Apr 16 2010
Editorial Board
The editorial board of the Leadership and Management in Engineering journal also reviews and provides content for this blog. They welcome your comments and ideas for discussion in this blog, as well as your suggestions for articles and topics to be covered in the journal. Click here to see a current list of the members of the editorial board.
Editor-in-Chief:
Brian Brenner, P.E., F.ASCE is a Vice President at Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, LLC. He has been actively involved in leadership of several ASCE committees and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of ASCE’s Leadership and Management in Engineering journal. A Professor of Practice, Tufts University, he is also a published author and noted speaker and blogger.
Associate Editors:
William M. Hayden, Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE, Management Quality by Design, Inc.
Sam Liao, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Michael F. Garrett, P.E., M.ASCE
28 Oct 2010
Brian,
This is kind of a follow up to the Sept. 1 conference call.
I continue to have a deep interest in the infrastructure situation in this country….heightened by a Summer trip to Bavaria. (I keep coming back also to a probing article in Mod. Steel Construction., Jan 2010, Dan M., (bridges) Culture Gap).
Really, I think this guy hit on an essential aspect of the apparent desperate situation in this country….Culture!
The way we address such needs here, like knee jerk reactions…..allocating funds, like plugging a hole in a dike, seems so deficient.
It’s our Culture, yes, our Engineering Culture as well that needs restructuring.
I noticed you touched on this in “Ideas for other issues” back in Jan. 2010. “Design, Build, Done” What should constitute the timeline for the Engineer’s Role in all this?
My article you generously published, in Oct. 2008 (wow, that long ago) just looks at a specific manifestation of our neglect. It is everywhere, and like a ticking time bomb.
There is Vision also required. David Brooks (NYT) has observed our lack of it in the absence of planning for the future as we are desperately trying to find money to patch the crumbling stuff. As I remember, he speculates that waste will occur if we just allocate money to patch stuff.
We need a longer range vision, and are falling behind.
The January, 2011 meeting……might you be discussing such items? Is there an interest?
Regards, Bob Clark
Last week, I attended the December meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Dallas Branch (ASCE). The keynote speaker was James M. Crites, Executive Vice President for the Operations Division of DFW International Airport. During his speech, he gazed out at the audience and commented on the number of gray heads in attendance. On numerous occasions, he thanked us for our service as Civil Engineers. He asked those of us who have retired and those who are near retirement to remember that there is a need for engineers and for the service we provide. He asked us to take the time to mentor the younger generation of Engineers and to make ourselves available to provide our expertise and knowledge in the future.
If you are a Baby Boomer like me, you may have already taken the opportunity to retire. You may have a desire to travel, study, or pursue a second career. However, there are many Engineers out there that are retiring or leaving the Engineering work force for other reasons.
During this time of economic uncertainty, many municipalities and organizations are downsizing. Additionally, many organizations do not have the funds available to retain an Engineering staff. Consequently, Engineers are leaving the work force in droves.
Engineers that are eligible to retire are often the first to leave. However, many of the employees that remain in the organizations are left behind without substantial experience or expertise. If the organization planned adequately for the future, a succession plan is already in place. If not, the remaining engineering staff may have difficulty carrying out the required job duties effectively.
Throughout my career, my focus has always been on mentoring and staff development. I am also an advocate for Public Works and for those men and women who, on a daily basis, take care of our basic needs. Even though I am no longer a full-time Public Works Director, I am available to assist on a project-specific or task-specific basis. Like me, there are other Public Servants that have left the work-force who have experience and expertise that should not be overlooked. We all need to strive to mentor and guide those who will take our place in the future.