The benefits of membership
by Tim Schaffer, Executive Director, Ohio Society
of Professional Engineers
In our pursuit of serving our members with the best products and services, OSPE
continually strives to come up with new ideas you can use. We see OSPE as an
organization that creates solutions, a place that solves problems and helps you
in your career.
One year, we introduced the OSPE Career
Transition Kit, a packet full of information that can help you if you get
"transitioned" out of your job. Another year, we created EFO’s
Imagine Engineering second grade program, because our leaders wanted to
introduce engineering into Ohio’s elementary schools so kids understand at an
early age why math and science are important.
This year, OSPE is introducing yet another
beneficial program, the OSPE New Member Orientation. New members can schedule a
half day to come to the headquarters office to meet the staff members who are
responsible for the various member benefits and receive a thorough introduction
to what OSPE can do for them. We’ll review NSPE, OSPE, local chapters, and the
relationship we have with the Engineers Foundation of Ohio–all of which have
enormous benefits for our members.
It is our hope that this new program will help
highlight the important things about our great organizations. For example, OSPE
will pay for one member who has lost a job to attend EFO’s Engineers
Leadership Institute. However, despite this benefit, I think it has been several
years since we had someone apply for that fellowship. Instead, we want anyone
who is eligible to at least know they have an opportunity to attend ELI if they
need leadership training.
If there are other benefits of membership you
would like OSPE to investigate, give me a call at OSPE at 1-800-654-9481
(223-1144 in Columbus).
James Beasley, PE, PS, starts
work as ODOT director
OSPE, in conjunction with the County
Engineers Association of Ohio, has invested a significant amount of government
affairs effort in the last year seeking to have a PE, PS appointed as director
of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
Our efforts were rewarded on January 10. Governor
Ted Strickland has appointed Brown County Engineer James Beasley, PE, PS, as the
director of ODOT.
Beasley is the first professional engineer in
nearly a decade to lead the state transportation department.
ODOT oversees Ohio’s $2.1 billion annual
transportation program. The department is responsible for designing, building
and maintaining Ohio’s nearly 20,000 miles of state, U.S. and interstate
highways. Ohio has the second largest inventory of bridges, the fourth largest
interstate highway system and the 10th largest highway system in the nation.
ODOT also helps coordinate and develop Ohio’s public transportation and
aviation programs. These include 56 public transit systems and nearly 200 public
airports.
"As evident from this extensive
responsibility, it is necessary that the person in charge be a licensed
professional engineer," said John Troy, PE, OSPE vice president of
legislative and government affairs.
"Since these responsibilities trickle down
to the district director level," Troy continued, "the appointment of
professional engineers at the district level is also a high priority of
OSPE."
Strickland will want to appoint his own district
directors because, as he stated, they "are key implementers of statewide
policy."
Beasley began his duties as director of ODOT on
March 5.
"I am eager to work with our state’s
various regions and cities to ensure that all Ohioans have access to a quality,
statewide transportation system," Beasley said.
As Brown County Engineer, Beasley supervised all
public improvements and maintenance of the county’s highway system, including
all safety projects, and the design, construction and maintenance of bridges,
roads and culverts.
Prior to becoming Brown County Engineer, Beasley
worked as the county’s deputy engineer, served as the sole proprietor of
Beasley Engineer and Surveying, and worked for the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources.
Beasley graduated from the Ohio State University
with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He also earned his master’s
degree in hydraulic and hydrologic engineering from Ohio State.
"I’ve known Jim for more than 30
years," Gov. Strickland said. "And I know – without a doubt – that
he has the character and integrity needed to manage this crucial
department."
"I am confident that he will not only be a
tremendous leader in developing and maintaining safe roads for Ohioans, but will
guide the department in a way that helps create jobs," Strickland said.
Feature
Ohio's ethics
law & the P.E.
by David Freel, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics
Commission
Ethics has been given considerable public and media attention recently, which is
a positive step in increasing awareness of and compliance with Ohio’s Ethics
Law. The first Executive Order Governor Strickland issued created a new ethics
policy for state officials.
