candidate in the coming cycle notwithstanding any revisions to the election process that may result from the anticipated changes in the NSPE governing process. The NSPE Nominating Committee had three candidates from which to make its choice. The two other candidates were Karen Pedersen, PE, F.NSPE, from Iowa and H. Ken Rigsbee, PE, F.NSPE, from Texas. Chaired by immediate Past President Terri Helmlinger-Ratcliff, PE, F.NSPE, the committee was comprised of six other members…one from each of the six NSPE administrative regions. The Northeast Region’s representative was NJSPE member Joseph B. Pryor, PE, who had been selected in early 2005 by the 12 state societies in the region. The NSPE Nominating Committee is officially elected by the NSPE Board of Directors at the Summer Meeting that precedes the NSPE Annual Meeting at which the Committee makes its decision. In the intervening months these seven committee members receive numerous communiqués on behalf of the identified candidates. Each candidate submits a written paper, responding to specific questions; and then each is interviewed personally during a face-to-face Committee meeting. This year’s deliberations were lengthy and difficult, according to reports coming out of the meeting held in Chicago in conjunction with the 2005 Annual Convention. In his campaign literature, Berson stated, “NSPE has been my primary society for nearly forty years. My involvement has grown from a modest beginning…through extensive state activities…to deep involvement at the national level. NSPE, the only society that has pledged itself to represent all professional engineers, is at a critical time in its history. It is my intent to join with our current leader to carry forward the momentum we have gained in recent years with the addition of Young Engineers Advisory Councils,…the Leadership Development Task Force, and other innovative ideas that will significantly influence who we are and how we operate.” Berson holds 13 professional licenses in eight licensing jurisdictions, which include engineering, land surveying, and planning professions. In addition to membership in NSPE and NJSPE, Berson is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers, and the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. He holds a Masters in Civil Engineering (1966) from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Bachelors in Civil Engineering (1956) from the University of Connecticut. When NJSPE leadership decided to conduct a major celebration of the organization’s 75th anniversary, Berson served as the Chair of a blue-ribbon panel of many NJSPE past presidents. The celebration in 1999 was extremely successful due to his dedicated leadership. Many other achievements of NJSPE and NSPE are due to his energy, ability, and love for these organizations.Meet
Two Members of IPL Program IV Participants have included engineers obviously, but also geologists, surveyors, and construction managers. Their ages have been varied from relatively early in a career to those with quite a few years of experience. Their interests also have varied. More than anything, these leaders are ordinary people - but with more than an average interest in enhancing their ability to understand themselves better and those with whom they have contact, to create a vision of what needs to be achieved, and to communicate that vision to those who can make it happen. We thought you might like to meet some of them. This issue features two current participants who are members of NJSPE. David L. Rue, PE Currently in the position of Senior Supervising Engineer, Dave is in his 18th year with Parsons Brinckerhoff in its Princeton office. Having earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College (1982) and a Masters in Engineering Management from Drexel University (1991), Dave’s experience at PB has included structural engineering and later project management. He holds the title of Professional Associate and is a Certified Project Manager. With his wife of 14 years, Kathy who is a Penn State alumna, the football season is a great temptation for Dave to leave raking the leaves and head for Beaver Stadium. However, as parents of two sons – David Jr. and Bryan – there is plenty to do at home with the boys. He has been a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania since 1986 and in New Jersey since 1998. Some of the projects in which Dave has played a key role in recent years include the new Ocean City – Longport Bridge; widening of Interstate I-80; reconstruction of the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge; and the reconstruction of the Route 44 bridge over the Mantua Creek. Kevin R. Boerner, PE While building his reputation for site engineering work on school projects, Kevin has garnered considerable experience in municipal engineering work. After working on numerous project assignments within the Municipal Service Department, in January 2003, he was named Engineer-of-Record along with Planning/Zoning Board Engineer in Ewing Township, Mercer County. Shortly afterward in March 2003 – based on his willingness to continuously take on additional responsibilities and commitment to producing quality work and client satisfaction, Kevin was named an Associate of the firm. Lest one think that his job is Kevin’s entire life, there is the fun side to him as well. Weekend getaways with his close friend, Kimberly, and annual vacations with his extended family spice up his life. Kevin says he also enjoys relaxing at the Jersey Shore, hacking away at a local county golf course, taking his chances on the ski slope, and lazily canoeing/camping along the Delaware River. With a BSCE degree from NJIT in 1996, Kevin earned his professional engineer's license in 2001.
