Three Priorities Set
for 2007-2008

by James D. Morinec, PE
President of ACEC of Tennessee

 

 

 

 

July 1 marks the start of the new term of office for the 2007-08 Officers, Board of Directors and Committee Chairs.  As the new President, I want to thank all those who served last year, in particular Past President Bill Johnson.   

ACEC of TN promotes the interests of engineering companies through education, legislative oversight, lobbying and partnering with major government agencies.  To provide focus for the coming year, the new board held a planning retreat in April.  After much discussion, it was agreed our efforts in the coming year should stress

1)      energizing the local chapters;
2)      developing programs to help member firms recruit, hire, retain and develop professionals for our industry; and
3)      being more effective at proactively influencing legislation.  

The local chapters have historically operated independently while sharing the same goal to help promote the business of engineering in Tennessee.  By developing a consistent agenda, we hope to increase program attendance and services provided. 

The lifeblood of our industry is an adequate supply of qualified engineers to allow our businesses to grow and expand services offered.  I recently heard that of all the engineers and scientists that have ever lived, 80 % are alive today.  That population is aging and the difficulty firms are having nationwide to find qualified staff is an indication we need to do more to attract students to engineering and to help them get a quality education.  People entering the profession today have different values and expectations than those of 20 to 30 years ago.  We need to understand and embrace these differences to assure we will be able to serve our clients in the future. 

ACEC of TN has been growing its influence to represent the interests of engineering companies in Tennessee for several years.  By educating our member firms on issues that can affect the industry and providing tools to help them become more involved in the legislative process, we can be more effective at proactively influencing legislation beneficial to the industry. 

The next year will be full of many challenges.  By accomplishing positive changes in these three areas, I expect it will also be a successful year.