A Message From FES President Dr. Charles Davis
Dear fellow FES members,
First, I would like to give homage to my predecessor, Ron Colas, for your amazing service for the past 12 months! Under your governance:
- We completed the first year of Engineering Florida, our prestigious new statewide magazine, and moved it forward to be published digitally to FES membership.
- We completed the first year of Engineer Interns Recruitment (resulting in fifteen new paid EI memberships).
- We executed our Memorandum of Understanding with the Colegio of Ingenerios y Agrimensores de Puerto Rico (College of Engineers and Land Surveyors of Puerto Rico). This MOU was developed between the two organizations to not only collaborate on educational activities, but knowledge transfer, membership, and licensure reciprocity. We are also proud to report that with the MOU, we have completed two joint CIAPR events, including a visit to the Orlando International Airport $4.2B Terminal C and a tour of the Haskell Steel Shop in Jacksonville. On June 21, we had our first joint Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony with members of the CIAPR (17 inductees into the Order).
- We raised membership dues to align with FES policy and voted to make the FES Directory digital.
- FES acquired two new student chapters – Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida Polytechnic University. Both were approved by the Board in our November 15th, 2023, meeting.
- I also want to thank our President Circle, which was initiated by our past president, Carlos Penin, as a safe place to discuss long-term goals. That leadership has continued with Kelly Cranford as our Past, Past President, and Ron Colas our most recent Past President.
I am immensely humbled and measurably honored to stand before you as your new president, and I would like to take this esteemed opportunity to express the inspirational vision I have for our society.
Engineering is the cornerstone of the trendsetting world. Our commitment is to follow the highest ethical standards when constructing vital infrastructure and creating innovative modern technologies, among other contributions to the state’s ongoing progress. Every part of our lives is impacted by the work we undertake.
It is necessary for engineers to stay up with the rapid changes occurring in our society, and it is one of our toughest obstacles. This is why we, not only as educators but also industry partners, see the need for and importance of workforce development, and it is processed by identifying and addressing the essentials of a local workforce to improve productivity and competitiveness. This includes planning, training, and developing policies and educational programs. Workforce development differs from job training in that it takes a longer view and focuses on how employees can grow and develop over time. Our world is changing at a rapid rate due to automation, digital disruption, and the emergence of new industries. We must adapt to these changes while upholding our moral principles. By adapting to these changes and upholding our moral principles, we can implement workforce planning by analyzing, forecasting, and planning workforce supply and demand, assessing gaps, and determining target talent management interventions to ensure that an organization has the “right people, right skills in the right places, and at the right time to fulfill our goals.”
However, we must never lose sight of our duty to support the communities in which we reside. It is imperative that we never compromise our fundamental obligations of ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of those who depend on the infrastructure we create.
Considering this, the Florida Engineering Society MUST continue being a beacon of hope for all engineers in our state, providing knowledge, direction, and assistance to those who perform the vital task of engineering. We must keep encouraging an inventive and exploratory mindset and alliance that defines engineering in the twenty-first century.
We may achieve this by staying actively involved as dependable advisors to our politicians, chambers of commerce, industrial partners, and educators to tackle the problems of rethinking and reestablishing our communities as well as advancing and safeguarding the interests of our future engineers. Working together with the public, elected officials, and other stakeholder groups that influence the direction of our society, we must be leaders in our communities. We cannot create a better future based on creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity without working together.
I believe that the Florida Engineering Society, in collaboration with the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida, the College of Engineers, Surveyors of Puerto Rico, The Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers, and stakeholder partners like FDOT, our Ports and Airports can take on this important endeavor, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside each and every one of you as we take on this challenge.
In closing, I want to thank my family for their patience, support, and understanding. By the grace of God, the relentless and undivided support of our families, friends, and colleagues, FES will continue to:
- Represent and defend its members,
- Contribute to Florida’s strategy for a Future-ready infrastructure,
- Maintain and stay informed of Emerging Technologies and preparation of our future work force and serve as role models in our local communities
Thank you for your confidence, guidance, and support. I am excited to envision what we can execute as a team over the next twelve months and beyond.
Charles W. Davis, Ph.D., SSGB |Â Embry Riddle Aeronautical University | Associate Professor |Â davisc14@erau.edu