• SPAG Watch
  
  Reminder for Hurricane Katrina Ethical Obligations Exposed Webinar-Free for Sections and Branches
  
  Improve Your Ability as a Leader-Participate in ASCE's Leader Education and Development Program
  
  Ask Counselor Tara (ACT)
  
  Membership
  
  What Can You Do to Help Improve Our Infrastructure?
  
  Structural Engineering Institute Local Activites Division Annual Meeting
  
  After the Storm...Engineering Solutions for Tomorrow
  
  International Program at the ASCE Annual Conference
  
  Prepare, Mitigate, Respond and Recover: Engineers' Involvement with Local Disasters
  
  Volunteers Needed! Let's Make a Difference in Orlando
  
  ASCE Conferences
  
  Continuing Education Webinars
  
  Mark Your Calendar
  
  
  Region Boards of Governors
  
  Committee on Geographic Units
  
  Executives
  
  Geographic Services Department
  
  Contact Information
  
• ASCE

Be on the lookout for the invitations and guidelines for the 2008 State Public Affairs Grants (SPAG) program.

The SPAG program has over $150,000 in grant monies to fund public affairs activities through ASCE Sections.

Sections have used SPAG funds to support state lobbying efforts, create and distribute state infrastructure Report Cards and host state legislative receptions in state capitals.  While these have been some of the most popular don’t limit yourself to just these, the SPAG Committee is always looking for new and innovative projects to fund!

The invitations and guidelines will be sent out on  Sept. 14th to your Section Presidents and Treasurers.

The devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita exposed the vulnerability of our nation’s coastal communities to natural disasters and, unfortunately, uncovered significant flaws in the planning, design and management of the New Orleans area hurricane protection system. The lessons learned from the study and analyses of these events have important professional and ethical implications for all civil engineers.

In a letter e-mailed in June to all Section and Branch presidents, ASCE President Bill Marcuson asked for help in disseminating this information to the broadest possible number of civil engineers. Sections and Branches are asked to host a special web-based seminar developed by ASCE. The free webinar will be offered on both Sept. 14, from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT and on Sept. 18, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. EDT.

Resulting from the exhaustive research performed by the Interagency Evaluation Task Force (IPET) and ASCE’s Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel (ERP), this webinar will explore new insights into how organizational, managerial and funding considerations can adversely influence public health, safety and welfare.

Gerry Galloway, professor of civil engineering at the University of Maryland and a retired brigadier general with the Corps who led the White House study of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1993, will present the webinar.

A free site registration for one of the two sessions will be provided to each interested Section and Branch. An unlimited number of individuals may participate at this location.

For more details, click here. To register, please contact Kelly Jarvis at (703)295-6164, or e-mail kjarvis@asce.org by Sept. 11.

Registration Deadline: Oct. 24

Do you want to be equipped with the necessary skills to more effectively inspire leadership in others, build trust with co-workers, motivate staff, and improve client relationships?  Do you want to improve how you handle conflict situations and achieve win-win resolutions?  If so, attend ASCE’s Leader Education and Development Program (LEAD) to confidently build your leadership skills in these areas and many more.

The LEAD Program is an eight-month course of seven formal training sessions and one individual coaching session, designed to create behavioral change and produce dramatic growth in your leadership confidence and skills. Highly interactive sessions include small group breakout discussions and require monthly personal commitment and accountability.  Plus, you will earn up to 40 PDHs/4.0 CEUs.

The fourth offering of this course will take place at ASCE Headquarters in Reston, Va, starting November 8.  Evaluations from the first three programs by the participants were extremely positive.  All participants said they would recommend LEAD to others.

Who Should Participate?

• Engineering managers who want to improve their leadership skills
• Managers identified by their organizations as rising leaders
• Managers who want to improve client/constituent relationships and organizational response to clients'/constituents’ needs
• Managers tasked with leading change within engineering organizations
• Directors, senior associates and others who manage groups of people in engineering organizations

 Course Outline

• Session 1 – Leadership Principles (Nov. 8)
• Session 2 – Understanding Yourself & Others Better (Dec. 13)
• Session 3 – Individual Personal Coaching/Mentoring  (January 10-11, 2008)
• Session 4 – Communicating to Motivate (February 7, 2008)
• Session 5 – Leading Difficult People and Leading in Conflict Situations (March 6, 2008)
• Session 6 – Leading Change  (April 17, 2008)
• Session 7 – Empowering and Growing Others – improving your effectiveness in delegating, coaching, and mentoring (May 22, 2008)
• Session 8 – Inspiring Leadership in Others; Creating a Leadership Culture (June 12, 2008)

Create a leadership culture, and help your organization respond more quickly to changes in the economy, competitors, and customer needs.