However, many may not be aware that Ohio’s Ethics Law has actually been in
place since 1973 when the Ohio General Assembly responded to the Watergate
scandal by making Ohio one of the first states to enact an Ethics Law, and
delegating significant oversight of a code of ethical conduct to the Ohio Ethics
Commission.
The Ethics Law steps into public actions where a public official has a direct
personal or outside business or family interest that has the potential or
character of conflict of interest. By restricting the actions of public
officials who have direct conflicts of interest, the Ethics Law reduces the
possible impact of self-interest before it results in some exchange of
public action in return for illegal influence. Therefore, the Law assures that
taxpayers do not have to later judge whether the expenditures of significant
public funds or public decisions actually were done to serve the public
interest, or were directed by the official’s self-interest.
The Ethics Law governs more than half a million public officials and employees
throughout Ohio; in fact, the Ethics Law governs every public servant in
Ohio under a uniform standard. Additionally, the Ethics Law applies to any
private or non-profit sector person, business, company or association doing or
seeking to do business with, regulated by, or having interests before
government. Therefore, it is especially important that both the public and
private sectors remain vigilant in meeting the expectations of government
embodied in the Ethics Law and understand how the Ethics Commission can assist
them.
The Ethics Commission is often asked for practical advice on working ethically
and effectively to ensure compliance with the Ethics Law. The following are
helpful "Ethics Tips" for public and private sector professional
engineers:
• Recognize that Public Service is
different from the private or non-profit sectors. Ohio is fortunate to
have many quality state and local officials and public employees, including
public sector engineers. In their public role, though, public servants do not
represent their own interest or that of their own private employer or company;
their responsibility is to the public. Public officials hold public trust and
require public confidence to do their job. Therefore, restrictions on public
officials may be different than in the private sector promoting impartial
public actions.
• The Ethics Law addresses serious
conflicts of interest. Recent scandals in investments at the Bureau of
Workers Compensation and in the public pension systems the Ethics Commission
has investigated demonstrate that illegal actions involving self-interest do
occur regardless of the restrictions of law. The Ethics Law exists to address
serious and significant threats to public actions and oversight sometimes
involving thousands and even millions of dollars of public funds. The Ethics
Law is one component in our system of democratic governance that reinforces
the significance of fiduciary responsibility to public funds.
• Job offers to public employees are
valuable things. Ohio’s public officials and employees are a significant
resource, and the private sector may see them as strong candidates for jobs.
Be aware that a job offer to a public servant is a thing of substantial value
under the law. The Ethics Law prohibits those who do business with or have
interests before a public agency from offering employment to the officials and
employees of the agency, without that official removing their involvement from
affected matters. Remember, public servants who are negotiating a future job
or consulting opportunity cannot also continue official interactions as a
public servant with that private organization.
• The "Revolving Door" is
important to public governance. Sharing expertise between the private and
public sectors brings value to taxpayers and citizens. However, the Ethics Law
limits "Revolving Door" activity, similar to the limits of a
non-compete agreement in the private sector, to protect against conflicts of
interest. In effect, individuals who leave public service have a year
"cooling off" period before they can represent new employers or
clients on matters in which they have been involved.
• Public employees should pay their
way to entertainment events. The Ethics Law does not prohibit social
functions – in fact, the public may benefit from interaction with private or
non-profit actors – the law simply obliges public employees to pay for most
entertainment events themselves. Generally, for example, public officials and
employees must pay their own way for a golf outing or fine dining, in order to
protect both the private party and the public servant from challenges
to the impartiality of public actions. If a private sector organization
invites a public official or employee to participate in such an event, a
method must be provided for the public servant to pay his equal share of the
costs. In fact, many public agencies have ethics policies that create
expectations beyond the legal standard, such as Governor Strickland’s new
Executive Order overseeing state officials. Care should be taken to observe
those standards.