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The Date The Annual Awards & Installation Banquet has been rescheduled for Monday, September 19, 2005 at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Hotel in Trenton, NJ. Tickets still available. Check future issues of PErspectives for updates as they become available.
I started the year with the following Goals for my administration:
We have made progress on all fronts and I look forward to continuing the good work we have done this past year. One Objective not listed above was to restore fiscal integrity to the Society. This was one of my most important fiduciary objectives for my term. I am extremely pleased to report that we, as a team, have accomplished this objective. As we enter fiscal year 2006, NJSPE will be solvent and will be projecting an operating surplus for the first time in over a decade. I would like to extend my thanks to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Board, to the Committee Chairs, and to the many members who have helped make this year a success. I look forward to seeing you at the rescheduled Awards and Installation Banquet on September 19, 2005. Lastly, I wish you and yours a continued safe and fun-filled summer. A review of this past year’s activities, many of which will continue into this year is provided below: NJSPE is part of a statewide coalition of various professional societies and business organizations lobbying for a stable funding source dedicated to necessary transportation infrastructure improvements in the state. In fact it was this issue that created the need to reschedule the Awards and Installation Banquet. The state’s existing transportation trust fund will essentially dry up by June 30, 2006, with all future proceeds going solely to paying debt service on existing bonds. With billions of dollars of needed improvements, NJSPE is part of a coalition aiming to educate the public and the legislature that this is an unacceptable situation that must be resolved. NJSPE continues to work with the NJ State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors to specifically define the difference between tasks that are within the purview of licensed engineers and those that are assigned to licensed land surveyors. This is a particularly acute issue that will most certainly carry into next year. NJSPE is working with the NJ Department of Community Affairs to ensure the health and welfare of the public. Recently a parking garage in Atlantic City collapsed seemingly because of poor oversight during construction. NJSPE was able to ensure that the practice and profession of engineering was preserved while working with Government officials to enhance the health and the welfare of the public. Our suggested revisions to draft regulations will acknowledge the unique skills and responsibilities of licensed engineers; while requiring more stringent requirements for non-engineers to provide special inspection services for select building features such as steel and concrete structural elements. These inspectors will be required to continue to work under the responsible charge of licensed engineers. NJSPE has successfully pushed for Quality Based Selection for engineering services. We will continue to monitor and address. Regionalization of Chapters is an issue currently under study. NJSPE wants to ensure that members are serviced by their chapters. If a Chapter(s) is experiencing difficulty in providing adequate services to their members, then NJSPE leadership would look to consolidating chapters through regionalization NJSPE is part of efforts in NJ to create a more cohesive representation of the engineering profession. With so many different engineering and engineering related organizations, often our voice is fragmented. NJSPE is part of a broad coalition of organizations to speak with one voice in the Legislature. NJSPE is executing a new Strategic Plan. There are leaders for each of the six elements of the plan that report progress at every Board of Trustees meeting. NJSPE continues to work with the
Construction Industry to assist engineers in construction in sitting
for the PE Exam.
