Engineering Inc. - November/December 2003 - 36

ONE ON ONE ACEC/Michigan's Departing Executive Director Reflects on 34
Years of Service Q. sulting engineering community. How has the engineering
Clean Water Initiative on the This partnership has increased profession
changed in the past ballot as a $2 billion bond issue business
opportunities over the 40 years? that would be used for the State years
directly helping to Revolving Fund. We subse- A. strengthen and grow our
mem- There has been a tremen- quently helped gain voter ber firms. dous
growth not only in the approval for that bond issue. I also am proud of
the grow- number of engineering firms, Q. ing diversity of our interests,
all What services provided but also in their size and scope. for the
common good of by ACEC/National have been Today's engineering graduates
improving business practices the most beneficial to the need greater
knowledge than 40 and helping to make our com- ACEC/Michigan membership?
years ago including knowing Steve Wagner, former executive panies
stronger. what it takes to run a 21st-cen- A. director, ACEC/Michigan.
Many of our firms take tury business. Q. What have been the pri- advantage
of the Organizational Engineering companies have mary issues of ACEC/Michi-
Peer Review program, which to be increasingly nimble and gan's legislative
agenda, and how has helped them improve the savvy to ensure success in the
successful has the association way they conduct business. Our marketplace.
Many have non- Q. In your 34 years as been in advocating for those firms
also use resource materials engineering specialists on staff ACEC/Michigan
executive issues? such as Human Resources planners, environmentalists,
director, how has the member Guidelines and the EJCDC lawyers and HR and
marketing A. ACEC/Michigan first organization evolved as a politi-
contract documents. The leg- professionals. Many have helped generate
passage of a cal force at the state level? islative advocacy efforts
under- evolved from basic small- state resolution supporting taken by
ACEC/National pro- business enterprises to sophisti- A. ACEC/Michigan
started Qualifications-Based Selection vide the most important cated
corporations. out as an organization without QBS . Then we were instru-
benefit. For example, they got Q. What are you most lobbyists and without
a lot of mental in passing a state law the Brooks Act inserted into proud
of in your 34 years as contact with legislators. Over requiring the use of
QBS. federal procurement law. That ACEC/Michigan executive the last 34
years, ACEC/Michi- We have also had an ongoing has been so helpful in
getting director? gan leadership recognized the effort called the Clean
Water our state Department of Trans- need to establish a political
Initiative that parallels portation to accept QBS. It has A. I feel
especially proud of action program. We instituted a ACEC/National's
efforts to made all the difference in the the partnership we have forged
series of legislative days, which increase funding for water and world.
It's good to know we between the state Department were annual events where
mem- wastewater infrastructure. We have someone in Washington of
Transportation and the con- bers would conduct workshops were successful
in getting the fighting for us. with officials from various state
departments. We recognized the need to hire a lobbyist and to be more
aggressive with raising money for the political action committee. In a
strong year, the PAC would raise $10,000. Last year, we raised an
additional $20,000 to promote legislation that affects us. ACEC/Michigan
Past Presidents honor Wagner at his retirement party. 3 6 ENGINEERING INC.
N o v e m b e r l December 2003
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2003

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