South Carolina Engineering Conference & Tradeshow
The American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina, The American Society Civil Engineers South Carolina Section, and the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers held the 2010 South Carolina Engineering Conference and Tradeshow June 10-12, 2010 at the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Blvd.   This conference is the largest engineering conference in South Carolina.

The registration for the conference opened early Thursday morning and ACEC-SC, ASCE-SC, and SCSPE each conducted board meetings.  The Tradeshow opened at noon, and continuing education seminars started at 1:00 PM.  Thursday’s seminars started with a Panel Discussion with the Engineers Registration Board, followed by an interesting seminar on the I-35 Bridge Collapse.  Thursday’s classes ended with a class on “Offshore Wind Development in South Carolina”.  Conference attendees were then treated to a meet and greet reception at the tradeshow, followed by a charming dinner cruise on the Spirit of Charleston.

The conference and tradeshow started at 7:30 AM on Friday, with the SCSPE annual meeting and installation of officers.  Friday is a big day at the conference as there are five concurrent tracks (civil, general, geotechnical, management, and structural), that can be followed so every engineer has something they enjoy learning about. With 5 sessions going all morning and afternoon, attendees were able to earn up to 6 PDH.  That includes a PDH from the Keynote address “Wind Turbine Drive Train Testing Facility at Clemson University Restoration Institute, at lunch by Nicholas C. Rigas, PhD., Director of Renewable Energy, CURI.  Attendees enjoyed Charleston on their own Friday night.

Saturday morning began with the ACEC-SC Annual Meeting and installation of officers.  Saturday two tracks were offered to attendees.  Bob Davidson & George McCall lead 3 hour session on “Smoke Control Systems Reliability and Fire Resistant Construction Passive Resistances.”  Others chose between a panel discussion on Qualification Based Selection, SCDOT Challenges and Initiatives, and Building Share Holder Value.  Saturday wrapped up a lunch so golfers could enjoy the SCSPE Educational Foundation Golf Outing at Patriots Point Links on Charleston Harbor. 

The 2010 SC Engineering Conference held its annual Keynote Address and Awards Banquet Saturday evening.  Attendees enjoyed a delicious steak dinner while being educated on the who, what, when, and where of Boeing coming to Charleston.  After the Keynote address, awards were given out and the conference wrapped up.

Make sure you mark your calendars for next year’s conference in Hilton Head.  ACEC-SC, SCSPE, & ASCE-SC would like to thank the following companies for sponsoring or exhibiting at the 2010 Engineering Conference and Trade Show. Click here to see the list of sponsors and exhibitors<<

2010 SC Engineering Conference Attendees Learn About Boeing in SC
The end of conference every year is capped by an award banquet and a keynote address.  This year Mr. Geoffrey L. Schuler, Site Integration Leader, Boeing Corporation delivered an extremely informative program on the future of South Carolina and the Boeing Corporation.

As most are aware, Boeing has come to South Carolina and created quite a buzz.  Jobs, economic development, engineering work are all positive aspects of Boeing coming to South Carolina. 

Boeing is the leading aerospace company in the world.  It is headquarter in Chicago, and employs over 158,000 people across the United States.  This number is only going to rise.  Mr. Schuler opened his remarks with a video of the new “Dreamliner” Boeing unveiled earlier this year.   

The Dreamliner is a plane that is going to revolutionize air travel, and Charleston, SC is at the heart of this revolution.  Made of predominately composite materials, which differs from the aluminum that planes are made of now, the Dreamliner will be able to seat more people, go farther without fueling, and add to the general comfort of passengers. 

Making these huge planes is an enormous project.  Charleston was chosen for the new Dreamliner assembly facility.  Many of the Dreamliner’s parts are manufactured all over the world and then flown or shipped to Charleston for final assembly.

With safety and the environment being a part of the plan for making these jetliners, the assembly process is important.  To insure the plane’s assembly is perfect, Boeing will also be providing education for its employees.  Through a partnership with Trident Technical College, Boeing will be teaching vast numbers of people to work at the Boeing facility in Charleston.  The facility itself has been a huge project, and continues to be.  Many engineering firms are already working with Boeing.  They are currently working on a project to relocate Aviation Avenue. 

Mr. Schuler was excited to talk about South Carolina and Boeing growing what has already started as a great relationship.  He could not predict exactly how many jobs Boeing would be providing, but suggested that it will benefit the local economy.  He closed the keynote address with an exciting video of the facility being built and the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

SCSPE Installs 2010-2011 Officers and Directors
The SC Society of Professional Engineers installed its 2010-2011 officers and directors during its annual meeting at the 2010 SC Engineering Conference.