We Won’t Be Your Father’s
NSPE The basis for these changes is an Action Plan of the NSPE Future Directions Task Force (FDTF) To Revitalize NSPE. The FDTF began its work in early 2004. Chaired by an NSPE Past President, the task force is comprised of 16 individuals who represent each of the six NSPE regions and various other demographical aspects of the Society. It even included three staff persons…one from National and two from state societies. The Action Plan was presented recently to the NSPE Board of Directors with the intent to have the Board approve numerous recommendations at its July 12 meeting. At its meeting on July 12 the NSPE Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the Action Plan and approved various actions to prepare for the re-engineering of NSPE to become a ‘state-centric’ association to serve licensed Professional Engineers and those on the licensure track. Read more below about the implementation schedule. However, one of the key recommendations is for you to cast a vote to initiate these changes. Some of the salient considerations of this Action Plan are provided here…predominantly as excerpts from the Action Plan itself…. Clarifying Who Our Members Will Be Over the Long Haul Yet, changes were made along the way in the membership categories to permit unlicensed engineering graduates to belong to the organization at national, state, and chapter levels. In fact, numerous graduates of ABET-accredited engineering curricula opted to join the Society. But – even at the high-water mark of membership by these unlicensed engineers – the percentage of the total NSPE membership never exceeded 20%. In recent years, NSPE has experienced a loss of membership, and this has been predominantly in the area of these unlicensed members. To be true to the Society’s brand, i.e. “Society of Professional Engineers,” the FDTF has recommended a consolidation of our member ranks to serve only those who either hold a PE license or are on the licensure track. The following is taken from the FDTF Action Plan to Revitalize NSPE. “The Future Directions Task Force (FDTF) was charged to reinvent NSPE from a blank slate—if we were creating NSPE from scratch today, what would it look like? That meant nothing was sacred. It did not mean things were trashed just to be different. If an existing approach or program had merit and met the new goals, it had a possible place in the plan. If a new, tangible benefit could be added at the expense of something less targeted, that had to be done too. Over the years, NSPE has generally used too broad a brush in trying to please too broad an audience. That has diluted our impact and reduced member satisfaction and value. As the old saying goes, we have become a river that is a mile wide and an inch deep. “Who will we serve? We will serve licensed professional engineers and engineer interns only—the new membership universe. The FDTF understands that the engineering profession is expanding in complexity and breadth, that new engineering disciplines emerge that have no place in the licensure process, that many engineers have no requirement to be licensed, and that the need for cross-disciplinary interaction among that greater community of engineering professionals will become more important than ever. That reality remains, but the FDTF came to a simple conclusion: licensed engineers, however many there are, need an organization to represent their specific and unique interests. One could even say their “selfish” interests. PEs have an obligation to serve the public and the profession, and the Society will continue to play a key role in helping them do that; however, NSPE will focus on serving its individual members by providing what they personally need to advance and thrive as practicing engineers. “One unique selling proposition of the new NSPE stands out (where ‘NSPE’ is always short-hand for ‘chapter, state society, and national’): The Society protects the PE license of its members. NSPE serves as the insurance policy when the encroachment of other professions tries to constrict the recognized areas of work that PEs may pursue. It moves into action when new laws and regulations endanger the public health and safety and allow those without proper training to perform engineering design. It advocates vigorous and responsible PE regulation through state licensure boards. For PE licensure advocacy, the rubber meets the road at the state level. The FDTF realized that serving the PE is the central focus, and the state societies are the prime voices and identity agents for members—a key driver for a state-centric organizational model. “Any familiarity should not be surprising, because NSPE has served a core membership of PEs since its inception, and members have voiced their expectations in numerous surveys and varied market research. But make no mistake about any perceived carry-over of tried-and-true items. When national and the states embrace this new model and implement it with conviction, courage, and a strict tenacity, a sea-change will occur in how national and the state societies run their affairs and in the value members receive from their membership.” Those who do not hold a PE license and have joined the Society will be permitted to retain their membership. However, the focus of NSPE’s strategies will be service to the PE