FSU to Recognize Esteemed Graduates During Homecoming Weekend by Community News Releases Florida State University will recognize 10 distinguished alumni during the annual Alumni Awards event on Friday, Oct. 20, and three Grads Made Good Award recipients at the Homecoming Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed…
A Message From FES President Ronald Colas Dear FES members, Thank you again for your contributions and efforts to help Meridith Glass and her family. As I mentioned in my previous President’s message, I am very proud that our FES members and ACEC Florida colleagues have collectively exceeded the $100,000 goal to provide stability and…
Ardmore Roderick’s Jimenez Awarded 2023 Engineer of the Year by FES DXC News ORLANDO, FL — Eric M. Jimenez, PE, Vice President and Director of Southeast Operations of Ardmore Roderick, was awarded the 2023 Engineer of the Year Award by Florida Engineering Society (FES). The Engineer of the Year Award is given annually to a member of FES who…
Surfside condo collapse investigators reveal pool deck construction ‘deviated from design requirements’ Building collapse in June 2021 killed 98 people in Florida By Greg Norman Fox News Federal investigators examining the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, have revealed that the construction of the property’s pool deck “deviated from design requirements.” The changes…
A Message From FES President Ronald Colas Dear FES members, At the beginning of my tenure, I had planned to discuss the goals for the upcoming year in my monthly communications. We will begin that series in October. This month, I would like to pause to reflect on the overwhelming support of our community to…
Graduates Raise $100,000+ to Help Communities Impacted by Hurricane Ian TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (August 2, 2023) – Forty (40) Florida professional engineers recently graduated from Florida’s premiere engineering leadership program, the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI), as the Class of 2023, and have pledged to use the majority of their more than $100,000 in charitable fundraising…
Honors Outstanding Leaders in the Engineering Community TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (July 31, 2023) – The Florida Engineering Society (FES) is proud to announce that Orlando’s Eric M. Jimenez, PE has been named Florida’s Engineer of the Year, and Jacksonville’s Corey Chascin, PE has been named Florida’s Young Engineer of Year. These, and nine additional top engineering…
A Message From FES President Ronald Colas Thank you to my predecessor, Kelly Cranford, for her service for the past 12 months! Under her leadership, we re-aligned the FES committees and practice interest to ACEC Florida’s practice committees, we expanded our social media reach to include a Podcast, we have the newly branded FES Journal…
Dr. Charles Davis Dr. Charles Davis is the incoming President-Elect of the Florida Engineering Society. Host of the Florida Engineering Society, Engineering Florida Podcast, Sam Yates, recently sat down with Dr. Davis to learn more about him and his latest book Systematic Guide to Leadership Selection Using Total Quality Management Techniques. Dr. Davis also covers…
Community Associations Institute revises key condo-safety public policy recommendations by Laura Manning-Husband In the days prior to the two-year anniversary of the tragic partial collapse of Champlain Tower South, the Community Associations Institute announced some major changes to its recommended condo-safety policies and reforms. CAI, which is the leading organization representing the interests of community…
Among the recipients are six recent high school graduates, and six continuing university students. TALLAHASSEE, Fla (July 6, 2023) The Florida Engineering Society (FES) has awarded $36,000 in scholarships to recent Florida high school graduates and continuing university students who are pursuing engineering careers. Twelve (12) students from across Florida were selected to receive the…
Florida’s Water Quality Rules Pursuant to the Clean Waterways ActWritten by Susan Roeder Martin Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris, and Fumero Significant Rulemaking The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently adopted (pending ratification) the most significant rules in its history pertaining to stormwater quality. The rules will drastically alter the environmental resource permit (ERP) requirements for…
Wekiva Parkway Section 6 Project Wins ACEC Florida’s Outstanding Major Project Award Civil + Structural Engineer Media JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (JUNE 22, 2023) — Superior Construction, an American family-owned infrastructure contractor, is proud to announce its Wekiva Parkway Section 6 project has received the Outstanding Major Project Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida…
