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O'Neill, Kevin/RIC
From: ASCE Richmond [communications@ascerichmond.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 1:41 PM
To: O'Neill, Kevin/RIC
Subject: ASCE Richmond April 2013 Newsletter

ASCE Richmond Branch Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 6 April 2013

Important Upcoming Dates
ASCE April Branch Meeting
April 24, 5:30 PM, 6800 Paragon Place, Richmond, VA 23230


ASCE May Branch Meeting
May 21, 12:00 PM, Westwood Club, Richmond, VA





Engineer's Night Out
June 7, 6:30 PM, Ironbridge Sports Park




President's Message

This month when I sat down to write the
President's Message, I was stumped on what to
write about. So, I thought I would answer a few
of the questions that I have been asked over the
last few months to provide you all with a little
more insight about me, as well as our Branch of
ASCE.

Q: Why did you become involved in the board at
In This Issue
President's Message
Exciting Upcoming
Events and PDH
Opportunities
Local News and
Projects
Sponsors of the
Month
MeettheBoard
andChair
Members!

Clickhereforour
bio'sandcontact
information

PresidentAmyBird,P.E.

PresidentElectAustin
Clark,P.E.
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a young age, and before getting your PE?
A: I was presented with the opportunity, and felt that the timing was right.
It has been a little challenging at times, but the rewards have outweighed
the difficulties. I know people are surprised by my age, but hopefully I've
been able to bring some enthusiasm and insight to the Branch along the
way.

Q: Which aspect of ASCE do you enjoy the most?
A: My most rewarding experiences have generally been in the educational
outreach group. I like working with future engineers and seeing how
excited students can get when they're introduced to engineering. Recently
a few of us did a panel at the University of Virginia where we answered
questions about transitioning from college life to the professional world.
After the panel, I received several comments about how it was nice to hear
that we are doing fine after only being a few years beyond their level.
Knowing I helped make a difference and/or eased their mind definitely
makes being available for those type of events worthwhile to me.

Q: Why does ASCE not offer more specialized meetings?
A: As ASCE encompasses all of the disciplines of civil engineering, it is very
hard to accommodate everyone. We try to host broad topics with a uniform
appeal, with a few specialized ones thrown in, to keep everyone
interested. If there's ever a certain topic you'd like to hear about, please
let myself or one of our other board members know and we'll definitely try
to accommodate it.

Q: Does being involved at the board level take a lot of time?
A: There's definitely a decent amount of time to plan and prepare for all of
our events. I can't quantify the amount since it changes based on the time
of year, and even the week of the month. We have a board meeting once a
month that takes around an hour, plus travel time, and try to be at as many
events/meetings as possible. In general, I usually tell people that it takes
as much time as you're willing to put in.

Q: Do you have any events coming up with networking opportunities?
A: We do! A group of us finalized plans for an "Engineer's Nigh Out" that will
feature fun, entertainment, networking, and benefit a great cause. There's
an announcement with details further on in this newsletter. We hope to see
you there!

Q: Any advice for someone looking to become more involved in the
engineering community?
A: Put yourself out there because no one else will do it for you. If you see
something that interests you, try to attend. I often hear that people are
too busy or don't know anyone so they don't attend, but remember that
we're all busy and that we were all the new person once. I've met some
great people with my involvement in ASCE, and opened doors for my future
that I would not have had access to without it.

Hopefully these provided some insight for all of you! If you ever have any
questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear
from you, and hope to meet you if I haven't yet gotten the opportunity.
Exciting Upcoming Events!

April Branch Meeting - Webinar
Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an

VicePresidentBrooke
Young

Secretary/Treasurer
TonyGaynord,P.E.

PastPresidentMike
Howell,P.E.,S.E.

CommunicationsChair
MelanieLeckey,P.E.

EducationOutreach
ChairsCalebLange,P.E.,
AshleyJohnson,P.E.,and
JosiahJohnson

GovernmentRelations
ChairChrisVaught,P.E.

MembershipChair
Vacant

WebsiteChairKevin
O'Neill

YoungMemberChair
JustinWatson


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Extraordinary Engineering Career


Where: 6800 Paragon Pl, Richmond, VA 23230
When: Wednesday April 24, 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM Dinner, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Webinar
Cost: $25
PDH: 1 credit
Menu: Pizza, drinks, and snacks (chips) will be provided

Please RSVP no later than 12:00 PM on April 19th.