Mr. Michael F. Sheu, PE, Columbia, is president, Mr. Michael A. Beckman, PE, Charleston is vice president and Mr. Michael V. Jolly, PE, Rock Hill is secretary/treasurer.

Michael Sheu and Jim Justus

SCSPE Board of Directors are Mr. Brian A. Bendt, PE,  Rock Hill; Mr. Steven Grant, PE, Spartanburg; Ms. Angela Musselwhite, PE, Charleston; Mr. Josh Fowler, PE, Anderson; Mr. Ismail Ozbek, PE, Columbia and Mr. Mark Showalter, PE, Florence.

SCSPE Chapter Presidents are also member of the Board of Directors. Chapter Presidents serving on the board are Mr. Don Hallman, PE, PhD, Aiken Chapter; Mr. John M. Gast, PE, Catawba Chapter; Mr. Lee Clippard, PE, Charleston Chapter; Ms. Kim Fail, PE, Coastal/Pee Dee Chapter; Mr. Josh Quattlebaum, PE, Columbia Chapter and Mr. Greg Mitchell, PE, Piedmont Chapter.

These men and women are charged with leading the society, and advancing the SCSPE mission which is to promote the ethical, competent and licensed practice of engineering and to enhance the professional, social, and economic well being of its members.

McClam Receives SCSPE Engineering of the Year Award
The SC Society of Professional Engineers awarded its Engineer of the Year Award at the 2010 SC Engineering Conference Awards Banquet.

Marguerite McClam and Frank Lewis

The 2010 SCSPE Engineer of the Year is Ms. Marguerite McClam, PE, of Irmo, SC.  SCSPE has been recognizing an “Engineer of the Year” since 1961, and during that time, Ms. McClam is the second woman to receive the award.

Ms. McClam is president and co-owner of Palmetto Consulting Engineering Group, Inc., located in Chapin, SC and Irmo, SC where she manages two offices and a staff of engineers, technicians, and support personnel. She is licensed to practice engineering in four states.

Her duties include the oversight of operations; marketing; and design of water and
wastewater systems, land development, air permitting, and zoning issues. She is responsible for the design and compliance of all mining projects and special permitting processes.

Prior to her association with Palmetto Consulting Engineering Group, she was employed by Stevens and Wilkinson of South Carolina, Inc. the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Water Resource Institute after graduating from Clemson University with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering in 1992.

Ms. McClam is active in numerous engineering, environmental and water organizations, including the National Society of Professional Engineers, South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers, American Council of Engineering Companies of SC, the SC American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Association of SC.

She serves on the National MathCounts Foundation Board of Directors as well as SCSPE State MathCounts Coordinator and past president of the SCSPE Educational Foundation, Inc.

The SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors recruited Ms. McClam to serve on the Engineering Technology Degree Review Committee where she and other engineers review engineering technology graduates’ experience to see if they qualify for registration as engineers.

When presenting the 2010 Engineer of the Year Award, Mr. C. Frank Lewis, PE, said, “Ms. McClam is most deserving of this unique distinction; she is a true professional who advocates engineering, giving back to the community and helping young people prepare for their future.”

Lobbyist Report - Joe Jones
The conclusion of the 2010 Legislative Session was not positive for engineers and surveyors, but not for the lack of grassroots support or State House lobbying.

Three major pieces of legislation died at the end of the Legislative Session – removing the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors from the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation as a pilot program; strengthening qualification based selection for surveyors and engineers in the public sector and tort reform failed to pass. These bills must be reintroduced again next year.

Another issue which came up at the end of the session is one of the Governor’s vetoes to the State Budget that affects surveyors and engineers – funding for the State Budget and Control Board. Three programs under B&CB that may be cut were the state geodetic survey, the State Engineer’s Office and the block grant program for small cities and towns for water and wastewater plants.

I emailed every member of the House of Representatives and the SC Senate asking them to override the Governor’s veto on the B&CB funding, especially the three issues important to surveyors and engineers. Further, I wrote each Representative and Senator with the same message and had the letters delivered to their legislative offices June 15.

I received verbal or email confirmation from several legislators saying they supported our position and would vote to override the vetoes, but some said they did not know where the House leadership might go. They were expecting some vetoes to be sustained and did not know if the B&CB funding was included.

* Wednesday, June 16, the SC House of Representatives sustained Governor Sandford’s veto of $25 Million, the revenue to the State Budget and Control Board. 