The MOU is to Increase Collaboration, Interchange of Information ORLANDO, Fla. (June 26, 2023) – Leaders from the Florida Engineering Society (FES) and Colegio De Ingenieros Y Agrimensores De Puerto Rico (CIAPR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) increasing communication and collaboration, and allowing these professionals to exchange scientific and technical information to strengthen…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, Wow – this year has flown by! We have increased our membership over the past year and have a definite “seat at the table” for the milestone building inspection rules, water quality rules, and regulations concerning the procurement of professional services. Remember: without friction, there is…
Surfside weighs luxury condo proposal for site of Champlain Towers South deadly collapse BY REBECCA SAN JUAN – Miami Herald Surfside has received plans for a luxury high-rise on the site of the deadly Champlain Towers South condominium collapse almost two years ago, bringing clarity — and, for some, disappointment — regarding redevelopment of the…
Faulty design may have doomed Surfside, Florida, tower long before collapse, investigators say By Jon Schuppe – NBC News Design flaws in the pool deck of the Surfside, Florida, apartment building where a partial collapse killed 98 people put the building at risk of failure before it was even built, federal investigators said Thursday. Poor construction of…
Gov. DeSantis signs condo safety changes By CBS Miami Team TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that will revise condominium-safety requirements passed after the deadly June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Lawmakers passed the initial requirements in 2022 to deal with issues such as condominium-building inspections and…
Testing 400 chunks of concrete – Surfside investigation moves into new phase By Greg Allen – NPR MIAMI — A federal team investigating the collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla. has moved into the next phase of its work. Ninety-eight people died on June 24, 2021 when part of the Champlain Towers South building unexpectedly…
Cherie Pinksy, COO Cherie Pinsky is Chief Operating Officer for both the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies. She sat down with Sam Yates, the host of Engineering Florida, to discuss Florida MATHCOUNTS® and the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute.
Florida is Facing an Engineering Staffing CrisisWritten by David Cowan, Jr, PE, ENV SP Senior Engineer, Chen Moore and Associates Filling in the Talent Gap News Alert! Florida is facing an engineering staffing crisis. Part of the solution, fortunately, could come in the form of recognizing the problem and recruiting new members for our Florida…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, Welcome to the start of Florida’s rainy season. Make sure your generators work, keep your gas tanks at least half full, and stock up on the rest of your “camping in your house” (aka hurricane season) supplies. It was beautiful weather as we held our annual…
Lawmakers support Gov. DeSantis’ Moving Florida Forward to speed up road construction By Gabrielle Russon – Florida Politics Gov. DeSantis scores a legislative victory with his plan to speed up 20 road construction projects. Florida lawmakers have greenlighted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to speed up 20 highway construction projects across the state. When the Legislative Session ended…
Florida lawmakers agree to $116 billion budget in final week By JEFFREY SCHWEERS | jschweers@orlandosentinel.com | Orlando Sentinel TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers kicked off the last week of the regular legislative session Monday by completing the terms of a $116 billion budget and advancing several highly conservative measures that reflect Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as…
Antonio Nanni Elected President of American Concrete Institute By Jose Carrasco – Informed Infrastructure FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.- The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announces its 2023-2024 president, vice president, and four board members. Antonio Nanni has been elected to serve as president of the Institute for 2023-2024, and Maria Juenger has been elected ACI vice president for…
A Modern Approach to Road Safety in FloridaWritten by Amanda Sapala Ladzinski, AICP, Transportation Planner at Gresham Smith, and David Guttenplan, PE, MSCE, Safety Studies Engineer at District 7, Florida Department of Transportation State transportation departments are a system of continuous improvement, always working toward the overarching goal of developing safer infrastructure for their communities,…
Not sure what to do after high school? How about a career starting out at $40K-$50K? By Kamal Morgan – Pensacola News Journal On Wednesday at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds, over 600 students were in attendance to check out the third Annual Northwest Florida Construction Career Days. The Florida Department of Transportation and its partners host Career…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford (This month’s message was written by Carlos Penin, PE, 2021-2022 FES President.) Hola FES Members, The April FES Newsletter is always interesting because of the many events and issues surrounding our lives and industry. First of all, Spring has sprung, with the first day of Spring this year…
