2015 Legislature to Consider Legislation Important
to Engineers
The fifth week of the 2015 legislative session closed Friday, Feb. 13. In that time, two specific bills important to engineers were filed along with an array of infrastructure funding bills. Read More...

2015 ACEC-SC & SCSPE Winter Meeting
The American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina and the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers are holding the Eighth Annual Winter Meeting on Feb. 25, 2015 at Seawell’s in Columbia.  With full day participation, 6 PDHs can be obtained.

The Winter Meeting begins with an update from the president of each group.  Then attendees choose from the business and environmental tracks.  Everyone reconvenes for lunch and key note address Freeing the Voice of Genius by Carol Hamilton - Author, Senior Communications Consultant –of Black Sheep Consulting. 

Save the date to attend the ACEC-SC/SCSPE Winter Meeting Feb. 25, 2015 at Seawell’s 1125 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, SC. Click here to register.

2015 Legislative Reception was a Great Success
The American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina, the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers South Carolina Chapter, the American Institute of Architects of South Carolina and the Carolinas Associated General Contractors hosted the 2015 Design Construction Partnership Legislative Reception on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at The Palmetto Club, Columbia, SC.

With five professional societies sponsoring the event, over 200 engineers, architects and contractors came to speak with their legislators about issues the design industry deems pertinent during the current session.  In attendance, there were over 40 legislators, SCDOT Commissioners John Hardee, Jim Rozer and Mike Wooten, Secretary of Transportation Janet Oakley, as well as state officials including State Treasurer Curtis Loftis and Comptroller General, Richard Eckstrom.

Attendees from the Charleston area rented a bus to transport attendees safely to the Legislative Reception.  Next year, many people have expressed interest in a similar service for attendees around the state.

The Legislative Reception is an informal way to speak to members of the Senate and the House of Representatives while letting them know where the design communities sit on certain issues.  With such a great turnout of professionals, it also shows the legislature the design community is large and an important part of the infrastructure of our fine state. 

To review the 2015 Legislative Issues, click here.

SCSPE President’s Report
George McCall, PE, SCSPE 2014-2015 President

South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers is off to a productive 2015, and with your support we will have a great year. 

SCSPE, along with ACEC-SC, AIA-SC, ASCE/SC Section, and Carolinas AGC hosted a very successful Legislative Reception last month.  SCSPE members were able to speak face to face with their legislators and let them know what the engineering community is considering this session.   We moved the reception to the Palmetto Club this year, and what a difference it made.
Read More...

Peeples Endorsed for opening on the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors
The SC Council of Engineering and Surveying Societies (SCCESS) recommended Johnston Peeples, PhD, PE, to Governor Nikki Haley for appointment to the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

While all candidates were well qualified, SCCESS chose Peeples based on his experience, achievements, education and activities.

Through the years, Peeples was an individual contributor, a line manager and held senior management and executive positions as well as conducted research, developed products, processes and services, managed very large organizations and founded a company.

After more than 25 years of engineering and engineering management practice, Peeples joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty at The Citadel.

Peeples earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel and received his master’s and doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Peeples said, “I believe that the profession of public engineering must not only serve and advance society, but must also protect it.  Engineering’s mandate to public welfare and safety is, in large part, the basis for licensure.  I am proud to be an engineer and now to teach future engineers.”

Peeples was born and raised in Estill, SC.  He is married to Nancy Doscher Peeples and they have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Contingent upon the appointment by Gov. Haley, Peeples term will be for 5 years.

SCCESS is mandated by state law to send qualified registered candidates for the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors to the Governor for appointment to the board.

SCSPE Engineer of the Year & Young Engineer of the Year Awards Nomination Deadline Approaching
Each year, the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers honors two of its members with South Carolina’s most prestigious awards, Engineer of the Year and Young Engineer of the Year. 

This year’s deadline for nominations is March 31, 2015.  If your chapter has not submitted a nominee, please nominate someone.  If you have a past chapter winner that did not win at state, you can re-nominate said person at the state level.

If you have any questions, please call Adam B. Jones at 803-771-4271 or email at [email protected].

UPS Commission Check to SCSPE
The UPS Association program is a partnership that rewards associations and shippers every time a member ships with UPS.  This is a great way for SCSPE to generate income, while you save money.

The program gives discounts when shipping UPS for Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, Ground, and World Wide Express Packages.  Not only do members save on shipping, a percentage in commission is paid to SCSPE.

Please take the time to sign yourself (or company) up for the SCSPE/UPS Association program to start saving while SCSPE starts earning today.  To enroll please take a moment and click here to enroll in the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers UPS Association Agreement program. 

OSE announces new 2015 Manual
It is with much excitement we unveil the new and improved 2015 Manual, which you may view under either of the (2) construction tabs on http://procurement.sc.gov/PS/PS-index.phtm

The 2011 Manual will remain up for projects already in progress, however you may switch to the new forms for these projects. 

Please review and start using the 2015 Manual and forms for all new projects, and please note that if a new project comes in on an old form it will be returned for correction.

If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Jordan at 803-737-0773 or [email protected], or any OSE project manager.

Golden Updates NSPE Members

Mark Golden, Executive Director of NSPE, updates the membership on the following topics:

1. Member Value
2. Advocacy
3. Content
4. Collaboration
5. Member Engagement
6. Professional & Leadership Development
7. Finance, Administration, Operations & Staff Alignment
8. Governance

Click here to read Golden’s Update.