This message was sent to ##Email## September 23, 2020 Vol. 49 No. 63          Home  |   About Us  |   Membership  |   Resources  |   Events  |   Contact Us Subscribe  |   Archive    GBA NEWS Fall Conference Leaders Forum Announced We are excited to announce the panelists for the Looking Beyond Crisis – GBA Leader Forum. They are: Jon A; Carlson, P.G., CMM and CEO of Braun Intertec; Mike Hutchinson, L.G., LHG and CEO of GeoEngineers; and Brian Powell, P.E. and President of Alpha Testing. In support of our Conference theme “Recovery, Revitalization, & Resurgence Beyond Crisis”, we will convene a panel of GBA leaders to help you start looking beyond the COVID-19 crisis. This forum will focus on leadership behaviors, business strategies, and proven tactics critical to leading corporate performance beyond crisis. This will help you take advantage of the emerging new business environment. What you can expect to learn from this panel is how they, as leaders, are addressing the following topics: Technology Adaption Employee Engagement Business Development Client Management Emerging Markets for Geoprofessionals Attend this session to learn what other GBA Member Firms are doing to elevate performance, innovate delivery processes, diversify their businesses, and thrive in a new economy post COVID-19. Register HERE GBA Photo Contest Winners Announced! GBA is committed to promoting the value of geoprofessionals and for our 2020 photo contest we asked Members to share: “How do you depict the day in the life of a Geoprofessional?” The photos below capture our members in field activities, meeting with colleagues and clients, and observing safety in some amazing locations. And the winners are: Grand Prize Winner Photographer: Spencer Ambauen, P.E. (Aspect Consulting) Description: Installing 175 pier piles at the iconic Seattle Waterfront Pier 62 Spencer will receive a $100 gift card, winner’s plaque and be recognized during GBA’s 2020 Fall Conference. Thank you to all who submitted photos. See all photo contest winners: HERE GBA Fall Conference in One Month — JOIN US! Early Registration Discounts Available Join your associates and fellow industry professionals from across North America and beyond for GBA’s virtually delivered, interactive education experience. Educate your entire team with access to the exceptional line-up of distinguished speakers, who will provide valuable take-aways benefiting your firm and each staff member. Register Today and join us for 4 half-days of collaboration and networking through participation in committee meetings, business round table up to 7.5 PDH credits. Member fees are $195 before September 30th. More Information: HERE Five More Case Histories Updated Learn from others. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past! GBA Case Histories are being used by our members for loss prevention discussions in support of professional development and mentoring. That is why GBA case histories are so valuable, and why GBA is updating them all, while adding new ones, too. As we near the finish line of this multiyear project, five more Case Histories have been re-issued. GBA CASE HISTORY 96 A Member Firm made the mistake of agreeing to work for both the owner (a school board) and its retained architect. Complicating matters, the architect refused to sign the Member Firm’s contract and the Member Firm refused to sign the architect’s. Ultimately, $1.7 million changed hands. GBA CASE HISTORY 97 A construction-management company retained the GBA-Member Firm to perform a geotechnical engineering study for a simple structure that involved somewhat complex subsurface issues. The Member Firm later submitted a proposal to observe construction, but the client instead asked the Member Firm to sign a purchase order that included several troublesome conditions. GBA CASE HISTORY 98 The GBA-Member Firm signed an owner-drafted contract, agreeing to provide construction materials engineering and testing (CoMET) services “as needed,” a phrase neither party defined. Because of significant grade changes, the project required construction of three retaining walls. The member firm provided relatively few CoMET services on one of these walls, because the Member Firm’s senior field representative believed the wall was far less important than the other two. GBA CASE HISTORY 99 The GBA-Member Firm agreed to provide geotechnical engineering and construction materials engineering and testing (CoMET) services for a contractor hired to construct a two-story office building on a 60-foot fill slope. “The owner can’t afford to build this,” the contractor said when reviewing the Member Firm’s recommendations.” A quick review and stamping of the final grade plan ultimately cost the Member Firm $3.25 million. GBA CASE HISTORY 100 A civil engineer in 1992 contacted the GBA-Member Firm asking if it could provide pile-driving criteria for a hotel to be located on a site the firm had studied three years before, for a different owner. The economy was in a down cycle, encouraging the firm’s engineering-department manager – an experienced, licensed professional – to enter into an oral agreement for a $100 service which ultimately resulted in a seven-figure settlement. GBA Case Histories are FREE to all Members. More Information about