October 29, 2005
Times of disaster reveal our true strength. In a year that has seen our world and our nation gripped with events of enormous devastation, civil engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers have seen some of our finest hours.
No other profession and few other organizations offer the depth and breadth of expertise and resources needed to respond swiftly, effectively and forcefully to disasters of such magnitude as Hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami and the recent South Asian earthquake.
Ours is a mighty profession, united under one roof, and from this grows the immeasurable power to shape both our profession and our world for the betterment of mankind. I thank each of you for your support, your participation and your contributions to this great Society.
While our crisis response demonstrates that our capacity for leadership is truly greater than the sum of its parts, it does not define us. Under President Bill Henry's leadership, ASCE has expanded the horizons of our profession and brought us closer to counterparts around the globe in a spirit of emphasizing ethical practices in the profession. ASCE has moved forward in influencing public policy, and we launched a major campaign to make the public aware of our failing infrastructure.
Our success relies on sound organization, fiscal strength and effective programs. Let me share with you the state of the Society in each of those areas.
First, let's look at our vital signs and take note of our strong financial health. Preliminary results indicate ASCE has experienced a surplus of $4.4 million at year end, a result of our focus on delivering programs with solid member value.
Another sign of strong health is the growth in membership, now up to more than 139,000 and rising.
ASCE continues as a world-renowned leader in disaster response. We stepped up immediately to bring expertise and assessment to the disasters in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast. ASCE has been appointed to provide independent peer review to assess the cause of the levee failures and to make recommendations for future flood protection. In addition to our technical activities, we have authorized $85,000 for disaster efforts, including matching funds for humanitarian relief.
Corruption is ingrained in the construction sector in many places around the world and it is a daily reality that alters people's lives everywhere. ASCE is committed to fighting corruption by establishing global principles for professional conduct. ASCE President Bill Henry conducted a global tour this year to enlist organizations to sign on to our anticorruption charter.
Our nation faces a looming infrastructure crisis. ASCE is elevating public awareness of this crisis through our award-winning Report Card initiative. We have reached more than 90 million people through more than 1,600 confirmed news placements. More than 1.5 million Website visits occurred the day we launched the site. ASCE is encouraging Sections and Branches to get seriously involved in this effort, including releasing regional report cards like the Los Angeles report card issued this week.
In our gleaming new offices on Capitol Hill we met with policymakers, including Members of Congress, a lieutenant governor and the Army Corps of Engineers. Our work was bolstered by our members' personal congressional visits, numbering in the hundreds, and by their participation in the Key Contact Program - with up to 7,000 participants. As a leader in the Transportation Construction Coalition, ASCE helped secure passage of the new transportation bill. We also helped pass the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and a measure to mitigate damage from wind hazards, such as the recent hurricanes.
ASCE is recognized as a leader in advancing technology worldwide. Our seven technical specialty institutes and our Technical Activities Committee kept working to advance the specific civil engineering specialties. Activity included disaster assessment, building security, water and wastewater security, research and innovation, and codes and standards.
Our international membership is growing and at more than 17,000... and we are taking enormous leaps forward in increasing our partnerships with other organizations around the world. Through our new governance structure, Region 10 will engage more international members. ASCE is also active in the US reentry into UNESCO. We celebrate the recent election of Pat Galloway past president to be president of WFEO.
ASCE is sharply focused the need for advanced studies and work experience to help future engineers prepare for the complex work ahead.
ASCE's 'Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge' for the 21st Century is "raising the bar" to better prepare tomorrow's engineers. This year, the National Academy of Engineering released its report, Educating the Engineer of 2020 that addresses the need to prepare students for challenges of the ever-changing global economy. The report strongly supports Body of Knowledge concepts initiated by ASCE.
Continuing education participation in 2005 was up by more than 66 percent compared to the year before. More than 31,000 enrolled in our continuing education programs.
ASCE is at the forefront of shaping the future of the profession. One example of our actions is ?LEAD', a new eight-month program to create dramatic growth in an engineer's confidence and skills.
Student activities such as the Concrete Canoe Competition add new dimensions of excitement to the learning experience for engineering students.
ASCE continually develops resources for students of all ages and backgrounds. We are introducing kids to engineering design processes through the new reality TV show 'Design Squad' which grew from the success of earlier educational programs like 'Building Big' and 'Zoom into Engineering'.
ASCE is working to respond to demographic realities affecting students considering a career in engineering. The Extraordinary Women Engineers Project (EWEP) encourages girls to enter the profession. The book, Women Engineers: Extraordinary Stories of How They Changed Our World, will be released during Engineers' Week 2006.
The restructuring of our governance is well underway and five of nine regions have completed formation preparation. Under the restructuring we will have a smaller Board of Direction, decreasing in size from 28 to 17. By moving more of the Society's day-to-day governance to the local level, the change will involve more members in ASCE leadership.
ASCE is taking the lead to carry our members forward in a world that demands excellence and leadership from its civil engineers. ASCE is fortifying its strong partnership between members, other organizations and staff to ensure that we maintain our place as the leading professional society meeting and exceeding the demands of tomorrow's world. ...So as we keep moving forward into the future... those times of difficulty we will face in the future -- whether times of disaster or challenge -- will be the finest hours for civil engineers.
