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

George McCall, PE

July 1, 2014 starts the New Year for SCSPE.  As SCSPE’s new President, I’d like to give you an idea on what our goals will be for the coming year.
As you know NSPE and SCSPE membership has declined in the past several years.  SCSPE is the only collective voice of the registered engineer in South Carolina, so in order to make that voice heard; we need to make it louder.  We can accomplish this by increasing membership.  This makes a difference when talking with the legislature, the registration board, and when we face national engineering issues. 

As President, I plan to grow our membership this year.   In an effort to recruit more members, SCSPE will offer free admission to the Fall Symposium, Winter Meeting, or the Disaster Preparedness program to anyone who signs up as a new member.  We will also extend this same offer to any current member that recruits a new member. 

As you know, one of the initiatives SCSPE does to try to get new members is providing lunch for those who are taking the PE exam.  We then follow this initiative up by hosting a “Newly Licensed PE Ceremony” each summer at the State House followed by a reception sponsored by SCSPE.  This year we will not only be inviting those who passed the exam, but we are asking them to invite their employers as well.  If SCSPE is able to get employers involved they may support their employees becoming SCSPE members.  For years SCSPE depended on employers pushing membership, and we would like to have employers to be proactive with their employees being a member of our organization. 

SCSPE will also be focusing on increased student memberships this year.   Part of Past President Marguerite McClam, PE, F.NSPE plan for SCSPE was increasing student membership.  She pursued making Student Membership free, and last year our student membership grew by 167%.  Having students get involved will let them see the benefit of membership, and we hope they will continue to be a member as they move into their careers and become licensed members.  If you are asked to speak to engineering students this year please let us know so we can assist in this recruiting endeavor.
In order to increase member benefits, SCSPE is researching hosting a webinar for members.  This is something that has been growing nationally. NSPE offers 15 PDHs free to new members each year.  This is something that we are very interested in developing here in SCSPE.

Each year SCSPE honors two extraordinary engineers in our state bestowing the Engineer of the Year and Young Engineer of the Year to two worthy engineers.  Nominations have declined in the past few years, and as a past Engineer of the Year, I realize how meaningful this honor is.  This year SCSPE will make it so that if an individual is nominated by three active members, he or she may be eligible for Engineer of the Year (if their Chapter has not submitted a nominee).   Therefore, engineers in our smaller less active chapters and have a chance to get this prestigious award.
Lastly, and possibly the largest undertaking this year will be to implement a three year strategic plan.  We will analyze where SCSPE wants to be in three years, and then make a plan to meet these goals.  I will be forming a committee develop this Strategic Plan, you may be asked to participate on this committee. 

I would like to thank you, our members, for the opportunity to lead our great organization.  With your help, it could be the most successful year yet.   In closing, I want to encourage your help promoting our profession.  So, next time you are at a business meeting, social meeting, or standing in line behind someone if you are asked what you do for living instead of just answering “engineer”, start answering “I’m a Professional Engineer”.  Why?  Because that is what you are, and you worked hard to become one. And it starts a whole new dialogue about our profession. Please contact me if I can be of any service to you.

SCSPE Installs Officers and Directors at 2014 SC Engineering Conference
The South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers held its 2014 Annual Installation of Officers and Board Members at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa, in Hilton Head, SC in June. Read More...

Wilson Awarded Engineer of the Year
The South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers has awarded David D. Wilson, PE, the distinct honor of 2014 Engineer of the Year at the South Carolina Engineering Conference & Trade Show on June 15, 2014.  Wilson lives in Greenville, SC.

Wilson graduated Cum Laude with a BS of Civil Engineering in 1981 and a Master’s of Science in Civil Engineering in 1983 from West Virginia University.   His graduate studies focused on coal by products.  Between his studies he found time to be a member of the Track and Cross Country Teams.  Wilson earned the MVP twice while competing collegiately. 

Ismail Ozbek and David Wilson

He migrated to South Carolina where he became a geotechnical Engineer at Soil & Material Engineers, Inc. in Columbia SC.  He then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and served as project manager for subsurface explorations and construction monitoring projects at Atlanta Testing & Engineering, Inc.  

From 1990 – 1996 Wilson served as engineering Department Manager at Atlanta Testing & Engineering, Inc. based in Greenville, SC.  His next stop was as the Associate VP at Trigon Engineering Consultants, Inc.  before going on to co-found GeoTrack Technologies, Inc. in Greenville where he currently serves as the VP and Senior Engineer. 

