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We’re pleased to introduce the launch of ACEC-lllinois’ new semi-monthly newsletter, The E-Reporter.
This new communication tool will provide all the news about ACEC-Illinois activities, events, and members in a timelier, more convenient format. Read The E-Reporter online, or print and read later. However you choose to read your association’s newsletter, you’ll stay abreast of the many things ACEC-Illinois and its members are doing. We encourage you to send your news to our editor at aceclinda@acec-il.org. and to share this newsletter with your colleagues. We look forward to your feedback on this new, exciting way we’ve chosen to get the latest association news to you quickly and conveniently.
Sincerely,
David E. Kennedy
Executive Director
ACEC-IL
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Board of Directors: Top row l-r: Benton, Swafford, Mesha, Heimsoth
Middle row l-r: Hassan, Klingner, Foltz, Coombe Front row l-r: Hill, Gabrisko, Houser, Jamison
ACEC-Illinois’ Board of Directors has been appointed for 2007–2008. Serving as President of ACEC-Illinois will be Reginald H. Benton, P.E, S.E., Benton & Associates, Inc., Jacksonville. Immediate Past-President and National Director to the American Council of Engineering Companies is Peter H. Mesha, PE, Wight & Company, Darien. President-Elect is Mohammad Hassan, P.E., S.E., URS Corporation, Chicago. Serving as Secretary-Treasurer is Susan K. Hill, P.E., Geosyntec Consultants, Chicago. Vice Presidents will be: Michael D. Klingner, P.E., Klingner and Associates, P.C., Quincy; George F. Jamison, P.E., Goodpaster-Jamison, Inc., Taylorville; Wayne Swafford, P.E,. Consoer Townsend Envirodyne Engineers, Inc., Chicago, and James E. Huff, P.E., Huff & Huff, Inc., Oakbrook.
Serving as Directors of the organization are Pedro Cevallos-Candau, PhD., P.E., Primera Engineers, Ltd., Chicago; John P. Coombe, P.E., S.E., Hanson Professional Services, Springfield; Gerald W. Heimsoth, P.E., Ciorba Group, Inc., Chicago; Gregg L. Foltz, P.E. Homer L. Chastain & Associates, LLP, Decatur; Phillip L. Houser, P.E., Farnsworth Group, Bloomington; and Darcie W. Gabrisko, P.E., Strand Associates, Inc., Joliet.
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Outgoing ACEC-IL President Pete Mesha provided a snapshot of the highlights and events of the past year at the Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner on June 14th at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield Illinois, infusing his remarks with his customary humor.
Pete Mesha, l.,2006-2007 President, presents traveling gavel plaque to Reggie Benton, r., 2007-2008 President
Outgoing President Pete Mesha’s Remarks
Well…my stint as President is almost over. It has gone quickly, it was mostly fun, and special thanks to the Board, the Committee members, and Dave, Gaye, and Sharah, for shouldering the ongoing load of work.
And congratulations to the scholarship winners, you represent the future here tonight. But I do want to look back just a bit –
We had a few more local, state and national scandals – generally, we as an industry didn’t suffer too much from that kind of fallout.
The Cubs and Cardinals are equally bad, so Dave Oates has generally been behaving himself.
We were presented by the Governor with the Gross Receipts Tax and the Payroll Tax. We had two choices – Accept the Gross Receipts Tax and negotiate for a more favorable rate…or stand steadfast against it. We called a meeting of the Board (twice) to determine the best course – it was unanimous that we should oppose this legislation – and it looks like it is dead now.
So Reggie…as President, you and Dave will confer on unexpected key issues like these, issues that our membership may be divided on…what do you do? Which side do you take? Dave will make it easy by suggesting, “Let’s do the right thing,” letting the fallout be as it may.
We started this legislative session with Infrastructure/Transportation funding being at least fourth on the leaders legislative agendas behind health care, education, and Pension Plan reform. Infrastructure has moved up, but it might be too late…We are on the cusp of ignoring the needs of transportation statewide and mass transit in the Chicago Metro Area – which is unconscionable in my view.
On the national scene –
We’ve called on our congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill last month, our issues were: repeal of the 3% withholding mandate, addressing the engineering shortage, averting the transportation funding shortfall and addressing the water infrastructure crisis.
