APRIL 2005 Welcome to "The Exchange,"      ACEC/MW's Monthly Member Newsletter Table of Contents HOME (PAGE) IMPROVEMENT 12th ANNUAL ACEC/MW GOLF TOURNAMENT DATABASE UPDATES AND ENHANCEMENT ACEC/MW COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES “BUILDING TODAY FOR TOMORROW’S GROWTH” PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE SURVEY ACEC/MW WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBER UPCOMING EVENTS

HOME ( PAGE) IMPROVEMENT
We kept the hard hats and scaffolding out of view, but crews have been hard at work on a major reconstruction of the ACEC/MW website. You’re invited to a virtual “Open House” as the majority of the renovations have been completed. Please visit www.ACECmw.org and click around; as you explore the site, please let us know if you encounter any technical glitches that need to be added to our Punch List. There is now more information on ACEC/MW activities and events, an updated membership directory, and the proud presentation of the 2004-2005 Excellence in Engineering Award winning firms and projects. ACEC/MW members will find a more robust "Members Only" section that will continue to grow as we receive your comments on additional resources to be added. Please forward your comments and suggestions the ACEC/MW Staff.

12th ANNUAL ACEC/MW GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Farmer’s Almanac Weather Forecast for April 22: Deceptively pleasant. Plan to join with friends, colleagues, and business associates and spend a deceptively pleasant afternoon at the ACEC/MW 12th Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, April 22 at Bretton Woods Golf Course in Germantown, Maryland. Lunch will begin at 11:30 am and the tournament shotgun start is at 1 pm. ACEC/MW encourages your firms to sponsor, play, and invite clients. This is an open event – you do not need to be an ACEC /MW member to participate.

A hearty “THANK YOU” to the 2005 Golf Tournament Sponsors (as of April 1): A. Morton Thomas & Associates; ABC Imaging; Alpha Corporation; Ames & Gough; Ehlert/Bryan, Inc.; JVP Engineers, PC; Michael Baker Jr., Inc.; PBS&J; Schnabel Engineering, Inc.; and Volkert & Associates, Inc. There are a number of sponsorship opportunities still available but don’t wait and lose the opportunity to get your company’s name where you want it! Contact James H. Johnson for additional information.

DATABASE UPDATES AND ENHANCEMENT
Over 50% of ACEC/MW member firms have responded to our call for assistance in updating and enhancing the membership database. This ambitious program involved restructuring the database and defining the appropriate data that ACEC/MW should be tracking to best serve the members. ACEC/MW staff will continue to contact the member firms that have not responded with their updates. Questions or comments about this project may be directed to James H. Johnson, ACEC/MW Executive Director or Rick Garcia, ACEC/MW Project Coordinator.

ACEC/MW COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
To review meeting records of the ACEC/MW Committees (Environment, Facilities, Legislative, Membership, Transportation, and Program), ACEC/MW members can access the Members Only section and enter the User Name and Password. If you do not have the User Name and Password, please contact James H. Johnson or Rick Garcia. Access to committee meeting records is a benefit of your firm’s membership in ACEC/MW. If you would like to join a committee and be notified of the upcoming meetings, please complete the Committee Interest Form and return it to ACEC/MW.

“BUILDING TODAY FOR TOMORROW’S GROWTH”
The 2005 ACEC/MW Annual Conference will be held May 19 at the Waterford at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia. This year’s event features three concurrent education tracks including marketing practices, business industry practices, and business development practices and the annual Awards Luncheon with keynote address by Dr. Stephen Fuller, an authority on economic, housing, and employment trends in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. A number of sponsorship opportunities are available for member and non-member companies to show their support of the organization. Additional attendees from ACEC/MW member firms will qualify for the Add-a-Member rates with sponsorships. New at the Conference this year are the vendor and firm exhibits. If you are interested in exhibit space, or know a company that should be approached for exhibiting, please contact Joe Monahan at 703 450 0800 or jmonahan@alphacorporation.com. Registration, exhibit, and sponsorship information is now available. Register before May 6, 2005 and save!

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE SURVEY
Each year ACEC/National conducts a survey of member firms regarding their professional liability insurance experience. This survey collects information on ACEC member firms' professional liability insurance, their claims experience, and the impact of the threat of litigation. The results provide benchmarking information for ACEC members as well as information ACEC/National uses in their tort reform efforts. All member firms – at the headquarters office level – are strongly encouraged to participate in this survey. The deadline for completing the survey is by the close of business on April 15, 2005. For technical questions regarding the survey, please contact ACEC/National’s La'Creshea Makonnen at lmakonnen@acec.org. The results of the survey will be compiled and a summary will be published in Last Word, with a more detailed article to follow in Engineering Inc.

ACEC/MW WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBER
The Board of Directors approved the following for ACEC/MW membership last month. Please take a moment to welcome them to the Association at the next meeting or event. If you are interested in membership information, please contact James H. Johnson or submit a membership application.

     Member Firm and Primary Contact:
     Middle East Environmental Consultants LLC – Gerald A. Strobel

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 14, 2005
ACEC/MW Business Opportunities Networking Luncheon
DC Government and DC Agencies
11:30 am - 1:30 pm / Maggiano's, Tyson's Corner Galleria, McLean, VA
     One Professional Development Hour Offered

April 22, 2005
ACEC/MW Golf Tournament
Lunch – 11:30 am / Shotgun Start – 1:00 pm
Bretton Woods Golf Course, Germantown, MD
     Sponsorship Opportunities Available.

May 19, 2005
ACEC/MW Annual Conference
“Building Today for Tomorrow’s Growth”
8:00 am – 1:30 pm / The Waterford at Fair Oaks, Fairfax, VA
     Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities Available.
     Four Professional Development Hours Offered

June 9, 2005
ACEC/MW Business Opportunities Networking Luncheon
Metro Area Schools
11:30 am - 1:30 pm / Maggiano's, Tyson's Corner Galleria, McLean, VA      One Professional Development Hour Offered

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