2014 South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers’
Executive Director’s Report – Joe S. Jones

The 2103-2014 SCSPE year has been good in numerous ways.

First, SCSPE is in the best financial shape it has been in many years. The organization has come a long way from the years it had to borrow money during some months because cash flow and revenue were problems. Due to the society’s good financial shape, SCSPE donated $1,000 to NCEES to support the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors’ hosting the NCEES Southern Zone Meeting in Charleston this spring.

Second, we have had more activities for members. This year, we added the Disaster Training Seminar to our Fall Symposium and Winter Meeting. These programs give members professional development hours at a bargain price, and generate revenue as many non-members attend these events as well.

Third, we had two of our officers serving on important committees. Secretary/Treasurer David Rykard served on the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors Industrial Exemption Committee. Dave represented SCSPE and was especially helpful as he had spent his career in industry. He knew how industry works and how an industrial exemption might affect the professional engineer and the industries seeking the exemption.

Vice President George McCall was the Southeast Region representative on the NSPE Candidate Screening Committee. George and other committee members were charged with evaluating candidates for officers in NSPE. The committee submitted written questions to candidates and then held interviews with all candidates.

Another SCSPE activity is not new, but has been a constant positive activity for more than 25 years – MathCounts. Marguerite McClam has headed up State MathCounts for years, and this program has always served the state’s sixth, seventh and eighth graders and given them the opportunity to excel in mathematics. For all these years, SCSPE sent a MathCounts team to the national competition, and have fared better in some years than others. This year’s South Carolina Team placed 17th in the nation.

Other continuing SCSPE events must be mentioned. SCSPE serves pizzas, fruit and soft drinks to those taking the Engineer’s exam. Aspiring engineers welcome the food and appreciate the gesture because they don’t have to find a restaurant to eat between the morning and afternoon sessions.

SCSPE sponsors an Engineering Licensing Ceremony at the State House each summer for those who pass the PE exam in the spring. The SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors members present the new engineers their licenses and give them encouraging words for their success in passing the exam and for their future. SCSPE hosts a reception after the ceremony for the new engineers, their families and guests.
The SCSPE Educational Foundation continued its practice of providing two $1,000 scholarships to rising juniors and/or seniors enrolled in ABET/EAC South Carolina engineering programs.

Legislatively, there was some good and not so good. The good is we were able to keep in check an industrial exemption law that could have been much broader than the compromise bill. Also, SCSPE joined the architects, contractors, environmentalists and other interested parties in keeping the LEED and Green Globe guidelines for state buildings. Through SCSPE’s efforts, the SC Council of Engineering and Surveying Societies get to recommend to the governor a member of the Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Advisory Committee.

One legislative goal that was not achieved this year was the passage of the revised Engineers’ and Surveyors’ Practice Act. This legislation was slowed by several factors, the main one being the Industrial Exemption Act. Negotiations on this exemption were ongoing and took considerable time in the House and Senate Committees. After this Act had moved through the process, the calendars of the House and Senate were so crowded, the two bodies could not get to the Practice Act before the session adjourned. The Practice Act must be introduced again next year, but from conversations with legislators, several changes may be made to speed passage next year.

The 2014-2015 SCSPE year looks promising with the good financial foundation, a calendar of events that brings value to SCSPE membership and a new program to recruit members. 

The SCSPE Board of Directors has approved a program that gives each new SCSPE/NSPE member a “ticket” to attend either the Fall Symposium or the Disaster Assistance seminar at no cost. Also, a SCSPE member who recruits and sponsors a new member gets the same “ticket.” Hopefully this new program is going to generate membership and recruiting interest.

I have enjoyed serving as SCSPE’s Executive Director. It became a career and one I enjoy.

Joe S. Jones
Executive Director