For more information and to register, please visit our website or contact
Brooke Young at Brooke.Young@kimley-horn.com.



To make the leap from engineer to manager, you must possess more than
just technical abilities. You must have a full arsenal of soft skills to
compliment your technical background, including effective communication
and public speaking skills; the ability to network effectively; leadership
skills; clearly identified goals; and more. This webinar will provide you with
strategies for developing these soft skills and accelerating your leap from
engineer to manager. If you are a younger engineer, this webinar will not
only provide you with strategies for accelerating your advancement, but it
will also prepare you to implement them in your career and see immediate
results! Do not miss this opportunity to accelerate your climb from engineer
to manager.

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May Branch Meeting - VDOT CFO John Lawson

Please join us for an informative discussion on the VA Transportation
Funding Act with John Lawson CFO of VDOT!

Where: Westwood Club, 6200 West Club Lane, Richmond, VA 23226
When: Tuesday May 21, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $25
PDH: 1 credit
Menu: A buffet style lunch will be served

Please RSVP no later than 12:00 PM on May 16th.

For more information and to register, please visit our website or contact
Brooke Young at Brooke.Young@kimley-horn.com.



John W. Lawson was named chief financial officer of the
Virginia Department of Transportation Oct. 15, 2010.
Lawson holds an associate degree of science and arts from
Rappahannock Community College, a bachelor's in
accounting from Christopher Newport University, and is a
graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute.
He worked as an accountant with Engineering
Incorporated in Hampton before joining VDOT in 1987.
He has served in several financial positions with VDOT,
rising to become the director of financial planning, a position he held since
2001.
He has served in a senior advisor role to several administrations and has
provided strategic financial oversight to VDOT's senior management for
more than two decades.
Lawson and his family reside in Gloucester.


SAVE THE DATE FOR ENGINEERS NIGHT OUT (ENO)


June 7th Starting at 6:30pm
Ironbridge Sports Park - 11400 Ironbridge Road Chester, VA 23831

- Batting Cages
- Drive Range
- Laser Tag
- Go-Karts
- Miniature Golf

Cost will be a minimum of $15 which buys three activities (each additional
activity is $5)
Food and beverages can be purchased from the Huckleberry Caf.

Bring your friends, family, and business associates for an evening of
networking and fun.
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Proceeds will raise money for Engineer's Scholarship Fund.

If you would like to register, please visit our website. Contact Caleb Lange
at CLange@FandR.com if you have any questions.




Bioretention Summit: Ask the Researcher

Dates/Locations:
May 15-16, 2013

Hyatt Arlington @ Washington's Key Bridge
Arlington, VA

June 17-18, 2013
The Morton Arboretum
Lisle, IL (outside Chicago)

Please visit our website

Overview - Bioretention design, construction, and maintenance continue to
evolve as the practice has become the most popular small-site stormwater
control measure in much of the United States. However, design standards,
construction specifications, and maintenance plans for bioretention often
lag behind what recent applied and lab research has discovered. The
purpose of this training is to deliver the most up-to-date research-based
information that will lead to perhaps dramatic improvements in how
bioretention cells are credited by regulators, designed by engineers and
landscape architects, and built and maintained by contractors and
maintenance personnel.

Below is a sampling of some of the issues to be discussed.

- Adjusting credit awarded to bioretention installed in sandier soil
environments (like the coastal plain and barrier islands)
- How bioretention cells can be designed to capture larger fractions of
water to meet infiltration and evapotranspiration goals
- The benefits of using an internal water storage layer to enhance
performance in many soil types
- How bioretention designs can be tailored per specific target pollutants,
including emerging pollutants such as thermal loads and pathogens
- What's the best fill media?
- How can bioretention construction be improved to increase infiltration?
- Are bioretention devices really low maintenance?

The training is unique because it brings together three prominent
bioretention researchers to answer these and more questions. Registrants
are encouraged to submit questions in advance to the instructors via the
website registration form so that they may be addressed during the
workshop.

Continuing Education: Up to 11 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) may
be available for professional engineers and land surveyors, and landscape
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architects. Attendees may appeal to their respective boards to obtain
professional education credits.