Ask before taking action. Perhaps the most valuable advice regarding
the Ethics Law is to ask before you act, whether you have business with a
public agency, or you serve as a public official. While most officials and
employees know to contact the Ohio Ethics Commission when they have questions,
those in the private sector often do not realize that they can also take
advantage of this valuable resource. While private sector standards like
Sarbanes-Oxley hold selected corporate behavior accountable, they also
requires clear processes to respond to serious questions. Likewise, when you
have a question or concern about your interactions with public servants, keep
the Ethics Commission in mind and do not hesitate to call the Ethics
Commission.
While the investigation and review of substantial
and significant violations of the Ethics Law draws attention, it is but one of
the five duties assigned by the Legislature to the bipartisan and experienced
membership of the Ethics Commission. These five statutory responsibilities are:
• Advisory opinions apply the Ethics
Law to specific facts and are available to public officials or those doing
business with them who are considering, but have not yet undertaken, an action
that may involve an inherent conflict. Any of the hundreds of opinions issued
by the Commission each year provides a legal application of the law and any
person who complies with the opinion immunity from civil action, criminal
prosecution, and other sanctions.
• Ethics Education and public
information is offered free of charge to both the public and private
sectors. In 2006, the Commission conducted 199 separate educational sessions
to 13,000 people in Ohio and also provides informational brochures and fact
sheets, and other educational outreach to public officials, public employees,
and the private sector. Please visit our website at www.ethics.ohio.gov
• Investigations into allegations
of unethical activity are regularly launched by the Commission, including 140
active investigations in 2006. The most serious of these criminal
investigations require confidential factual investigation and can lead to
possible criminal prosecution.
Financial Disclosure Statements are annually submitted to the
Commission by 11,000 public officials, including state, county and city
elected office-holders, candidates for those public offices and high-ranking
state officials. These disclosures assist your elected and appointed officials
in identifying potential conflicts of interest, and keep the public informed
about those conflicts to impartial public decision-making.
• Legislative consultation allows
the Commission to provide input and research ethics-related statutory changes
with Ohio’s elected officials to craft legislation related to ethics,
conflicts of interest and financial disclosure that protects the public
interest and provides a level playing field to citizens and business.
The Ohio Ethics Commission is available to answer
your questions at (614) 466-7090, and to assist the private and public sectors
in understanding and complying with the Ethics Law. Again, please visit our web
site at www.ethics.ohio.gov. A brief investment of time, before you act,
may help to save you and your agency or organization a tremendous amount of
resources, money, and lost goodwill. The vast majority of public servants and
private companies want to act ethically; the Ethics Commission welcomes the
opportunity to work with them all to help maintain the highest ethical
standards.
Engineering Leader Profile
Alan Olson, PE
Occupation:
Currently, I am the director of
technology and product stewardship for Ferro Corp., headquartered in Cleveland,
Ohio. Ferro is a $1+ billion manufacturer of chemicals, plastics, pharmaceutical
intermediates, ceramics, porcelain enamel and electronic materials. Also, I am
vice chairman of the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and
Surveyors.
Age: Over
40 for some time now.
Education:
Chemical engineering, business
administration, polymer science and technology management. I earned a chemical
engineering degree from Tufts University and an MBA from University of
Connecticut.
Characterize your current
occupation:
Technical management for several
nanotechnology and "green" projects, and regulatory compliance for a
great variety of products around the world.
Overview of career:
Research and testing of fuel
cells, chemical process development on polymers, business management of product
lines, technical management of research and engineering groups along with
regulatory compliance. In general, I have worked for large industrial companies.
Also, I have been part of the leadership of OSPE and the State Board of
Registration.
How has the profession changed?
Ever increasing globalization,
regulation and computerization. I still have a T-square and slide rule, but I
have also managed a small, but successful group of molecular modeling
scientists. These are quantum changes in a very short period of time.