Our own Eminent Conceptor Award Winner won the ACEC Grand Conceptor Award – The Montgomery Point Lock and Dam in Desha County, Arkansas, designed by Montgomery Watson Harza. But … for those of us in attendance in Washington DC, it was the “Upstream Passageway for the American Eels” designed by C & S Engineers that stole the show. Once again I feel that I was richly rewarded by attending the ACEC spring conference – I talked to many congressmen, I learned how to be a better businessman and at the last minute I attended the ACEC/PAC Fundraiser for James Oberstar, and while waiting for the Congressman to arrive I forged some new business relationships that have already benefited Wight & Company.
Yes, we need to take care of business here in Illinois, and as a team we have demonstrated that we have no equals for protecting what is important to us…but we need to continue to support the national causes as well. Do me a favor, if you don’t regularly attend the national conferences, join us in Maui this fall or in Washington next spring and I bet you will want to come back again.
Looking ahead…Reggie I don’t know which issues will come up on your watch… I got QBS, the Gross Receipts Tax, the DBE issue and the return of the 17 year cicadas.
We need to continue to keep pressure on our agency clients to manage change better, to manage their changing conditions without always putting more risk on our profession.
So I am leaving office, but I look forward to the many perks that have been promised to me as a past president. Thank you, everybody, and I would ask that you show Reggie every bit as much respect and help him as much as you have helped me.
I would like to present your new President, Reggie Benton.
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Jan Grimes, Executive Director of Capitol Development Board
The Government Affairs Workshop held June 15th, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield was one of the showpieces of ACEC-IL’s Forty-Fourth Annual Membership Meeting and Government Affairs Workshop. Enthusiastic attendees at this meeting were able to review key components of ACEC-IL’s policies and legislative platform, and share their concerns about political climates on both state and national level. Participants showed tremendous interest as speakers talked about their agencies’ programs, policies and goals, and reviewed future areas of opportunity.
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Awards Take Spotlight at Annual Meeting
ACEC-Illinois’ recent Awards Dinner, held at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois, on June 14th as part of the Annual Meeting and Government Affairs Workshop, was highlighted by a number of awards presented to members and engineering students. Among the award categories were Distinguished Service Awards, Scholarship Awards and the President’s Award, presented annually by the ACEC-Illinois President to a person who has significantly contributed to the organization. The President’s Award is a surprise announcement each year.
Distinguished Service Awards
Distinguished Service Awards are presented to volunteer members for outstanding contribution to the engineering profession through service on the ACEC-Illinois Board of Directors and ACEC-Illinois Committees. This year’s winners were:
David L.Talbott: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois as Chairman of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Committee for three years.
 Phillip A. Hazenfield: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois as Chairman of the Scholarship Committee for three years.
 Gregg L. Foltz: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois as Co-Chair of the Government Affairs Workshop Committee for three years.
 Paul A. DeBruyne: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois for Service on the ACEC-Illinois Board of Directors as Director from June 2005 to June 2007.
 Thomas L. Jester: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois as a member of the Board of Directors during the period June 2005 to June 2007 and as National Director of ACEC.
 Donald K. Rutledge: In recognition of outstanding contribution to ACEC-Illinois as a member of the Board of Directors during the period of April 1997 to June 2007 as Director, Vice President, President-elect, 43rd President and Immediate Past President of the organization.
The 2007 President's Award
 David E. Kennedy, ACEC-IL Executive Director, in recognition of his outstanding service to ACEC-Illinois and all Illinois design professionals for his leadership during the veto session of the 94th General Assembly which resulted in a successful legislative campaign to eliminate a price loophole from the local QBS legislation through Senate Bill 1453 which passed both Houses on November 30, 2006, and was signed into law on February 2, 2007, by the Governor of Illinois, as Public Act 94-1097.
$23,500 in Scholarships Awarded to 14 Engineering Students
The Scholarship committee, comprised of volunteer ACEC-IL members, conducted an annual scholarship program which provided $23,500 in scholarships to Illinois engineering students for the 2007-2008 school year. Fourteen $1500 Named Scholarships were graciously provided by ACEC-IL member firms. The top applicant, Farah Shareef, also received the $2500 Lonnie H. Carter Memorial Scholarship and advanced to compete at the national level.
If your firm would like to sponsor a Named Scholarship, please contact Gaye Kick at acecgaye@acec-il.org.