Participant Limit: 20
Participation Fee: $2,495 for ASCE members, and $2,795 for non-members

Questions? Contact Melissa Prelewicz at ASCE: 703-295-6341 or mprelewicz@asce.org.  Visit www.asce.org/lead for more information.

"The ASCE LEAD program is an extraordinary opportunity for organizations to provide high-impact leadership training to their staff.  Compared to similar programs, LEAD stands alone.  It provides the actual tools to achieve the challenging and critical goals of creating and executing a winning vision, motivating and empowering staff, and leading through change and conflict.  Making a commitment to LEAD is one of the smartest, most efficient paths to building a leadership culture necessary for success."

Steven J. Smith, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Structural Engineer, CTLGroup, 2007 LEAD Participant

We’re negotiating with a local hotel for meeting space to hold our Section meeting, and the contract specifies that we will indemnify the hotel for our use of the meeting space. Should I agree to that clause?

Whether you’re negotiating with a hotel for meeting room space or with a client for professional services, indemnification provisions are an invaluable tool in controlling your risks in the event of a third-party lawsuit. Done properly, an indemnification clause sets out each party’s responsibility for its own actions and helps minimize the uncertainties associated with civil litigation. But for the unwary, an indemnification clause can tip the balance too heavily in favor of one party, leaving the other party with a far greater contractual liability than would exist under the common law.

Many hotels, vendors, and other entities begin dealings with a prospective client by offering a standard contract form. While using such standard contracts avoids the delay and expense of drafting a personalized agreement, common sense dictates that these standard contracts have been drafted with terms that are the most favorable to the business’s own interest. Often, such contracts may include a one-sided indemnification provision, such as the following:

Client shall defend, indemnify and hold Hotel harmless from and against any and all liability, loss, expense (including, without limitation, all costs and attorneys' fees), or claims for injury arising out of or in any way connected with your function, including claims for loss or damage to any property, or for death or injury to any person or persons.

The provision places an enormous burden on any Client who agrees to these terms, far greater than the Client would face under common law. Under this language, the Client may be obliged to reimburse the Hotel for losses arising not only from the Client’s own actions but from any other person’s actions as well—including guests, exhibitors, even the Hotel’s own employees or contractors. This type of indemnification language should be avoided at all times.

Similarly, it is best to be cautious when the words “sole” or “solely” appear in an indemnification provision, e.g., as follows:

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to protect, indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Hotel and their respective employees and agents against all claims, losses or damages to persons or property, governmental charges or fines, and costs (including reasonable attorney’s fees), arising out of or connected with your function, except those claims arising out of the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the Hotel.

This provision is saying that, if your group’s actions, or the actions of any other person, made even the smallest contribution to the third party’s loss, you are obliged to pay the full amount of the Hotel’s liability, even if the Hotel itself shared the larger part of the responsibility.

One additional clause to watch for is one in which the Hotel accepts responsibility only for the “gross negligence” of its staff:

Except for injuries and damages sustained by persons or property due to the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Hotel, Group shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend Hotel from and against any losses, claims, liability, damage, action, or expense (including costs and attorneys fees) arising in any manner out of, or related to, the use of the Center pursuant to this Agreement.

The term “gross negligence” is a legal term implying a greater degree of misconduct than simple negligence. Under this provision, the group would be required to indemnify the Hotel for the Hotel’s own negligent behavior, unless the behavior was not merely a failure to exert reasonable care, but an act of such carelessness as to suggest reckless indifference to the probability of harm. In clauses such as this, be sure that the Hotel bears responsibility for negligence as well as gross negligence and willful misconduct.

It must be noted that courts do not look favorably on agreements where a party seeks indemnity for its own negligence, and many such courts will refuse to enforce such a provision if is not clear that the language expressly states an intent to shift the liability to such an extent, or if there is any hint of a lack of sophistication or uneven bargaining power that may have led the indemnifying party to agree to greater liability than it desired. However, it is clearly unwise to rely on a court to reject the language of a signed contract, particularly in agreements between two sophisticated parties, in which a court may have no choice but to conclude that the indemnifying party freely and fully intended to assume liability for the other party’s actions.

If you must sign a one-sided indemnification provision, the best provision is one that commits you to indemnify only to the extent of your responsibility for the Hotel’s losses. However, the most equitable indemnification provision—and the one that you should always strive to include in contracts with hotels or other commercial vendors--is a mutual indemnification clause, such as the following:

Each Party shall indemnify and hold harmless the other Party and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, partners, contractors or agents, from and against any and all claims, actions, causes of action, demands, or liabilities of whatsoever kind and nature, including judgments, interest, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and all other costs, fees, expenses, and charges (collectively, “Claims”) to the extent that such Claims arise out of or were caused by the negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct of the indemnifying Party or from any breach of the Agreement by the indemnifying Party. 

