Spring Cleaning & the Mid-Term Report
Isn’t it great when spring time rolls around in Texas? The cold days of winter give way to more pleasant temperatures; the grass, flowers and trees begin showing renewed color; and the activity level picks up everywhere. It is also a time to do a little “spring cleaning” – to reflect on how things are, but spruce things up to get ready for what lies ahead.
Mid-Term Report– Along with the change of seasons, it is also time for the Branch Mid-Term Report. I am halfway through the year as your Branch President for the 2010 – 2011, and I am proud of what we have accomplished so far. A couple of the big changes we made this year were moving the location for Branch meetings and changing the meeting date to the second Monday of the month. Both changes have been well-received, and attendance at meetings has been good. I started off the presidency by asking for ASCE members to “step up” by volunteering for Branch educational outreach events –YOU, the members, have risen to the occasion, and the support this year has been outstanding!
Looking forward, we still have several goals to accomplish, but I can safely say that they are all underway, and are well within our grasp. Some things to look forward to during the Spring and Summer sessions are:
Golf Tournament & Scholarships- It looks like our big fundraiser of the year, the ASCE Joint Dallas/Fort Worth Branch Golf Tournament, has been a great success, thanks to our Golf Tournament Chair, Matt Gautreaux, the Golf Committee, and all who helped put the tournament together and pledged money to sponsor and support the event. All proceeds will go to fund scholarships for future civil engineers. You can find out more about scholarships by contacting our Scholarship Chair, Nicole Carrillo, and reading more on the Branch web site – the deadline to apply is April 30.
Programs – Our Programs Chair, Edra Brashear, has organized a great group of speakers for the Branch Meetings this year, and has now lined up speakers for the remainder of the year – The best is yet to come, so don’t miss any of it!
Technical Group Seminars – The Branch has been able to have outstanding technical group seminars after Branch meetings, and these will continue thanks to the leadership of our hard-working Technical Director, Kristen Green, and the Technical Group Chairs. We have also organized a couple half-day and full-day technical seminars. These programs and technical seminars allow us to sharpen our knowledge and skills as civil engineers, and accrue much-needed PDH credits!
Society & Branch Membership – On an important note, it has come to my attention that there are over 300 past ASCE Members who have not renewed their National and/or Branch dues for 2011. If you fall into this category, please check to make sure your contact information (profile) is current on the ASCE National Web Site, and renew NOW so you can continue receiving the great benefits outlined above.
Texas Section Meeting –Mark your calendars now and sign up to attend the ASCE Spring 2011 Texas Section Meeting on April 27-30 in beautiful Bryan/College Station – Registration details for this as well as all the events outlined above can be found on the Branch Web Site.
April Branch Meeting– Our next Branch Meeting will be at Noon on April 11 at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum Hotel. Our Speaker will be Ms. Rebecca Rasor, Director of the Trinity River Corridor Project for the City of Dallas. Rebecca will give us the “Latest Updates to the Trinity Corridor Project”, which is a project that will impact everyone in the Dallas area, as well as the engineering community!
The Branch’s Own Project Runway– Be on the lookout for trendy Branch Apparel at the April Meeting as well – SPRING FORWARD AND CATCH ALL THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE DALLAS BRANCH!
Jeff Hawkins, P.E.President
ASCE Dallas Branch, 2010 - 2011
