Engineering Influence from ACEC

Exploring Net Zero with Tommy Wells, Director of the DC Department of Energy & Environment

The podcast welcomed Tommy Wells, Director of the DC Department of Energy & Environment onto the program to discuss the District's work towards net zero emissions and the challenges his department is facing due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tommy was a panelist during the most recent ACEC Research Institute roundtable on the Future of Engineering, which focused on sustainability and renewables in a post-pandemic world.

Simon Goodhead of the Coxe Group Discusses How to Boost Employee Retention.

Simon Goodhead, principal of The Coxe Group, a management consultancy in Atlanta, GA, came on the program to discuss the challenges of employee retention in engineering firms and the high cost of failing to meet those challenges.
Goodhead recently presented the ACEC online class "Why Retention is You and Not Them." Click here to access the on-demand session.

Government Affairs Update for February 26, 2021

ACEC's Lynn Schloesser joined the podcast today to discuss ACEC's first ever reverse industry day between the ACEC Water, Energy and Environment Committee and EPA.  
Unlike regular industry days, reverse industry days put agency acquisition staff in the audience while industry presents their perspectives of doing business with the government.  To make the event even more unique, ACEC partnered with the Professional Services Council to bring EPA officials in as moderators, which enrolled them even further in the preparation and execution of the event. 
Overall, reverse industry days help to uncover hidden challenges in the contracting process and serve to deepen relationships between government agencies and the firms looking to do business with them.
 

Eweek 2021: Scholarship Spotlight

Engineering Influence continues to celebrate Engineers Week 2021. We were happy to invite three recent ACEC Scholarship winners to share their experiences as young engineers who are completing their educations or just starting out in the workforce.  Our panel discussion welcomed:
Alisha Stidam, who was awarded the $10,000 Jim Kleinfelder ACEC Scholarship, works for OHM Advisors.
Matthew Schomacker, who received the $5,000 Lennox Nishimura Scholarship, is working toward a bachelor's/master’s degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University.
Teresa Magana who received the $5,000 Professional Liability Agents Network (PLAN) Scholarship and is studying for a master's degree in geotechnical engineering at California State University, Sacramento.
 

ACEC Celebrate Engineer's Week 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The podcast welcomed Thea Sahr with Discover-e, the organizers of Engineer's Week to discuss how the event is going virtual in 2021.  
Learn more about DiscoverE's full range of resources for Engineers Week and ways to promote engineering throughout the year on their website: http://www.discovere.org 

Government Affairs Update for February 19: Exploring ACEC's New 5 Week Advocacy Course

Matt Reiffer and Katharine Mottley joined the podcast today to delve into ACEC's new online advocacy course: Effective Government Engagement at the Local, State and Federal Levels, which kicks off virtually on March 2.  
The 5 session course being offered by ACEC's advocacy team will provide the tools firm leaders need to effectively advocate and communicate the interests of their businesses to elected officials at all levels of government.  The sessions include:
Session 1: Federal Legislative Affairs: Where Do You Begin?
Session 2: Engagement in the Federal Regulatory Process
Session 3: Local Government: Engaging with Zoning Boards
Session 4: Effective State Legislative Engagement: Lobby Days, Recess Activities, and Virtual Meetings
Session 5: Using Communications Tools to Support Your Advocacy Efforts
 

Private Markets Update for February 18, 2021: A Closer Look at the Housing Market with NAHB

 
The Private Markets Update welcomed ACEC's own Erin McLaughlin to the show joined by our guest, Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington to discuss the forecast for the housing market. 
Danushka is the National Association of Home Builder's Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis. She oversees the activities of the Forecasting & Analysis section of the Economics group which includes housing market analysis, industry surveys, developing and maintaining national, regional, long-term, and remodeling expenditures forecasts. Before being promoted to Assistant Vice President, she worked at NAHB as a Senior Economist, responsible for state and local analysis. 
Visit the National Association of Home Builders website for more information.

Exploring Building Density in the Post-Pandemic World with Brookfield Properties' Sabrina Kanner

The podcast welcomed Sabrina Kanner, EVP, Development, Design and Construction at Brookfield Properties onto the show to discuss her participation as a panelist during the ACEC Research Institute's roundtable on Building Density in the Post-Pandemic World. The roundtable took place as part of the Institute's ongoing Future of Engineering series, which can be found on the Institute's website.
Click here to view the Building Density in the Post-Pandemic World roundtable.