If you have questions about this article, or about any legal matter concerning your ASCE section or branch, please contact Tom Smith, ASCE General Counsel, at (800) 548-2723 x6061 (e-mail: tsmith@asce.org) or Tara Hoke, Assistant General Counsel, at (800) 548-2723 x6151 (thoke@asce.org).

Nominate an Outstanding Membership Champion/Chair

Your Section/Branch Membership Champion/Chair can be essential to the success of your Membership Drive, as well as membership growth and retention.  Now is the time to recognize your Champion for his/her hard work by submitting a nomination for the 2007 Outstanding Membership Champion Award.

The winner and the Section, selected by the ASCE Membership Committee at its fall meeting, will each receive $250. 

The deadline for nomination forms has been extended to Oct. 1, and are available online at

www.asce.org/inside/files/doc/2007OutsMemChairNomForm1.doc or by contacting Susan Blodgett at (800) 548-ASCE (2723) x6008 or sblodgett@asce.org.

ASCE Delivers at Your Next Meeting

Recruit your next ASCE Section/Branch members and volunteers by hosting a pizza party on us.  Champions can contact Erin Santiago at esantiago@asce.org to request materials and they will receive: ASCE cups, napkins, and plates, a Power Point presentation deliverable to non-members attending the meeting, as well as applications and brochures.  Plus, the pizza is on us!

Last Quarterly Drawing of the Member-Get-A-Member 2007 Campaign

Members have one last chance to win one of 10 $50 gas cards.  Each new member recruited will earn his or her sponsor an entry for the drawing, but make sure to submit the potential member by September 30.  Plus, the $700 prize for the year’s top recruiter is still up for grabs.  Point your members to www.ascedrive.org to recruit someone new and enter to win.

Grogan Advisory Services

ASCE is excited to have its newest affinity benefit, Grogan Advisory Services. Grogan Advisory Services is an independent financial services firm specializing in investments, financial planning and advisory services. ASCE members receive a free portfolio review that offers information regarding portfolio compositions, sector weightings, regional exposure, bond quality, investment style and more. View all of Grogan’s services by visiting www.efs529.com/ascefinancial or send your investment information to larry.grogan@efs529.com.

New Products Available Through Online Gift Store

The ASCE online gift store now features some of the Society’s newest products including an ultrabond soft, padded stitched construction writing padfolio, featuring an interior organizer and embossed ASCE logo.  This makes an excellent speaker gift. In addition, the gift store offers a new "antique" brass ASCE Shield medallion, which works great to place on your awards and plaques! Plus, shop for more than 30 other high-quality products, with new items placed on sale each month. Find merchandise that fits your needs and suits your tastes at www.asce.org/giftstore and express pride in your profession.

Use FTP Data to Welcome New Members

Your FTP membership data can help you welcome new members to your Section or Branch. In many cases, new members do not receive anything from their Section or Branch for 6-12 weeks. We’re almost sure to lose members who don’t receive this personal contact. By actively using your Section and Branch FTP database you can welcome these new members and retain their membership. Remember – members won’t automatically renew their membership each year – they need to see the value of being an ASCE Section or Branch member! Use this opportunity to establish a pattern of contacting new members every month, welcoming them to ASCE and your Section or Branch:

New members are identified in the membership data by their election date. For example, choose all members who were elected between July 1 and 31, 2007, for new July members.  Also, be sure to welcome members transferring from another Section/Branch.  You can do this by checking the “Transaction Code” column which will indicate a new addition to your database with the letter “A”.

If you have any questions about how to use or access membership database via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), contact Michael Cook at 800.548.ASCE (2723) ext. 6121, 703.295.6121 or mcook@asce.org.

CALLING ALL SECTIONS: OCTOBER 1 AN IMPORTANT DEADLINE

Please help ASCE recognize members’ considerable achievements by nominating your supervisor, mentor or colleague for Distinguished Membership or an OPAL award.  For more information on these prestigious Society awards, downloadable forms and special resources to help create a persuasive nomination package, go to www.asce.org/awards.   Information is also available on all Society Awards.

