Articles

President's Message - December 2015

Hello Branch Members,

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with your family and friends. Our industry has so much to be thankful for this past year with one being the passing of Proposition 7. The constitutional amendment is a significant step toward meeting the unmet funding needs for transportation projects in Texas by providing a stable source of funding dedicated to the construction and maintenance of roads. I am personally thankful the citizens of Texas voted to pass this amendment as it will provide civil engineers with jobs for years to come.

We had a successful November meeting with a full banquet room to hear Mr. Mansoor Ahsan, P.E., CEO from Bridgefarmer & Associates, Inc., speak about the IH 635 / LBJ Managed Lanes. A big thank you goes out to the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Dallas Post for joining us again this year and honoring the veterans serving in the military.

The officers and committee chairs have been working very hard this past month planning for the year. The following are a few of the action items:

• Finalizing the 2015 – 2016 budget

• Updating the 2016 Sponsorship program

• Began planning the Annual Joint Meeting with the Fort Worth Branch in Arlington

• Coordinated with TSPE for the E-Week luncheon

• Planning Education and Younger Members events

At the November meeting, Jennifer Roath, Education Chair, and Alexis Clark, Younger Member Chair, both gave announcements on what to expect for each committee this upcoming year. Please reach out to them if you are interested in attending or volunteering at these events. 

The Sponsorship Program for 2016 is currently being finalized. I am excited that we will once again have some great opportunities for Corporate Sponsors to help support the Branch’s General and G.B. Mann Scholarship funds. The Branch has over 1,100 active members and reaches over 7,500 people in the civil engineering industry in North Texas; therefore, our promotion of your sponsorship goes a long way. Please consider supporting your local ASCE Branch with your financial contribution! Be on the lookout for the flyer with the different sponsorship levels to be sent out very soon. If you have any questions, please contact Phillip Packer, Fundraising Chair, at [email protected]. 

Finally, I hope you can join us at our next meeting on Monday, December 14, 2015. We will not be having a technical session after the main luncheon and will instead be hosting our annual holiday gathering.  Please join us for dessert and networking with your fellow members. It will also give you an opportunity to donate to our annual Christmas is for Caring drive supporting the Denton State Supported Living Center (Denton State School).  The money we collect will help purchase basic needs for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Please consider bringing cash with you to the meeting and help us make this our most successful year yet! 

Happy Holidays!