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President's Message - February 2022

February 1^st is the start of Black History Month, which grew out of a celebration of the birthdays of both President Abraham Lincoln and prominent abolitionist Fredrick Douglass. I ask you to help me celebrate the history and contributions of our Black Civil Engineers. Within our newsletter this month, we have an essay featuring Archie Alexander. One notable project is the bridge, seawall, and gate at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

Alexander’s steel stringer bridge and inlet gate were erected at the Potomac River inlet of the basin which is surrounded by many world-class sites such as the Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the George Mason Memorial, and the John Paul Jones Memorial. His work is still in use and serves as a connection between all these sites.

Civil Engineers are problem solvers at the very foundation of civilization. Society is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, identities, and cultures who in turn have diverse interests and needs. In our profession’s service, we need to include those diverse perspectives in order to ensure that our solutions will continue serve the communities. Diverse perspectives inspire creative thinking and drive innovative solutions to the challenges we face in our projects.

Warm regards,

Ed Penton, P.E.