With renewed attention on infrastructure, ASCE will be re-launching our Action Plan for the 110th Congress in September, highlighting eleven Action Steps the U.S. Congress can take to improve the nation’s infrastructure.  Each week will have a specific focus:

September 4-7:  Introduction to Action Plan

September 10-14:  Roads & Bridges

September 17-21:  Drinking Water & Wastewater

September 24-28:  Dams

ASCE members can join the effort by communicating to their elected officials.  Key Contacts will receive a Key Alert at the beginning of each week outlining the focus of our message.  Please encourage members to participate in this effort by joining the Key Contact Program and contacting their elected officials when they receive the Key Alerts.  If we work together, our message will be strengthened and infrastructure will receive the attention it deserves from the U.S. Congress.

For more information on the Action Plan, visit http://www.asce.org/reportcard

Orlando, Fla
Oct. 12-13

The Annual Meeting for local Structural Technical Group (STG) and Structureal Engineering Institute (SEI) Chapter chairs will take place in Orlando, Fla from Friday, Oct. 12 to noon Saturday, Oct. 13. A block of rooms has been arranged at the Embassy Suites Hotel at the Orlando Airport.

SEI has invited all STG and SEI Chapter chairs to attend this annual gathering, which is an opportunity for chairs to learn what’s being done in answer to recent disasters, to share ideas about programming with other local groups, to help new and smaller groups grow and to hear how various problems are being solved in other parts of the country. There will also be time to brainstorm about issues, concerns and efforts in structural engineering in general. Please visit http://content.seinstitute.org/committees/local.html to view the current listing of STG Chairs.

SEI will sponsor one representative from each local Structural Technical Group or SEI Chapter to attend the retreat. Sponsorship will follow standard ASCE travel reimbursement policy which covers travel expenses/airfare plus $100.00 in room days for each of the two meeting days.

Contact: Mary Ellen Saville, Manager, SEI of ASCE at mesaville@asce.org

The ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) is sponsoring a track on Long-Term Disaster Recovery Issues at the upcoming 2007 ASCE Mississippi Section Fall Meeting on Sept. 26-28 at the Imperial Palace Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Miss..  The conference program will focus on long-term recovery issues affecting the civil engineering community, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  In addition, a rolling tour of the Gulf Coast area with discussions on the continued rebuilding will be held on September 28 . Space for this tour is limited and reservations will be accommodated on a first come, first registered basis.  Attendees will be eligible to earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs).  Online registration, sponsor and exhibitor information, and information on travel and hotel accommodations is available at: https://transportation.wes.army.mil/msasce/info.aspx.   Post-conference proceedings on lessons learned for long-term recovery will be available following the conference.

Please follow the links to the International Program:

http://content.asce.org/files/pdf/Brochure-InternationalProgram-

ASCEAnnualConference2007.pdf

and the General Registration form for the International Program:

http://content.asce.org/files/pdf/ASCE_AM_orlando07_Pprog.pdf

For more information please visit:

http://content.asce.org/international/index.html

We hope that you will be able to join us in Orlando and attend the international program prior to the Annual Conference.  If you have questions, contact Katerina Lachinova in ASCE's International Department at:klachinova@asce.org

Nov.r 1

Orlando, Fla

Sponsored by the ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI), this workshop (immediately preceding the ASCE Annual Conference) will provide an overview of existing disaster management programs, local resources, and key considerations during recovery and mitigation operations. The program will include case studies incorporating prior disasters and will identify disaster management considerations that need to be addressed by the engineering community.  Attendees will learn how to get involved locally and utilize their skills and expertise in planning for and responding to future disasters. Participants attending the entire workshop will earn 5.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs).  The advance registration fee for this event is $50 for ASCE members, students, and government employees. Non-member and on-site registration fee is $100. Fee includes all workshop materials, lunch and refreshment breaks. Advance registration is required. For additional information, contact Catherine Tehan at ctehan@asce.org or 703-295-6026 or visit: http://content.asce.org/conferences/an07/pre_conf_program.html.

The ASCE Committee on Volunteer Community Service, the Florida Section of ASCE, the East Central Branch Younger Member Forum and Rebuilding Together® of Central Florida invite you to spend a day of community service while attending the conference.

This year we will be working with the Frontline Outreach Center to make a difference for youth in Orlando.  Our goal is to improve the functionality and appearance of the center.  Potential volunteer projects include rehabilitating their exterior parking area by performing a traffic flow study, striping the lot, pulling back the edge of the parking to proper setbacks, constructing a trash dumpster enclosure, improving landscaping, and interior painting and projects. 

The Frontline Outreach Center, a non-profit facility, serves children and families with pre-school programs, after-school programs, family education and recreation. 

Important facts you need to know:

Don’t miss this opportunity to put your engineering skills to work for a good cause and help us make a difference in Orlando! 

