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 security for the Glass family.
This month, I am resuming focus on how we are meeting the goals that I outlined in my August President’s message One of the goals I presented was to support and become an involved partner in Florida’s plan for a future-ready infrastructure.
FES is continuing our ongoing efforts to partner with stakeholders who are currently engaged in addressing many of the challenges facing our state and to let our members know how to contribute their expertise individually and collectively.
We are currently in discussion with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Floridians for Better Transportation. Our Executive Director, Allen Douglas, has started these conversations with both groups to define our engagements and has done a fantastic job chartering this effort.
As you know, Florida faces many challenges to compete within the global economy effectively. Our focus is actively collaborating with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Floridians for Better Transportation and advising in conversations with major stakeholders pertaining to Florida’s mobility, water, environment, resiliency, and workforce development.
On a local level, I am encouraging our chapters to engage with their local Chambers of Commerce to discuss how our members can help support their initiatives to reconnect and reimagine our communities that are facing many of the same challenges.
A great example of addressing one of those challenges, workforce development, is the Miami chapter leadership’s collaboration with partner agencies and stakeholders for the South Florida Construction Career Days annual event at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds on Tuesday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Other examples are the 4th Annual Tampa Bay Construction Career Day Golf Tournament on October 20, 2023, at the Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club in Tampa, and the Northwest Florida Fall Golf Tournament on October 27, 2023, at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.
I encourage you to contact your local chapter leaders to support the career days or similar events within your respective communities.
The graphic below outlines the first steps toward reaching our goals for this year.
I will be introducing the next goal in an upcoming communication. I appreciate your collaboration and look forward to reporting our progress next month.
Ronald M. Colas, P.E. S.I., FES Fellow | Jacobs | Vice President
FLPR Transportation Strategic Growth and Business Development Manager
Ronald.Colas@jacobs.com