House phosphogypsum reuse bill clears final committee By Wes Wolfe – Florida Politics The EPA banned use of phosphogypsum in 1989. A controversial proposal to look into using phosphogypsum as a road-building material is on its way to consideration by the full House. “This legislation will allow Florida to unlock the recycling potential of (phosphogypsum), and…
Jeanette Nuñez to Legislature: Unlock billions from state reserves for road projects By Martin E. Comas – Orlando Sentinel – Apr 13, 2023 at 5:32 pm Noting motorists’ frustrations with traffic backups, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Thursday urged the Florida Legislature to draw billions of dollars from state reserves to fast track the construction of 20 planned…
Phosphogypsum reuse study bill heads to Senate floor Florida Politics – Wes Wolfe The EPA banned use of phosphogypsum in 1989. Legislation is on the way to the Senate floor that could open up use of phosphogypsum for use in constructing state roads. The goal is to take some of the edge off of the…
Lawmakers sought to remove DEI from higher ed. Now they’re scrubbing it from the bill TALLAHASSEE In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis called on Florida lawmakers to overhaul the state’s higher education system with a clear target in mind: diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Shortly after, Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced bills that…
Florida lawmakers aim to ease condo confusion, but money questions remain Mary Ellen Klas Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE — As residents of condominiums across Florida struggle to adapt to a sweeping new law that increases building inspections and maintenance costs, Florida legislators have agreed to a series of changes aimed at ending confusion — but…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, As we traveled home from Professional Engineers Days, a friend and I reminisced about former FES President Mark Mongeau’s memorable mantra, “If not us, who? If not now, when?” We were much younger when we first heard the call for engineers to take action, and…
Lincoln Middle School Wins State MATHCOUNTS Competition Alachua Chronicle – March 15, 2023 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Lincoln Middle School MATHCOUNTS team won the state championship last Friday, their sixth win in the past seven competitions. The team consists of Eric Gao, Jerry Yao, Sylvia Guo, and Abhiram Pothuri. Eric took first place and is…
Scott D. Martin, PE, LEED AP, DBIA In this episode, host Sam Yates has an in depth discussion with Scott Martin, P.E., President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida, and Principal, Project Director and Design Builder Market Leader for Walter P. Moore’s Structure Group in Tampa, Florida. We delve into Scott’s background, major accomplishments,…
Roadmap to Net Zero Airports with Resilient, Sustainable InfrastructureWritten by Joseph Gale, ENV SP Chief Technology Officer, Decision Optimization Technology- United States (DOT-US) L.P. The threat of rising sea levels, flooding, freeze, extreme heat and changes in the intensity and frequency of severe weather poses substantial risks to critical airport assets and infrastructure. The Airports…
Decision Support Methods for Tactical Pavement Investment PlanningWritten by Roozbeh Rashedi, Ph.D., P.Eng. Chief Technology Officer, Decision Optimization Technology- United States (DOT-US) L.P. Municipal roads and highway systems are fundamental infrastructure assets. They provide a foundation to the performance of all national economies by sustaining economic development and facilitating social interaction. Preserving and maintaining pavement…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, I’m starting my message to you with a question. What’s the difference between laws and rules? As engineering professionals, you may not have thought about this particular question, but certainly, the answer and the implications could have an impact on each of us every day.…
Lawmakers Look Again at Condo Safety Requirements CBS News by Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Florida Senate committee Tuesday backed a proposal that would make changes to a condominium-safety law passed last year after the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. The proposal (SB 154), which deals…
Northwest Florida middle school mathletes compete at MATHCOUNTS Competition WEARNews-ABC3 – by WEAR staff ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Middle school students from Northwest Florida put their math skills to the test at the MATHCOUNTS Competition on Saturday. The competition was held at the Downtown Pensacola Library and was hosted by the Florida Engineering Society. The…
Feb. 19-25 is Engineers Weeks By Katrina Elsken, Published February 9, 2023 Lake Okeechobee News OKEECHOBEE -The Okeechobee County Board of Commissioners have proclaimed the week of Feb. 19-25 as Engineers Week. Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce…
