South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers’
Executive Director’s Report – Joe S. Jones

Happy Holidays, everyone! It is time to contemplate New Year’s resolutions and the future.

The end of the year has become a busy time here at the office. Discussions on the introduction of the Engineers’ and Surveyors’ Practice Act have been surprising. The SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors has discussed the issue at the last three board meetings and has not come to any final conclusions.

At the Dec. 15 Registration Board meeting SCSPE Past President, Marguerite McClam, PE, addressed QBS in her remarks. Both Joe Jones and Adam Jones spoke in favor of including QBS in the Practice Act. Andy Kinghorn, PE, spoke against the inclusion of QBS in the act.

Both the ACEC-SC and SCSPE Boards of Directors have considered the Practice Act and have concluded the section on Qualification Based Selection should remain as it was introduced in the legislature in 2013.  Furthermore, the SC Society of Professional Land Surveyors endorsed the QBS language at its December, 2014 Membership Meeting.

ACEC-SC petitioned the ACEC Minuteman Fund for a matching grant to promote QBS and highway funding during the next session of the SC General Assembly. The grant was received and some of the funds have already been designated to funding a social media campaign for transportation funding.

The SCSPE Educational Foundation is making its annual request for contributions. You may have seen the Public Service Announcement by Secretary of State Mark Hammond saying, “Give from the heart, but give wisely.” The Educational Foundation should be close to engineers’ hearts, and it is a wise choice. The contribution is tax deductible and it provides scholarships to rising juniors and seniors enrolled in one of South Carolina’s ABET engineering colleges and supports the state MathCounts competition.

ACEC-SC members firms were asked to respond to the State Engineer concerning proposed changes to special inspections on state work. A number of firms commented on the proposed changes. Today, Dec. 18, the State Engineer’s Office pulled the proposed regulations and said they would not be adopted in January.

Jeff Mulliken, PE, resigned from the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors effective Jan. 1. The SC Council of Engineering and Surveying Societies advertised for registered engineers interested in filling Mulliken’s seat. Five letters of interest were received, and the Council is meeting after the first of the year to interview and select a nominee to be forwarded to the Governor for appointment.

SCSPE currently has three former presidents serving in the leadership of SC Council of Engineering and Surveying Societies. Michael Sheu, PE, was elected to President-Elect, Jim Justus, and PE was elected Vice President and Marguerite McClam, PE, was elected Secretary/Treasurer at the December 2014 meeting.

ACEC-SC’s representatives on the Council are Past Chair Jerry Carter, PE, Past Chair Don Freeman, PE and Chair Joe Greenburg.

The primary function of the SC Council of Engineering and Surveying Societies is to make recommendations to the Governor for positions on the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. However, the Council also makes recommendations to the Governor for the engineering position on the SC Building Code Council and most recently nominating an engineer to the Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Advisory Committee. Periodically, the Council has hosted a dinner for the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

Don’t forget the Legislative Reception, Jan. 27, 2015 at the Palmetto Club in Columbia. This year’s reception is hosted by ACEC-SC, ASCE-SC, AIA-SC and Carolinas AGC. It begins at 6 p.m. Come enjoy the food, the company and spend some time with your House member and your Senator.