ASCE SLO Branch - JANUARY 2007 Branch Newsletter

JANUARY 2007 Branch Newsletter

[PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE: Younger Member Forum] [MEET THE MEMBER: Mike Linn] [MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Major Capital Projects at Cal Poly]

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE: Younger Member Forum

In a previous President’s Perspective article, I mentioned that I would like to encourage the establishment of a Younger Member Forum (YMF) in our Branch. ASCE National defines Younger Members as ASCE members 35 years of age or younger. [Note: I can now view my age as falling somewhere between being ineligible for YMF & being eligible for the senior discount at Denny’s…] ASCE National has recognized the special needs of younger members who are transitioning from academic life to their professional careers and have sought to provide programs to help the transition, to offer “opportunities to network with peers, learn more about the profession, provide recognition and encourage the full professional development of Younger Members.” It is intended that the YMF not compete with the local ASCE Branch, but that the group would help create a bridge between the Student Chapter and the Branch by encouraging students to join ASCE when they graduate. ASCE National’s Committee on Younger Members provides various resources, including a quarterly “Younger Member Newsletter.” I found an article in the Fall 2006 Newsletter particularly intriguing. Here is an excerpt: “Civil Engineering professionals representing worldwide non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners from design and construction met in June to attempt to define a vision for the Civil Engineering Profession of 2025… The format of the three-day summit was discussion Groups which followed keynote speakers covering globalization, technology, and leadership and a practical futurist. The ASCE Civil Engineering of 2025 Steering Committee will use input from the discussion Groups to develop a report. This report will be available for public consumption by the end of 2006. The primary audience of this report is Younger Members, students of civil engineering, primary education students considering civil engineering as a profession, and even the general public.” If I can obtain a copy of the final report, I may discuss the findings in a future article. Getting back to my main topic, I first became aware of YMF at the Zone IV Leadership Conference last year. The younger members had several parallel track sessions/events at the conference and my recollection is that the topics were interesting and the attendees were enthusiastic. Perusing a few YMF chapter websites revealed typical activities to be equal parts professional enhancement (job fairs, P.E. exam review workshops, career advancement seminars) and socializing (wine tasting, skiing, ballgames, etc.). The rules and structure for forming and running a chapter appear fairly flexible and ASCE National has a number of resources available, including a start-up kit: “Younger Member Group Handbook – A Guide to Successful Local Younger Member Activities.” Such a group would eventually need to formally adopt Bylaws, and the Handbook provides sample Bylaws which can be adapted to fit the local group. According to the information I read, it is recommended that a core group begin by coordinating social activities to get the ball rolling, and then identify an enthusiastic (and responsible) person to champion the project and get the group off the ground. How about it younger members; does this sound worthwhile? [It definitely beats oatmeal and skim milk at Denny’s] Additional information is available at the ASCE National website: http://www.asce.org/inside/youngermem.cfm. ~ Jeff Werst

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MEET THE MEMBER: Mike Linn

Mike Linn, Assistant City Engineer for the City of Arroyo Grande, is a well known figure, and voice, at ASCE meetings. His distinctive deep voice serves him well at Toastmasters meetings, and when he’s addressing the Traffic Commission or City Council regarding capital improvement projects. A native of Richland, Washington, and construction-management graduate of Washington State University, he first went to work as an engineer at the Hanford Nuclear facility. When changes to the nuclear industry forced closure of his project, he chose a layoff over a transfer to the east coast. However, a tight job market in the early 80’s convinced him to “head for California – like the Beverly Hillbillies”. He worked in construction management for several years in the Bay Area and in southern California, moving every couple of years from big project to big project. When he decided to settle down, home prices made him think about Washington. He took his family up to Edmonds, just north of Seattle, where he worked for the City on construction projects that were considerably smaller than one’s he’d managed before. “I remember my first project – relining some leaking concrete planter boxes on the roof of a building. At the pre-construction meeting I asked for the CPM schedule, and the contractor looked at me like I was crazy.” But the rain kept him thinking of California, and so when a job opening in Arroyo Grande was advertised - he took it. He’s worked on some interesting projects with the City of Arroyo Grande, including the 2.5 million gallon Reservoir #1 and the Rancho Grande Park project. The latter turned into a contentious affair, but was eventually completed. He advocates taking a very organized, rational approach to project management. “Set up your filing system so that in the event a dispute arises, it’s easy to locate all the documents the lawyers are going to want.” Happily married with a son and daughter, he enjoys playing guitar with his son John, who credits Jimi Hendrix as one of his musical influences. He also plays on the City of Arroyo Grande basketball team (The Fowls), and is confident that the team will improve on last year’s results. Mike didn’t join ASCE until he came to Arroyo Grande. He values the ASCE for the networking opportunities. “Back in Washington, if I had a question about a special issue, a few phone calls later I’d have my answer. Here, it’s sometimes harder because we’re a smaller market, and there are fewer sources.” And so he appreciates being able to attend ASCE functions, and realizes “we work in a great place with a lot of top-notch people. That’s why we’re here.”

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MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Major Capital Projects at Cal Poly

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For our January branch luncheon, we are pleased to have Johan Uyttewaal, Associate Director for Cal Poly’s Facilities Planning and Capital Projects Office, take us on a tour of the highly visible and technically challenging construction projects ongoing on the Cal Poly campus. Mr. Uyttewaal has been at Cal Poly for nine years. He is a registered PE in California and a member of ASCE. He obtained his undergraduate engineering degree from the École Centrale des Travaux Publics, Paris; an MS in Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering from UC Berkeley; and an MBA from UCLA. Join us to hear about a number of major physical transformations now underway on the Cal Poly campus including: the Engineering Plaza and new Engineering Buildings, the Construction Management Building, the Spanos Football Stadium, Faculty Housing, and the remarkable Poly Canyon Village project under development to house an additional 2,700 students on campus. We will also hear of some major projects now on the drawing board as well proposed circulation changes proposed in the 2001 campus Master Plan. Mark your calendars and join us at Rosa’s in Pismo Beach, Thursday January 18th for the first meeting of the New Year!

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[PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE: Younger Member Forum] [MEET THE MEMBER: Mike Linn] [MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Major Capital Projects at Cal Poly]