Senate panel calls for more clarity, time on Surfside-inspired condo inspection law Florida Politics – by Jesse Scheckner – Feb 8, 2023 Industry experts agree the law in its current form has many financial and compliance problems. Members of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries are fielding recommendations from a panel of experts on how…
Central Florida Construction Career Days inspiring students to pursue ‘building’ careers BayNews9 – by Ashleigh Mills – Feb 3, 2023 ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida high school students are getting hands-on experience in careers like construction, engineering and transportation at the Central Florida Construction Career Days today hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation. Employers are…
Florida board proposes changes to condo reform legislation The Real Deal by Katherine Kallergis – Feb 3, 2023 A Florida commission is proposing changes to the state law that legislators passed last year in response to the deadly Surfside condo collapse. The Florida Building Commission was asked to review inspection requirements and make recommendations regarding…
Middle School Students Earn Entry to State Competition Mulberry, Fla (February 6, 2023) — A team of middle school Mathletes®️ from Lawton Chiles Middle Academy (Lakeland) won the local MATHCOUNTS competition held on Saturday, February 4 in Mulberry. The top individual competitor was Johan Bijiyos, of Lawton Chiles Middle Academy (Lakeland). Members of the winning…
State commission wants to roll back a key part of post-Surfside condo safety law. Lawmakers are not so sure WLRN-TV & WJCT-FM (First Coast Connect) A new report issued by the Florida Building Commission calls into question a key part of a major law passed last year in response to the collapse of the Champlain…
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, Recently, I spent a few days at my alma mater, the University of Florida, meeting with current students and walking around campus. While the student union and most of the campus have been updated in the 30+ years since I was a student, the vibrancy…
Will plan to link Sawgrass Expressway to I-95 come sooner? DeSantis aims to speed completion of projects By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida • Jan 30, 2023 at 5:11 pm Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday pitched a $7 billion proposal to speed completion of 20 highway projects — including a plan in Deerfield Beach…
Carlos A. Penin, PE Our second episode features Carlos Penin, President of CAP Government Inc., to Engineering Florida. We learn Mr. Penin holds a spot in the official Congressional Record from February 27, 2020, and why that is significant. Host Sam Yates discovers plans are underway for engineers to create a special park on Florida’s west…
DEP: Progress being made on surface water discharge, reuse Florida Politics – The idea is to reuse this water, and through that process help reduce the strain on water supply. By CWes Wolfe, Published January 24, 2003 Implementation of 2021’s SB 64 is an effort in progress, but Michael Lynch, Director of Water Resource Management for the Department…
Hillsborough puts off decision on whether to extend the widening of I-275 C.T. Bowen of the Tampa Bay Times The orange barrels and concrete barricades along Interstate 275 in Tampa won’t be going away anytime soon — an ongoing $85 million expansion of the highway won’t be completed until 2026. But a question for transportation…
Nick DiCeglie carries Jeff Brandes’ TBARTA torch, again files to repeal agency Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics Sen. DiCeglie, newly elected to the state’s upper chamber, has filed a bill to repeal the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA). The bill (SB 198) calls for the dissolution of TBARTA as well as the discharge…
Florida Engineering Leadership Institute Class of 2023 Launches 10 Month Program Florida Daily Forty professional engineers have been selected to participate in the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI) Class of 2023 to transform into community leaders while also giving back to communities across Florida. As part of this 10-month program, the FELI Class of 2023…
10-Month Training Program Will Also Include Charitable Community Giving TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 11, 2023) – Forty professional engineers have been selected to participate in the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI) Class of 2023 to transform into community leaders while also giving back to communities across Florida. As part of this 10-month program, the FELI Class…
Kelly Cranford, PE, ENV SP, FES Fellow Welcome to Engineering Florida – the Florida Engineering Society’s podcast series. Engineering Florida highlights professional engineers as well as the issues impacting engineering in Florida. Take a few minutes to listen to the inaugural podcast which features a conversation with FES President Kelly Cranford.