members and those committed to acquiring their PE license, i.e. on the licensure track. Emphasis on State-Centric Governance The revamped NSPE Board of Directors lost the direct voice of the state societies. NSPE created six administrative regions and the position of regional vice presidents. As conscientious as these individuals may have been, they did not directly represent the 53 state society jurisdictions. Ultimately, the operation of the Society developed disconnects, leaving gaps in communication and prompting an “us and them” mentality all too often. In reality, the National and state society leadership are interdependent, because they serve the same members. The following from the FDTF Action Plan provides the rationale for a new, streamlined approach that engages all state societies. “The mindset that emerges becomes clear. State and national are in this together, and not just through a naive rhetorical hope, but in all fundamental interactions, fostering a mutual trust. When the state societies succeed, national succeeds, and vice versa. NSPE is only one entity—separate corporations but one business, with identical customers. The bottom line is giving the member tools to practice as a highly respected professional engineer, a leader on the job and in the community. “This state-national partnership will be strengthened further by the new governance model. Association governance will interest only a relatively few dedicated insiders and elicit indifference from the general member. No new members will be recruited through the announcement of the new House of Delegates and the new, smaller Board of Directors. But this House of Delegates, with representatives from each state, will provide integrated leadership and decision-making that connects individual members to the national governance process through the state society link—the “state-centric model” for governance. State society leaders will be the dominant voting block on a House of Delegates that will provide direction, deal with changes to national governance provisions, and elect the national officers and members of the Board. The decision-makers will be those who are carrying out the core state-centric programs. No longer will there be national governance that can be construed as separate. It will be everyone’s House of Delegates, everyone’s Board, and everyone’s responsibility for performance and success.” The new House of Delegates means achieving the state-centric governance model without the side effects of an onerously large body. It will meet just once per year…will have one member from the practice divisions and each state society – but with some weighting to reflect each state society’s membership…and will make decisions on the most significant issues that influence the organization and its future. In the new paradigm, the House of Delegates will elect the NSPE President-Elect and the Treasurer. However, any qualified PE member will have the opportunity to seek either position. Today, the NSPE Nominating Committee selects one candidate for these offices, and usually only one name appears on the member ballot. In the future, a Candidate Screening Committee will entertain all potential nominees and reject only those who are deemed not to be qualified. Delegates will receive a ballot with multiple names - in all likelihood - and chose among these qualified candidates. The National organization will have a Board of Directors with fewer members (16) than today’s Board (24). In addition to the NSPE immediate Past President, President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary (the non-voting NSPE Executive Director), the Board will have 10 Directors and the President of the State Society Executive Council (SSEC), which is the body of the paid staff execs, who work for the state societies. More details about the 10 Directors will be forthcoming. Schedule for ImplementationWhat has been started this month is targeted to be completed within the coming 12 months, i.e. the newly created House of Delegates will conduct its first meeting as a part of NSPE’s 2006 Annual Meeting in Boston. The following excerpt from the FDTF Action Plan provides some details. “Enacting the FDTF recommendations will require the approval of the 2004-05 NSPE Board of Directors as well as follow-up action by the 2005-06 Board. The critical steps for the first year of Board-related implementation are outlined below. “In July 2005, the 2004-05 Board of Directors will receive the FDTF action plan and be asked to accept it as presented. They will also be asked to approve the FDTF recommendation to replace the existing NSPE Constitution and Bylaws with a new set of consolidated Bylaws. “Following the current procedures for amending our Constitution, the Board of Directors will be asked to submit a ballot to the membership asking them to approve an amendment to the Constitution that will allow the change to take place. A minimum of two-thirds of the members who cast a vote in this ballot must approve the amendment for it to come back to the Board of Directors for final ratification. (Emphasis added.) “The membership does not vote on amendments to the Bylaws, so the Bylaws will not be considered in this vote. However, it is imperative to provide the membership with information concerning the new proposed Bylaws