If you are interested in participating, please contact Alicia Karwoski at 800-548-2723 ext. 6324 or akarwoski@asce.org.

2008 Structures Congress

Vancouver, British Columbia

Save the Date - April 24-26, 2008

You do not want to miss the 2008 Structures Congress! 10 tracks are being offered, covering practical design and focused structural engineering, research for practitioners, codes and standards, business and international engineering, analysis and computation and state-of-the-art research. Also planned for 2008 are pre-conference Workshops, tours and much more.

Visit the conference Web site for additional information:  2008 Structures Congress Web Page

Live P.E. Review Exam Series

Oct. 02:  Live P.E. Exam Review VII: Surveying

Oct. 04:  Live P.E. Exam Review VIII: Water and Wastewater Treatment

Oct. 09:  Live P.E. Exam Review IX: Traffic Engineering

Oct. 11:  Live P.E. Exam Review X: Steel Design

Oct. 16:  Live P.E. Exam Review XI: Hydrology

Oct. 18:  Live P.E. Exam Review XII: Construction Materials

Oct. 02: Tort Liability, Part I: Addressing Engineering Liability Issues  

Oct. 03: How To Plan Your Projects Effectively ~ Part I

Oct. 04: Designing Bicycle Facilities

Oct. 05: Implementing Design-Build in the Public Sector New Webinar

Oct. 09: Renovation of Pre-Engineered Buildings  

Oct. 10: How To Plan Your Projects Effectively ~ Part II  

Oct. 11: Improving Pedestrian Crossing Safety at Uncontrolled Locations

Oct. 12: Signal Synchronization ~ Part I

Oct. 16: Dealing with Difficult Behavior and Situations  

Oct. 17: Ethics: The Road All Engineers Must Follow

Oct. 18: Snow Load 101 - Basics New Webinar

Oct. 19: Signal Synchronization ~ Part II  

Oct. 23: Wind and Seismic Retrofit of Buildings   

Oct. 24: Tort Liability, Part II: How Transportation Liability Impacts Civil     Engineers  

Oct. 25: An Introduction to Roadside Delineation and Safety Systems  

Oct. 26:Understanding the Market for Engineering Services in Sustainable Development   

Oct. 30: Strengthening Concrete Buildings  

Oct. 31: Deterioration and Repair of Concrete  

Sept. 24: Membership Webinar

Sept. 30: 2006-2007 Member-Get-A-Member Drive ends

Oct. 1:

• Nomination deadline for Distinguished Members, OPAL and Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes
• Outstanding Membership Champion nominations due

Oct. 30:

• Nominations due for the Workshops for Section and Branch Leaders and the Younger Member Council Meetings .
• Nominations due for the National Outstanding Section/Branch Award.

Nov. 1:

• Submission deadline for the Outstanding Section and Branch Newsletter Award

• Nomination deadline for Arid Lands, Bartholomew, Bechtel Pipeline, Bechtel, Jr. Energy, Bickel, Biot, Can-Am, Cermak, Chow, History and Heritage, Computing in CE, Croes, Duke, Einstein, Freese, Freudenthal, Greeley, Shortridge Hardesty, Herring, Hilgard, Hinds, Hoffman, Horner, Howard, Hydraulic Structures, Innovation in CE, International Coastal, Laurie, Lynn, Masters, Middlebrooks, Moffatt-Nichol, Moisseiff, Newmark, Norman, Peurifoy, President’s Medal, Reese, Rickey, Roebling, Hunter Rouse, Rowland, Scanlan, Smith, State-of-the-Art, Stevens, Surveying and Mapping, Terzaghi, Tipton, Turner, von Karman, Wellington, Winter, Wisely.

Nov. 2: State Public Affairs Grant applications due

Nov. 3:  Annual Business Meeting with Society Awards Presentation (AM) and Gala and Honorary Member Induction Ceremony (evening), Orlando, FL.

Nov. 30: Section Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

             Region Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

Feb. 1:

• Nominations are due for National ASCE Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement and the Daniel Mead Prize for Younger Members
• Nominations are due for Young Government Civil Engineer Award
• Nominations are due for Younger Member Group Award
• Nomination deadline for Collingwood Prize

June 1:

• Deadline for submission for the Outstanding Section and Branch Web Award Competition
• Nominations due for Ralph B. Peck Award, H. Bolton Seed Medal and The Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award

Aug. 1: Nominations due for Younger Member Employer Recognition Award

Aug. 4: Submission deadline for the State Public Affairs Grant Activity Report to ASCE Washington Office

Aug. 15: Nominations due for Casagrande, Construction Management, Kapp and Terzaghi Awards