Engineering Influence from ACEC

ACEC Young Professional of the Year, Molly Dee Ramasamy with JB&B

Alan Crockett was joined by ACEC Young Professional of the Year Molly Dee Ramasamy from Jaros, Baum & Bolles, New York, NY.
As head of deep carbon reduction at JB&B, Molly initiated a process of assessing how clients’ buildings could conform to such a regulation.  She has successfully led and completed more than a dozen complex building decarbonization and building electrification studies for large commercial, institutional, and cultural buildings.

Victoria Ballestero, ACEC Young Professional of the Year

Alan Crockett sat down with Victoria Ballestero, PE, MBA with ATCS in Largo, MD, who was honored as an ACEC Young Professional of the year during the awards program at the 2021 ACEC Fall Conference in Marco Island, FL. 
Victoria is recognized for launching her firm’s Prince George’s County, MD office and leading a team of professional engineers, planners, and land surveyors. Besides managing growth of the office, she is responsible for technical design leadership and project management.

Digital Delivery and Innovation in Transportation

Chris Harman, the new National Director for Digital Delivery and Innovation in Transportation at WSP USA, came on the program to share what one of the nation's largest engineering firms is doing in these two key areas.
It's an in-depth conversation, looking at how digital delivery is changing the face of engineering and what firms can expect in this fast-moving technology over the coming months and years.

Digital Marketing with ACEC Director of Marketing, Chris Grindler

Chris Grindler stayed on the microphone after our conversation with Fall Conference Keynote presenter Mitch Joel came on the show to discuss digital marketing for engineering firms and what ACEC is doing to improve its marketing programs.  This was recorded live at the 2021 ACEC Fall Conference in Marco Island, Florida.  

An interview with Keith London, the 2021 ACEC Chair Emeritus Award Honoree

We sat down with Keith London, the 2021 ACEC Chair Emeritus Award honoree to discuss his style of leadership and his contribution to the engineering industry and ACEC.

A Conversation with Ginny Clarke - Hiring the ”Best Talent” and Defining Culture in the New Age of Work

We sit down with Ginny Clarke, a professional in talent development and recruitment who delivered our Friday keynote at the 2021 ACEC Fall Conference.  Ginny presented to our group and challenged our ideas on what makes a great hire.  Learn more at www.ginnyclarke.com.  
 
 

A Conversation With Allen Douglas with ACEC Florida on Surfside and Building Inspection

Allen Douglas joined the program to discuss ACEC/FL's new recommendations on building inspections - a topic of great interest in the wake of the Surfside collapse earlier this year.  Allen released the following press statement today, which gained international attention.
ENGINEERS CALL FOR MORE INSPECTIONS AFTER CONDO COLLAPSE
MIAMI (AP) — The state of Florida should consider requiring high-rise buildings near the coast to undergo safety inspections every 20 years, according to a coalition of engineers and architects that formed after a Miami-area condominium collapsed in June, killing 98 people.
The recommendations, released four months after Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside, are based on “preserving the long-term health of buildings by assessing environmental and other degradation of structures and their systems over the life of a building," the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida and the Florida Engineering Society said in a news release.
Seven of the state’s engineering and architecture associations formed the Surfside Working Group to come up with ideas to prevent another tragedy like the partial collapse of the 12-story beachfront property.
The group also said nearly all large buildings in Florida should be inspected for structural problems within their first 30 years, with follow-ups every 10 years. Buildings within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of saltwater should be inspected within their first 20 years, with follow-up safety inspections every seven years, the group said.
The Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times first reported the recommendations on Thursday.
The report calls for inspections on a wide range of buildings, including condominiums, offices and other structures that exceed 10 occupants and are covered by the state’s building code.
Only Broward and Miami-Dade counties require mandatory inspections of tall buildings.
Champlain Towers South was undergoing its 40-year inspection when it crumbled in the middle of the night. A 2018 engineer's report noted “major structural damage” caused by lack of proper drainage on the pool deck.
The condominium board's discussions over how to pay for the repairs delayed work on the building.

A conversation with Mitch Joel, Keynote Speaker and Founder, Six Pixels Group

We were joined on the podcast with our first general session keynote speaker, Mitch Joel, Founder of Six Pixels Group.  
When brands like Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Twitter want to leverage technology to better connect with their consumers, they call Mitch Joel.
Mitch is the founder of Six Pixels Group – an advisory, investing, and content producing company that is focused on brands, commerce, community, and what’s next. 
Mitch Joel has been called “one of North America’s leading visionaries” and the “Rock Star of Digital Marketing” by Strategy Magazine. He has been listed as one of the “Speakers Worth Catching” by Forbes, and he was recognized as one of the top online marketers in the world.