What does the profession need?
Educating the public in general, and
policymakers in particular, that our current and future prosperity and security
rest with the engineering and science professions. This begins by communicating
and building trust.
Biggest challenge for public policymakers?
Finding technical people to provide
input as the basis of informed decisions, and then finding the time to listen to
them and implement their recommendations.
What is your management style, philosophy?
It depends upon the situation.
Sometimes being a visionary is appropriate. Other times, it is important to
coach a team, and even decide on details. All situations require listening to
the group, picking the right style, applying just the right amount of oversight,
and being decisive. In the end, the team needs to feel responsible for the
outcome and celebrate the success.
What makes an engineering leader?
A willingness to move beyond
well-defined technical boundaries. An ability to communicate a vision, set a
strategy, and then motivate a diversity of people across professions to achieve
the goals and objectives.
What do you do to relax?
Spend time with our three kids,
work on our house and yard, play sports (tennis, golf, skiing), and cook.
'Engineer as Leader' educates
62 engineers
Sixty-two practicing engineers and students met in Columbus this past
February for The Engineers Leadership Institute: The Engineer As Leader,
a 10.5 CPD hour course sponsored by the Engineers Foundation of Ohio. The
mission of the program is to invest leadership training in upwardly-mobile
engineers.
Participants were exposed to the teachings of
management consultant James Dalton, CAE, a nationally renowned leadership expert
with special insight to engineering leadership.
Through The Engineer As Leader, Dalton
teaches engineers how to motivate others by "touching their values."
Participants also learn about situational leadership and develop their range of
leadership skills.
At the end of the two-day course, The Engineer
As Leader earned excellent reviews on the program evaluations:
• "Best presentation technique or
approach I've experienced in years."
• "Very informative
program. Would recommend this course for all PEs."
• "Perfect for new and
old managers and leaders."
• "Very useful."
• "Good exposure to an
area or skill engineers typically don't think about."
Participants took home with them numerous
concepts to employ back at their offices, as well as materials:
• "Planted many seeds, eager to foster
their growth."
• "I enjoyed the
discussion on level five managers."
• "A clearer idea of how
to get things done in my organization."
• "The program helped set
me in motion to be a more effective leader, to become a better engineer, and
to improve others."
• "Informative.
Entertaining and practical information to be able to make a change in our
office."
• "Materials give good
context. I plan to share them with my staff."
• "The articles and
slides will be very useful to me."
About Dalton, participants said:
• "Jim is very knowledgable and is a
great speaker."
• "Very well versed, well
spoken, with a varied background and depth of experience."
• "Good speaker,
excellent content, two-way discussions, kept my attention."
• "Excellent
presenter."
• "Depth of knowledge of
the subject of leadership was impressive."
• "One of the most
interesting and informative speakers that I have listened to."
• "Great stories to
support key points."
Alfred
Soboyejo, PhD, to Develop "Wind Maps" for Use in Design,
Agriculture
The weather may be unpredictable,
but through the development of unique statistical models, one Ohio State
University researcher is hoping to pull the reins on one element’s destructive
effects.
Soboyejo, PhD, an OSU agricultural engineer and a member of the Ohio Society of
Professional Engineers, has developed probabilistic engineering models to
calculate the impact wind has on agriculture and property. From the models,
Soboyejo plans to create wind maps for every state that architects and engineers
can use in building designs, that farmers can use to prepare for potential wind
disasters, and that OSU agents can use as educational tools. The models and
subsequent wind maps are the first wind-related resource tools of their kind to
be developed in the United States.
"The effects of wind damage have cost immense losses to agricultural crops,
structures and infrastructures all over the world," said Soboyejo, an
associate professor with the departments of Food, Agricultural, and Biological
Engineering and Aerospace Engineering and Aviation. "We don’t know much
about the science of wind itself, but we, as engineers and applied scientists,
can try to solve that problem using probabilistic engineering models to
characterize wind speeds."