Wilson joined the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1983.  He has served as the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineer’s Piedmont Chapter Secretary, Treasurer, VP, and President.   He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, SC Chapter. 

Wilson is also a community leader, participating community maintenance, clean-up projects, and charity walks/runs.  Wilson serves as a Church Elder at St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Greenville.

He has been married for 29 years to his wife Sandy who he met at West Virginia University, and they have two children who are both athletes and musicians in high school. “David is an asset to our Society, State, and the Engineering Community,” said SCSPE Executive Director Joe S. Jones.

2014 South Carolina Young Engineer of the Year
The SC Society of Professional Engineers presented its Young Engineer of the Year award at the 2014 SC Engineering Conference & Trade Show Awards Banquet to Andrew M. “Andy” Rogers, PE.  Rogers resides in Columbia, SC.

Rogers graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering in 2003 from Clemson University.  While at Clemson he was active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Clemson ASCE Student Chapter, and the Delta Chi Fraternity. 

Rogers started his career at Power Engineering Co.  in Columbia, SC, before moving on to his current position at URS Corporation where he is a Civil – Site Utilities Engineer 4.  At URS he has worked on such projects as two Providence Hospital projects, USC Softball Stadium, and the Athletics Village at the Roost.

As a young Professional Engineer he is a member of ASCE, and SCSPE.  He is active in the SCSPE Columbia Chapter where he is the current Chapter President.  Rogers received the Columbia Chapter Young Engineer of the Year this year, too.   He participates in MathCounts at the Chapter and state levels.

Also, he donated over 51 pints of blood at the American Red Cross as well as organizing blood drives over the years.  Rogers is a participant in the quarterly clean-up of Farrow Road via the Adopt –A-Highway program, works the phone bank at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital Radiothon, as well as volunteers for Families Helping Families, and Habitat for Humanity.  He has been a team member for Juvenile Diabetes and Children’s Tumor Foundation. 

“Andy Rogers is a great up and comer and is going to be a valuable professional to the engineering community; for some time, he is what defines the Young Engineer of the Year,” said Joe S. Jones SCSPE Executive Director.  To be eligible for the SCSPE Young Engineer of the Year the recipient must be under 35.

Jim Justus Receives NSPE Fellow Award
The National Society of Professional Engineers proudly names James Lee Justus, P.E., as a Fellow member on June 14, 2014 at the SC Engineering Conference & Trade Show in Hilton Head, SC. 

Mark Golden and Jim Justus

The NSPE Fellow membership was established in the year 2000 to honor those active Society members who have demonstrated exemplary service to their profession, their society and their community.  Since its creation more than a decade ago, less than one percent of all NSPE members have advanced to this highest volunteer membership rank.

Since joining NSPE in 1990, Jim has served not only NSPE but also his state and local society with the utmost dedication, devotion and commitment, and through this Fellow membership he is also recognized by the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers for his countless contributions and vast achievements.

Jim epitomizes the highest ideals upon which the NSPE Fellow program was established - a strong record of unselfish service to his state and national society, and an enduring devotion to his profession.   For these and his many other notable accomplishments, James Lee Justus has been selected by the National Society of Professional Engineers to carry the honored title of Fellow and to proudly place behind his name the designation “P.E., F.NSPE.”

2014 SC Engineering Conference & Trade Show
The SC Engineering Conference & Trade show was held June 12–15, 2014 at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa with 207 attendees.

The mission of the SC Engineering Conference is to have “timely presentation on various engineering subject, keynote presentations and enough PDHs to meet the state’s annual requirements.”

The SC Engineering Conference is a partnership of the American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina (ACEC-SC), American Society of Civil Engineers – South Carolina Section (ASCE-SC), and the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers (SCSPE).  By joining together, these groups are able to provide more educational programs to attract South Carolina engineers.  This year, attendees were able to gain up to 15.5 PDHs with full participation. Read More...

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. Read More...

South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers
Annual Meeting - June 13, 2014
Hilton Head Marriot Resort and Spa, Hilton Head, SC
Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 7:34.  The June 12, 2013 Annual Meeting Minutes were approved.  McClam thanked the 2013 – 2014 Board of Directors for their service.  McClam then introduced NSPE Executive Director Mark J. Golden. 

NSPE Report:  Mark Golden talked about the things that had changed at NSPE.  He explained that NSPE has “A New (Old) Vision for NSPE”.  He gave a brief synopsis of the history of NSPE.  Golden reported that NSPE has adopted the Race for Relevance, and explained what the race for relevance is.  NSPE committed to five changes from Race for Relevance. Read More...