Scholarship awardees were:
 Lonnie H. Carter Memorial Scholarship AND V3 Companies of Illinois, LTD / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *FARAH SHAREEF ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Bioengineering
Robert H. Anderson & Assoc. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship in Memory of Robert H. Anderson: *NICOLE DENNIS ~ Illinois Institute of Technology / Civil
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: ERIC STONE ~Northwestern / Civil
Homer L. & Edward M. (Buck) Chastain / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: ERIC RADLOFF ~ Illinois Institute of Technology / Civil
Civiltech, Inc. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: KYLE JOHNSON ~ Bradley / Civil-Construction
Cowhey Gudmundson Leder, Ltd. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: JASON BUSS ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Agricultural
Edwards and Kelcey / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship in Honor of James Buckler: *LAUREN FLEER ~ University of Illinois at Chicago / Civil
Farnsworth Group / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *KORY LEESMAN ~ Bradley / Mechanical
Huff & Huff, Inc. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *KYLE BLAKELY ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Chemical
Manhard Consulting, Ltd. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *MARAT GOLDENBERG ~ University of Illinois at Chicago / Civil
The McClure Engineering Associates, Inc. / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship in Memory of William McClure: ADAM NIZICH ~ Illinois Institute of Technology / Civil
TranSystems Corporation / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *PETER KIMBALL ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Mechanical
URS Corporation / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship: *TIMOTHY DEPPEN ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Mechanical
The Wight & Company / ACEC-Illinois State Scholarship in Memory of Colonel Wight: CHI TAM ~ Illinois Institute of Technology / Civil
*Scholarships presented at Awards dinner June 14, 2007.
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ACEC-IL’s legislative platform is to support the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, of which ACEC-IL is a member, in its efforts to pass a capital transportation bill. According to James Morphew, ACEC-IL’s lobbyist, this issue has received a great deal of attention during discussions that have taken place with the Governor and the four legislative leaders since the Workshop. 
Four professionals recently joined Hanson Professional Services, Inc. They are Scott Arends, P.E.; Brad Hoots, P.E.; Kevin Kreipe, P.E.; and Brian Wells. Arends is a water resources engineer. 
Wells serves as an architectural technician. He is experienced in computer-aided drafting and the creation of computer-generated renderings. 
transportation engineering industry in the State of Illinois and throughout the country. Working out of the McHenry office, he will lead the operations management of the transportation department throughout the firm’s four Illinois office locations. Mr. Lachus completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1978. He has nearly 30 years of professional experience managing many award winning, multi-million dollar road projects. 
Ciorba Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that Salvatore Di Bernardo, P.E., S.E. , has been promoted to the position of Vice President. He brings over 15 years of industry experience to Ciorba's management team. In addition to his role as Chief Structural Engineer, Mr. Di Bernardo's other duties will now include business management and development for the firm. 
Dan Meckes was elected by the Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. (CMT) Board of Directors as the firm’s new President. Meckes will succeed Brian Whiston. who will continue to serve as CEO and Chairman of the Board. The election took place in February at CMT’s annual stockholders’ meeting in Springfield, Illinois. 
Diane Lukas, P.E. has been appointed to the position of President of Hampton, Lenzini, and Renwick, Inc. Diane has over 30 years experience in transportation engineering. She began her career with IDOT and has worked for HLR since 1983. 
KJWW Engineering has announced that Jeff Pratt, P.E., LEED AP, has been named a principal of the firm, effective Jan. 2, 2007. A resident of Batavia, Ill., he currently serves as manager of the KJWW office in Chicago. He has been involved in the firm’s strategic planning committee responsible for expanding the firm to its national ranking among the Top 20 engineering firms in the country. Jeff is involved in many duties within the company including project director, marketing, interviewing, staff mentoring, employee benefits and HR issues, accounting, on-going department training, and quality control. 
John Harms, P.E., S.E. , senior vice president at Hanson Professional Services Inc. , was recently named chairman of the Illinois Structural Engineering Board. As chairman, Harms will also serve as a representative on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. The Board, which is organized through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - Department of Professional Regulation, consists of five licensed structural engineers and one public member. The Board’s duties include reviewing licensing qualifications; evaluating the curriculum for engineering programs; and assisting with disciplinary hearings. 
Hanson Professional Services Inc. recently announced that Sergio “Satch” Pecori, P.E. , president and CEO of Hanson, is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2007 Award in the Lake Michigan Area program. According to Ernst & Young, the awards program was designed to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs on a regional, national and global level who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 national program. Lake Michigan Area regional sponsors for the award include
Clifton Gunderson LLP, Globalcom, Inc. and Smart Business Magazine. 
John E. Harms, P.E., S.E., Charles A. Hagloch, P.E. and James H. Wear have celebrated their 35-year service anniversaries with Hanson Professional Services. 