A Message From FES President Kelly Cranford Hello FES Members, Every year, I make resolutions to spend more time relaxing and doing things I enjoy. Since I enjoy working, that part is fairly easy to keep. Relaxing is more difficult – there are so many interesting things out there to do. This year, I plan to start setting…
Orange County and Osceola County Transportation Tax Voter Outcome WESH News Central Florida voters have let their voices be heard on several amendments. See the round-up below: A measure to stabilize rent in Orange County is heading toward approval by voters, according to early results. Orange County voters shot down a one-cent transportation system surtax…
Southland Awarded $596 Million SR 23 Bridge Project over St. Johns River for the Florida Department of Transportation GRAPEVINE, Texas, Nov. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southland Holdings, LLC (“Southland”) announced today it has been awarded a $596 million contract to construct a new bridge over the St. Johns River near Jacksonville for the Florida…
Walton County residents say ‘No’ to 1-cent sales tax for roads, reject amendment 2 to 1 Daily News/USATODAY Network Published: 9:51 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2022 Updated: 11:43 a.m. ET Nov. 9, 2022 Walton County voters voiced a clear “no” to a proposed amendment for a one-cent sales surtax to be used to pay for…
Preparing for Future Tragedies Decades Before They Happen A look at the Surfside condominium collapse & lessons learned in liability by Mitch Cohen Monday, November 7, 2022 The design-bid-build project delivery method has dominated the construction landscape for many years. Under this methodology, contractors commonly bid on fully completed designs drawn to code with cost estimates,…
Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach County Students to Experience Variety of Transportation Industry Careers FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (October 24, 2022) – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC Florida) is proud to join the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Federal Highway Administration and others to host the South Florida Construction Career Days for…
An Interview with the President of the Florida Engineering Society Kelly Cranford, P.E., is not only an outstanding engineer, she is the new President of the Florida Engineering Society. Sam Yates, anchor for the Florida Business Forum Podcast, sat down with Cranford for an in-depth interview at the headquarters of Culpepper & Terpening Engineering. From…
Four Named as Fellow Members of FES The Florida Engineering Society (FES) recently honored leaders in Florida’s engineering community with its top professional recognitions, chief among them announcing a Tallahassee engineer and professor as Engineer of the Year, and a Doral engineer as the Young Engineer of the Year. Altogether, eight pillars of Florida’s engineering…
Graduates Raise More Than $66,000 For Charity Florida’s premier engineering leadership program, the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI), recently saw 40 professional engineers graduate from its Class of 2022. FELI is a leadership program that puts training into practice. It helps transition engineering professionals into community professionals and leaders within our societies, communities and workplace.…
Florida Engineering Leadership Institute Class of 2022 To Help Ensure “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor” Professional engineers from across Florida will converge on West Palm Beach on Saturday, June 25th to build bunk-beds for Miami/West Palm Beach-area underprivileged children. These professionals are members of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI) Class of 2022, and…
Scholarships Will Help Inspire and Encourage Future Engineers TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 21, 2022) – The Florida Engineering Society (FES) has awarded $33,000 in scholarships to Florida graduating high school seniors and continuing university students. The scholarships are designed to assist these students in pursuing an engineering degree. The 11 scholarships, which are administered through the…
Stronger Structural & Building Safety Inspections Will Help Protect from Another Surfside Tragedy TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 25, 2022) – On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Surfside, FL, building collapse, the Florida Legislature fully passed a bill that will help ensure Florida never experiences another similar tragedy. The Florida House of Representatives passed…
