Vision, Leadership and Experience
I am humbled by the vote of confidence given to me by the ASCE nominating committee and by the opportunity to serve our members as ASCE President-Elect. I am humbled by the support and encouragement I have received from many of our members, regions, sections and institutes. I have visited with our members and experienced first hand how enthusiastic they are about ASCE’s initiatives and programs in general and about this election in particular.
The world is suffering from an unprecedented economic downturn; ASCE is not isolated or immune to this downturn. Our Society income is experiencing a shortfall. Our reserves are falling below our Board approved target of 35%. What ASCE needs to sustain success and maintain the high level of services and benefits for our members is a seasoned and experienced leadership that can steer our ship in these unchartered waters of economic downturn.
As the immediate ASCE Past Treasurer and past Chair of the Finance and Programs Committees and of the Membership Benefits and Investment Subcommittees, I can personally attest that our financial foundations are solid. We have a strong programs, strong membership, and national and internationally recognized stature. Thanks to the work of volunteers like you and our ASCE staff, we are at the summit of the mountain of professional societies.
What we need now is to sustain our success and to continue our position at the summit. We need to work together to face up to the expected and Unexpected challenges over the coming years. ASCE and its members need leadership with a seasoned background in Society finances to meet the economic challenges while maintaining membership values and membership benefits. When it comes to selecting the incoming President-Elect there is no substitute for experiences with ASCE programs, benefits, and financial management.
I want to put my 45 years of USA and international professional experience, my Institutes experience as a sitting governor of the Geo-Institute, my 29 years of ASCE Sections and branches’ involvement, and my 19 years service on the ASCE national Board of Direction, District 1 Director, Society Treasurer, officer representative to the Executive Committee and Chair of major board committees and subcommittees at the service of our members and provide leadership over the upcoming challenging years.
In addition to the economic challenges, we have more work to do to achieve several ASCE priorities: 1) improving the image of Civil Engineer by raising the bar; 2) achieving the goals of ASCE’s strategic plan; and 3) implementing of the roadmap to vision 2025 which is: “The Civil Engineer would be entrusted by Society to help achieve a sustainable world and raise the global quality of life.”
Regardless of the magnitude of the challenges, we must preserve our core values in order to sustain our success. Together we can achieve our goals under my theme of C^3 which stands for “Coordinated Constructive Change.” To better serve our members, we need to find answers to the following questions: “What programs are we providing today and need to do better in the future?,” “What programs are we providing today that should be done differently in the future,?,” and “What new programs do we need to offer in the future to keep our members engaged?” I pledge that under my leadership the ASCE Board of Direction will work with our members, regions, section and branches, our institutes and our sister societies to meet and overcome the challenges that face our profession. I pledge that we will work together to evaluate and implement Coordinated Constructive Changes in the following major areas of ASCE operation:
MEMBERS’ BENEFITS AND PROGRAMS: In order for ASCE to grow and meet the future challenges, we must continue to improve members’ benefits and programs. I want to make sure that as a profession we continue to move forward to provide our members better opportunities and improved compensation. I am committed to continuing ASCE’s leadership in raising the bar, in influencing public policy on infrastructure and the environment and in advancing technology and sustainability.
POLICY: I will work to ensure that ASCE continues to be the steward of public policy. Policy is the heart of ASCE and the result of the labor of its members. Shaping and directing infrastructures and environmental policy cannot be left to others.
STRATEGY and ADVOCACY: I firmly believe that ASCE must continue to press on to achieve our strategic initiatives. We must use our resources to support our strategies. We must water what we want to grow.
EDUCATION: I see ASCE a leader in education. We will continue to educate our members and continue to influence policy and decision-makers regarding the need to increase funding for infrastructures and the environment. We must continue to raise the bar by influencing, reforming and shaping the future engineering educational curriculum.
UNIFICATION: My goal is to get all Civil Engineering Associations to agree to speak with one single voice that is heard loud and clear in the court of public opinion.
Fiscal Responsibility: I will lead an ASCE that will work harder to preserve its assets while providing resources for programs, for strategic initiatives, and for advocacy. I see an ASCE that is committed to finding new revenue sources to offset the need to raise dues.
All on Board: Should you honor me and select me to serve as ASCE President-Elect, I will focus my efforts on the needs of our members. For our long term sustained success, I will improve communications with our national and international members. I plan to work with our members, regions, sections and branches, and institutes to engage our members to embrace the “all on board” philosophy to sustain ASCE’s continuing success.
Confidence, transparency and effective communication: I commit to you that hard work and a full-time commitment will define my presidency. You have my personal pledge that my extensive experience makes me will prepared for the effort required to lead ASCE. I look forward to working with all of you improving and enhancing ASCE’s services to its members and to society.