A reliable source told me the $25 Million cut to the Budget and Control Board does not mean the State Engineer’s Office, the Geodetic Survey or the grants to small towns and cities for water and wastewater will necessarily be dropped. The effect of the cut is that Frank Fusco, head of the Budget and Control Board, will have to find ways to keep necessary programs with less money; therefore, programs may diminished and jobs lost. However, state laws have not been repealed; funding has been reduced.

Next year has new challenges and opportunities. There will be a new governor, a new lieutenant governor, new House members and new cabinet appointees. Ms. Adrianne Youmans, in all likelihood, will not remain as director of the SC Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation. Secretary Mr. Buck Limehouse may be replaced at the SC Department of Transportation and other cabinet appointees may change.

Conditions at LLR may improve and passage of the pilot program removing the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors may be difficult again.

For the qualification based selection legislation to pass, engineers and surveyors must not only talk and convince legislators of the need for this change but also, they must reach out to county and municipal elected officials and administrators and explain the value of qualification based procurement at these political subdivisions.

Tort reform is never an easy task. We were so close this year, but we were beat by the clock and trial lawyer opposition. The trial lawyers in the Senate drug debate on such issues as texting while driving and abortion and ran out the clock prohibiting debate on tort reform.

We feel the House of Representatives’ leadership remains strong and wants to see tort reform pass. However, the dynamics of the Senate makes it a real challenge with a number of senior anti-tort reform senators able to manipulate the system and keep tort reform at bay.

Although tort reform is important to all in business, the construction industry which includes engineers and surveyors are especially interested in the refinements to the 8-year statute of repose which was in the tort reform bill that died June 3, the close of the regular legislative session.

I look forward to lobbying for you next session. I appreciate the grassroots support you gave by responding to my requests for contacts to legislators.

SCSPE Educational Foundation Sweepstakes Winner
It’s not the lottery, but the SCSPE Educational Foundation Sweepstakes winner didn’t mind the windfall.  Mr. Bill Blackwood, PE, from Spartanburg was at the 2010 SC Engineering Conference to receive his $2,500, the proceeds from the foundation’s sweepstakes.

Foundation President, Mr. Josh Fowler, organized the sweepstakes fund raiser to raise funds for scholarships to rising juniors and seniors engineering students attending accredited engineering colleges in the state and for funding the State MathCounts program. He distributed sweepstakes tickets to Foundation trustees to sell during the last several months.

The fund raiser added to the Foundation’s goal of reaching investments of $100,000. This fund raiser is not the only source of contributions. Each year the foundation sells mulligans at the SC Engineering Conference golf tournament. However, the majority of the foundation’s funds come from annual memberships from engineers who are interested in giving back to the profession by building the foundation that provides scholarships to engineering students and opens the door to middle school students to mathematics through MathCounts.

Mr. Fowler and the other SCSPE Educational Foundation’s trustees encourage you to join the foundation through a contribution and support the sweepstakes and mulligan sales the golf tournament.

SCSPE Host Licensing Ceremony for Newly Registered Engineers July 20 at the State House
SCSPE began hosting licensing ceremonies for newly registered engineers some years ago. At this ceremony, held in the State House, SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors members present registration certificates to the new engineers and surveyors after welcoming them into the professions.

An SCSPE officer also welcomes the new registrants to the profession and typically advises the engineers and surveyors to take the high road, be ethical and be proud of their professions.

Following the ceremony, a reception is held at a nearby facility for the new registrants, their families, friends and often employers. Registration board members and SCSPE members also attend the reception as well as the ceremony.

These ceremonies are held twice a year, following the PE and PLS exams.  The next ceremony and reception is Tuesday, July 20 at 3 p.m. at the State House with the reception following at the Palmetto Club. If you wish to participate in this ceremony, please let us know by email admin@jma-associations.com.

Coastal/Pee Dee Chapter wins 2010 Chapter Excellence Award
The Coastal/Pee Dee Chapter has a major obstacle, geography to make its chapter work. Nevertheless, year after year it has a sound working organization providing chapter meetings, a strong MathCounts program and good participation at state activities, including leadership.

SCSPE Executive Director, Joe Jones, presented the award to the chapter during the SCSPE Annual Meeting at the 2010 SC Engineering Conference in Charleston last month.

Mr. Mark Schowalter accepted the plaque for the Chapter.

Mr. Jones said Coastal/Pee Dee Chapter had consistently strong attendance at chapter meetings despite the space the chapter encompasses by holding meeting in Florence and in Myrtle Beach.  Also, the chapter’s MathCounts program was strong with a good number of schools participating.