It all began when he was eight . . .
Collecting data & putting it to use
Wind damage can result from a variety of weather-related phenomenon, including
hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms and normal changes in atmospheric pressure
due to differences in surface and air temperatures.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), between
1988 and 2002, weather-related disasters caused nearly $200 billion in damages
and losses. Wind damage brought on by severe weather was included in that
figure.
In developing the models, Soboyejo collected monthly extreme wind speeds from
almost 300 weather stations across the United States over the past five years.
He is using the data to formulate guidelines for structural designs based on
four major categories of wind effects on the environment: coastal zones, open
countryside where agriculture and rural development take place, areas between
rural and urban developments and urban areas.
Wind speeds, said the researcher, tend to be higher in coastal areas and
gradually decline as wind currents travel through urbanized areas.
In Ohio, for example, Soboyejo found that areas between Cincinnati and Columbus
generally have low winds, between 50 and 70 miles per hour. The further north
one goes, the higher the wind speed calculated. Highest wind speeds of 90 mph or
higher are generally found along Lake Erie.
"Information like this could have great value because it would help give
people a fresh look at disaster mitigation efforts," said Soboyejo.
"Engineers could design more reliable and safer structures based on wind
effects, farmers would have better information on possible destructive effects
which high wind speeds can have on agriculture in their areas, and it would open
up new opportunities to develop decision-making tools to help minimize property
losses from wind damage."
The results of research can also lead to important beneficial applications in
the planning and designing of agricultural education, systems and facilities;
safer and more reliable structures; and airport facilities.
He plans to develop a website to market the data, wind maps and other results of
the research (updated yearly) for use in the United States as well as in other
countries.
Recently, Soboyejo returned to Nigeria for a visit and put his knowledge and
"wind skills" to use there.
Members
on the Move
EFO Past President Fred
Tito, PE, named Engineer of the Year by Toledo Chapter of OSPE
At a Toledo Engineers Week luncheon, Frederick
Tito, PE, was named 2007 Engineer of the Year by the local chapter of OSPE.
Tito is a partner with The JDI Group, Inc., a
full service engineering/architectural firm offering architectural, electrical,
mechanical, structural, process and packaging services. The firm is starting its
fifth year and has 27 employees.
Tito’s career has been in the electrical and
controls engineering field. He has specialized in industrial food and has served
many clients, including Union Carbide, Xerox, Ford, Honda, Anderson Development,
Marathon, FedEx, General Mills and others.
For the past five years Tito has been the lead
electrical engineer for numerous General Mills projects, one being a new
greenfield Yoplait Yogurt Plant in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Tito has been a member of the National Society of
Professional Engineers, the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and
its Toledo Chapter since becoming a professional engineer in 1983.
He has served the Toledo Chapter in a number of
leadership roles, including that of president, MATHCOUNTS chair, Constitution
and By-Laws Committee co-chair, Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee
co-chair and others.
Tito has also served OSPE as a board member,
treasurer, Budget Committee chair and a member of the Legislative &
Governmental Affairs Committee.
The Engineers Foundation of Ohio (EFO) has been
very important to Tito. He has served EFO in a number of capacities, crowning
his service by becoming its president in 2003-2004.
Tito has been a part of the MATHCOUNTS program
since it started in 1982. He believes MATHCOUNTS benefits sixth, seventh and
eighth graders and feels it is rewarding to see program alumni become
engineering students at the University of Toledo.
In 2006, Tito earned EFO's highest honor, the
President’s Award, for his numerous service and contributions.
Members
on the Move
Dave Pritchard, PE,
retires from Burgess & Niple
Longtime OSPE member David Pritchard, PE, has
retired from Burgess & Niple as an associate of the firm.
A mid-January luncheon surprised Pritchard with
the number of guests and the array of speakers present to celebrate his 35 years
of service .