Who Should Attend
Stormwater Administrators and Managers, Public Works Officials, Engineers,
Landscape Architects, Planners, Regulators/Government Officials

Instructors:

- Bill Hunt, PhD, PE, Assoc. Professor and Extension Specialist, Dept. of
Biological & Agricultural Engineering, NC State University
- Allen P. Davis, PhD, PE, University of Maryland Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
- Robert G. Traver, PhD, PE, D.WRE, Villanova University, Villanova Urban
Stormwater Partnership

For more information and to REGISTER ONLINE, please go to:

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/training/bioretention_summit.html

For more information, please contact Cathy Smith at
cathy_smith@ncsu.edu or Christina Shepard at chrissie_shepard@ncsu.edu.


ASCE Spring/Summer 2013 Continuing Education Seminars
and Workshops Announced

Geographic Services is proud to announce the Continuing Education
Schedule of seminars and workshops for Spring/Summer 2013. These
seminars/workshops have been produced by ASCE's Continuing Education
Department. Please check out the following link if you are interested in
learning about these great opportunities:

http://www.asce.org/Regions-Sections-Branches/Region-4/Links/Links/

Local News and Projects

ASCE Government Relations Legislative Fly-In
March 19-20, 2013

The 2013 edition of the Legislative Fly-In coincided with ASCE's release of
its National Report Card on March 19th, 2013. The updated report card
showed slight improvement in the grading of the national infrastructure
improving to a D+ not honor roll by anyone's standards. However, where
money was invested in the infrastructure, rail for instance, there was
marked improvement. Here is a link to the Report Card,
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

Before I get too deep into the report card ASCE released I will provide an
overview of our time in Washington, DC. Our primary mission was to visitor
our Congressmen and Senators to ask them to support surface
transportation funding in addition to passing the Water Resources
Development Act. We are well aware a long term sustainable funding is
needed for our transportation infrastructure, but equally important is the
need to pass the Water Resources Development Act. Some highlights of the
bill include: creating a National Levee Safety Program, reauthorizing the
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National Dam Safety Program, Increase revenues for the Inland Waterways
Trust Fund, and restoring trust in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
Congress last passed a Water Resources Development Act in 2007; typically
these are two year authorizations. The US has 300 commercial ports,
12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways and about 240 lock
chambers, which carry more than 70 percent of US imports by tonnage and
just over half of our imports by value.

During our briefs we were instructed that passage of the WRDA this year
was critical as the Transportation bill expires in September 2014 and will
garner most of Congress' attention next year.

Attending the Fly-In from the Richmond area were Bryan Stevenson, Brian
McKeehan and myself. We were scheduled to meet with our
representatives. Due to scheduling conflicts we met with their respective
legislative assistant to discuss our issues. Each meeting proved different as
some of the representatives had strong anti-tax stances and weren't as
willing to listen to our arguments for the much needed revenue to replace
our infrastructure while others knew of the dire circumstances of our
Nation's roads, bridges, inland waterways, levees among other support
systems.

The terse response we received did not deter us as we knew advocating for
long term funding isn't an issue solved in one day. It requires several visits,
multiple letters and phone calls reminding and advocating for civil
engineering and funding for our infrastructure. Involvement is the key to
improving the Nation's Infrastructure Report Card. Without advocacy
Congress isn't likely to pass a Transportation or Water Resources bill when
we need it, which is now.

Advocacy begins with YOU.

Contact me, Austin Clark at alclark@transystems.com, or another member
of the Board to find out how you can become involved.

Get More Involved!

Interested in being more involved with ASCE? Check out this website where
you can apply to become a committee member. Applications will be
accepted for the Society Standing Committees and their constituent
committees through April 19th

Current committee members: A committee member whose term is due to
expire will need to apply if they wish to be considered for
reappointment.

If you have any questions, please contact Patricia Jones, Aff.M.ASCE,
Director of Executive and Board Operations, at pjones@asce.org or at
703/295-6101, or visit the website mentioned above.

Virginia Infrastructure Report Card Volunteers Needed!

Interested in volunteering to help with the Virginia Infrastructure Report
Card? Your help would be greatly appreciated and for more information,
please contact infrastructure@ascevirginia.org

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Thanks for your help in advance!

Thanks to our Sponsors this Month

Interested in advertising in this newsletter and being seen by
hundreds of local engineers and companies within the Greater
Richmond Area? Email Melanie at mleckey@dewberry.com for
more information!




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If you have any comments regarding this newsletter, please don't hesitate
to contact me at mleckey@dewberry.com.

Thanks!
Melanie Leckey
ASCE Richmond Branch Communications Chair


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