so they can fully understand the meaning of their vote on the Constitutional amendments. (Emphasis added.) “The 2005-06 Board of Directors will convene for the first time in October 2005 and will have their own opportunity to place their stamp on the FDTF recommendations. Presuming the effort to amend the Constitution and Bylaws is successful as outlined above, this Board will be asked to ratify the amendment of the Constitution and approve the new proposed Bylaws. This milestone event will formally set NSPE on the road envisioned by the FDTF report and should be celebrated. At the conclusion of this Board meeting, Directors need to go away with their own action plan to inform their constituent groups of what is required to prepare for state representation at the first House of Delegates assembly, to be held in July 2006. “It is likely that there will be a number of mid-year budget adjustments that reflect new initiatives and changed priorities as the detailed FDTF recommendations begin to be implemented and adjusted. The Board of Directors must remain enthusiastically supportive of the new direction and embrace the changes as they evolve. The continued and unwavering support of the entire NSPE leadership is critical to the success of this endeavor. “In April 2006, the Board of Directors will be asked to approve a budget for the 2006-07 fiscal year. This budget should take NSPE further down the road of allocating the budget in line with the critical goals and needs of the new organization. The Board must fully understand the direction, providing leadership, guidance, and support to the continued transition. “July 2006 will be another milestone in the advancement of the new NSPE. The House of Delegates will convene for the first time, giving a voice back to each state society for the first time in several years. The Delegates will elect a new, smaller Board of Directors and will elect the next President-Elect and Treasurer of NSPE. “The 2005-06 Board of Directors will meet for the last time [in July 2006]. Potentially, every member of this Board will be replaced, though it is likely that one or more of the board members will be elected by the House of Delegates to return to the Board. With this Board of Directors meeting, the transition of NSPE governance will be complete. (Emphasis added.) “The above summary only addresses the role and responsibility of the Board of Directors in this transition. Chapter, state, and national NSPE leaders, committee and task force members, and even individual members have other important roles in the implementation of the recommendations. We must all unite and push toward the finish line together. One sector cannot succeed if another is left behind.” (Emphasis added.) [Editor’s Note: This article was prepared by outgoing Northeast Region Vice President Gene R. O’Brien, PE, F.NSPE. Other than the italicized passages, the content is strictly the viewpoint of the author and not that of either NSPE or NJSPE.]
Changing Connections or Contact Info If you wish to change your chapter, please make your request to kbiddle@njlobbyist.com or contact Kelly Biddle at 609-393-0099, fax -9891. Your email, phone, or fax request can be completed in one business day. Also, if you have a change of contact information for your home or office, please contact Kelly with the new information and the changes will be made for you at NSPE, NJSPE, and your local chapter. Timely maintenance of membership contact info helps our society to maximize its value for you. A Very Useful Website Among the programs added by the committee, there was a commitment to have one article in every issue of PErspectives in Engineering in the area of ethical and legal practice. This issue is intended to give our members a “heads up” with respect to access to information regarding the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, the state agency charged with the issuance of licenses to Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors, enforcement of the licensure law, and discipline of violators. It would behoove every member of NJSPE to make at least one visit to http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/nonmedical/pels.htm, the Board’s website. There you will find links to at least the following:
One recent article in this newsletter, authored by NJSPE General Counsel Lawrence P. Powers, Esq., admonished you to acquire and stay familiar with the Regulation in NJAC. If you access the regulations online, you can save them to your computer and have them there for ready reference. That is a fairly recent service that presents an opportunity you should embrace with both arms. If you take the opportunity to review some of the Board’s newsletters, you will gain some insight into the kinds of disciplinary actions that are occurring. That alone will sensitize you to areas of improvement in practice that you may wish to consider. We will endeavor to bring you more articles of interest to you in your quest to practice ethically and legally in this state. We hope this will be of value to you. |
PErspectives Newsletter
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expressed in bylined articles are those of the authors and do not
represent the opinions of NJSPE. The authors are solely responsible
for the information contained in those articles. |
