[President Perspective] [Meet the Member] [Monthly Meeting]
Congratulations to everyone who has already renewed their ASCE membership! And for those who have yet to renew, it is easy to do so online (www.asce.org/membership/). Our Branch currently has a total of 372 members, 162 of these being students. The remaining 210 are mostly general members, with several Life Members (a member for at least 30 years) and Fellows (a nominated position, with at least 10 years of exceptional engineering experience while being a member).
The main reason I keep renewing is ASCE's advancement of our profession. ASCE speaks to the media and government on behalf of civil engineers, and keeps its members aware of current key legislation. One current example is the survey members may access (through www.asce.org) to report on their local infrastructure, which will be included in the ASCE 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. ASCE has readily stepped in when the nation needs civil engineers (most recently, the Florida hurricanes). ASCE recognizes the importance of introducing kids to engineering, and has many great programs for pre-teen through college ages. Locally, we are about to benefit from an ASCE national annual event: the Civil Engineering Conference and Exposition '05 will be in Los Angeles on October 27-29, 2005. I was fortunate enough to attend this event several years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina. The seminars and tours were outstanding, and the exposition was a lot of fun. There are many other advantages of membership. If you are not a member, brochures describing the benefits of membership are usually on the check-in table at the Branch meetings. Please read through one and consider joining!
Membership consists of National and Section dues. National dues are required to become a member. The Section dues directly benefit the Branch. The San Luis Obispo Branch is a part of the Los Angeles Section, and from the dues collected we are given our allocation each year. As has been mentioned in previous newsletters, the monthly meetings occasionally operate at a loss. Your Section dues (currently $45 per year) subsidize these meetings - as well as sponsoring field trips, seminars, awards, and other Branch activities. Unfortunately, only 60% of the Branch's members are paying their Section dues.
Let's try to raise this percentage; especially since the Section dues are what your local Branch runs on. If you have any suggestions for how we may use our allocation in the future, please don't hesitate to contact one of the officers or myself. Together, we can use ASCE's resources to represent the civil engineering profession to our community.
-Valerie Beard, P.E.
The featured ASCE member for December is Mr. Tom Martin, an Associate Civil Engineer and Project Manager for Cannon Associates. He lives in San Luis Obispo with his wife, Jane, and two children Jack and Malea. With a four and seven year old, Tom is always on the go. When he can he enjoys sailing, windsurfing and woodworking.
Tom is originally from Pennsylvania. The pull of the Pacific Ocean was stronger than the pull of his Penn State - bound friends: Tom graduated from Old Dominion in Norfolk, on the coast of Virginia, where he started as mechanical engineer and ended up with a civil engineering degree after deciding ME was a little to microscopic for his taste. After graduating, he boarded a NOAA scientific research vessel. However the vessel became the love boat after meeting his wife. Tom moved to San Diego to be with Jane after the 6 years of scientific research and a brief stint in Seattle. He and Jane then moved to San Luis Obispo knowing that the central coast would be a better place to raise their family. He started at Caltrans in 2000 before changing to his current job in 2002.
Tom's favorite projects include civil design for Cal Poly Projects and Nipomo subdivisions. Tom feels most rewarded when seeing his designs on paper working in real life. Tom has found that he learns the most as an engineer when he's under pressure and has to make quick decisions. He also feels the best knowledge is obtained when you are able to see all aspects of a project and he benefits professionally from the fact that his company is multidisciplinary and conducive to sharing ideas amongst each of the specialist groups.
Tom is preparing to move up the ladder by honing his skills as a project manager and gathering a wide range of experience in civil engineering. To new or junior engineers, he offers the following advice: Keep checking in if you have an interest in a position with a particular employer; when the time comes, they'll remember you. Also keep in mind that a small step now can lead to a significant step later and that sometimes just getting your foot in the door can lead to the position you're looking to be in. He also advises to welcome challenges, keep learning and not to get too comfortable.
by Courtney Howard
This month's meeting is the Branch's 2004 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award program. The OCEA Award honors a local project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. The program will contain short presentations for each of the entries, with the OCEA Award announced at the end. Five very interesting projects (briefly described below) were nominated this year. Make sure to mark your calendar for this exciting event!
WWTP Reconstruction and Upgrade: A new energy-efficient advanced integrated pond system upgrades Guadalupe's wastewater treatment plant. Owner: City of Guadalupe; Nominated by: Steve Tanaka, Wallace Group
East Grand Avenue, Phase III: Utility upgrades and beautification of a prime commercial business district encourage smart growth planning principles. Owner: City of Arroyo Grande; Nominated by: Don Spagnolo, City of Arroyo Grande
Creekside Path, Phase III: A new pedestrian promenade improves and expands the existing park space environment. Owner: City of Arroyo Grande; Nominated by: Don Spagnolo, City of Arroyo Grande
Rancho Grande Park: A new neighborhood park creates recreation areas, social gathering sites, and a future location for community concerts. Owner: City of Arroyo Grande; Nominated by: Don Spagnolo, City of Arroyo Grande
Project Cuesta Grade: Truck-climbing lanes plus increased lane and shoulder widths improve safety and operations on Route 101. Owner: California Department of Transportation; Nominated by: David Beard, California Department of Transportation