Pritchard joined B&N in 1971 and was elected
an associate in 1990. Responsible for water resource and alternate energy
projects, he directed and participated in numerous studies and developed plans
for several dam rehabilitation projects. Pritchard also led a number of
international projects in Trinidad, Romania and most recently in Mali.
Pritchard is active in OSPE's Legislative and
Government Affairs Committee and in the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Ohio PE's Help
Homeowners Prepare for Tornadoes
To help Ohio homeowners prepare
for the upcoming tornado season, the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers
(OSPE) has published a new brochure, "Helping to Protect Your Home from
Tornadoes," in partnership with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA).
The brochure was launched during National Engineers Week.
"When a tornado hits a
community, homeowners are left wondering why some houses withstand storm
pressures while others collapse," said OSPE Executive Director Tim
Schaffer. "Professional engineers with construction experience are uniquely
qualified to offer valuable structural information to homeowners so they can
minimize damage when severe storms hit."
According to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), most of Ohio ranks in the highest risk category for
extreme winds, including tornadoes.
The OSPE brochure, written and edited
by professional engineers, including OSPE member Don Liszkay, PE, of
Criterium Withem Liszkay Engineers, and Tom Swain, PE, of Ralph Swain
Builder Company, features a list of 10 things homeowners can do to help prepare
for tornadoes.
It provides access to essential
storm, tornado and flood information from OEMA and FEMA.
"The OEMA and FEMA offer a
wealth of information on tornado preparedness and safety," Schaffer said.
"They provide plans for building a 'safe room' inside your home. In
addition, they can tell you about Federal flood insurance, offer a list of items
a family should pack in its disaster supplies kit, and a checklist of
preparedness suggestions."
An electronic version of "Helping
to Protect Your Home from Tornadoes" can be found at www.ohioengineer.com.
Hard copies can be obtained by
sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to OSPE, 400 South Fifth Street,
Suite 300, Columbus, OH 43215-5430.
Make Your
Career Recession Proof
by Tim Schaffer, Executive Director, Ohio Society of Professional Engineers
A lot of members ask me, “How do I weather this economic storm, and how long
will it last?” Each time I
consider my response carefully, I wonder if I can provide any more information
than anyone else’s guess.
Time after time, my mind resorts to a common theme.
While none of us knows what the economic future holds, we do know the
best way to endure economic slumps—by being a member of the National Society
of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers
(OSPE) and your local chapter. Together,
all three have enormous resources to help prevent finding yourself on the
receiving end of a pink slip.
I can not emphasize enough that the best way to survive cutbacks at your
employer is to have already demonstrated your well-roundedness as an engineering
leader. It is no coincidence that
NSPE’s and OSPE’s membership benefits are all focused to prevent
interruptions in our members’ careers.
How can you recession-proof your career? It’s
a simple formula. Make yourself too
valuable to your employer to be cut loose.
First, hone your leadership skills by assuming a major role in NSPE, OSPE or
your local chapter. This is where
you learn how to lead your peers, as well as gain career exposure. While technical societies are beneficial for similar
experience, only in NSPE do you gain exposure to all engineering disciplines.
The Engineers Foundation of Ohio (EFO) and OSPE are often looking for someone
who provides “the right fit” for a specific position. Our leaders, like Doug Holz, PE, Dan Walch, PE, Al
Fullenkamp, PE, PS, and Bob Fuller, PE, all started in other positions in our
organizations before they became presidents.
Second, you must, absolutely must, join a group outside engineering.
While I am not advertising competing membership in service clubs, being
active outside of engineering exposes you to other ways of doing things and
helps you develop relationships with non-engineers—a critical link in learning
leadership skills in life.
Finally, study other great leaders’ models.
That is one reason why we introduced the OhioENGINEER column,
“Engineering Leader Profile.” OSPE
can also help you study leadership styles through our video lending library and
the Engineers Leadership Institute. And
sometimes the only way to gain exposure to other great leaders is to become the
protege behind one of them. Learn
from your mentors and absorb how they accomplish goals.
|