Case History #96-#100: HERE Fall Conference Wine Tasting Features Kiona Wines GBA would like to extend an invitation to you, your significant other and your friends to experience a unique virtual wine tasting event in the comfort of your own home with JJ Williams (wine maker) with Kiona Vineyards and Winery and wine expert Ray Zemke with West Mountain Wine Retreat. More Information and Registration Details: HERE GBA's LinkedIn Group Join GBA's LinkedIn Group: HERE New Episodes Launched: Encore Performances: Reconnecting with Friends of GBA GBA Emerging Leaders Class GBA is legendary for engaging with amazing speakers at each of our conferences and in this series we reconnect with past keynotes that have become old friends of GBA to see where life has taken them and learn from their journey, they are American heroes, best-selling authors, business leaders, executive coaches, all experts in their fields and brilliantly engaging. Episode #9 – Bob Kelleher (Keynote Fall 2016 & Spring 2017) Topics Discussed: The impact of this crisis on employee engagement. Key approaches leaders should be doing to positively impact employee productivity and workplace engagement. The importance of empathy in leadership. The impacts of merging of our professional and personal lives to our business. The Silver Lining in all of this is… Direct link to episode #9 with Bob Kelleher: HERE Episode #10 – Jeff Tobe (Keynote Fall 2016) Topics Discussed: The importance of being creative. Embracing change to stay relevant. Improving the customer experience. Leading in turbulent times. The Silver Lining in all of this is… Direct link to episode #10 with Jeff Tobe: HERE This series is being edited and produced by GBA’s Emerging Leaders Class under the leadership of Tiffany Vorhies (SME), Donald Blackburn (Blackburn Consulting), Shawn Leyva (Crawford & Associates), and Ryan White (PBS Engineering and Environmental). Access podcast series: Encore Performances, Reconnecting with GBA Friends: HERE In the Next Issue of GBA NEWSlog Our next issue will feature the last of the updated Case Histories. This will mark the completion of a multi-year effort to refresh, update, and rebrand our historic library of uniquely GBA Case Histories. The archives were updated while we continued to publish new Case Histories. Look for this milestone publication in our next issue of GBA NEWSlog. More about Case Histories: HERE  EVENTS Future GBA Events: Mark Your Calendars Now GBA 2020 Fall Conference Virtual Event Spring Conference 2021: April 22-25, 2021 at the Marriott Marquis, San Diego, CA Fall Conference 2021: October 21-23, 2021 at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa For more information: GBA EVENTS CALENDAR  MEMBER NEWS S&ME Welcomes Mary Scarbrough as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) S&ME We are pleased to announce Mary Scarbrough has joined S&ME as Chief Human Resources Officer. In this role, Mary and her team are responsible for creating employee-focused strategies that align with the company’s overall strategic plan to enhance our culture and people focus areas. She will also play a critical role in developing and leading HR solutions to position our employees-owners for success while meeting challenging business goals.  READ MORE Pennoni's Joyce Hess named 2020 Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year Pennoni Joyce A. Hess, ISCEBS Fellow, CEBS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, has been named the 2020 Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year. The award celebrates the Human Resources industry and recognizes those in the HR profession who exemplify outstanding achievement by demonstrating a creative approach and consistent high performance that benefits an organization. Joyce serves as Vice President and Director of Human Resources and has more than 20 years of experience. David Pennoni, Chief Operating Officer, congratulated Joyce and said, “This award recognizes Joyce’s leadership and her efforts in positioning Pennoni as a firm that attracts and retains strong talent to support our clients and partners.”  READ MORE NOVA Columbia Welcomes James Devereaux NOVA Please join us in welcoming another asset to our team. James “Jim” Devereaux, PE has 26+ years of diverse geotechnical, environmental and materials testing engineering experience and has joined NOVA as a Geotechnical Engineer. He has hit the ground running and will be heading up our Columbia, South Carolina operations.  READ MORE Kleinfelder Opens New Portland, ME Office, Accommodating Demand for Infrastructure Construction Support Services Kleinfelder Kleinfelder announced that it has opened a new office location in Portland, Maine. The new space–located at 533 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101–strengthens Kleinfelder’s presence in the region where engineers, scientists, and construction professionals are already supporting transportation, water, and energy projects from the firm’s offices in Augusta, ME and Manchester, NH.  READ MORE Sanborn Head Welcomes Heather James Sanborn Head Sanborn Head is pleased to announce that Heather James has joined the firm as a Project Director. Her strategic focus is to help lead and support Sanborn Head’s Energy market services, leveraging the company’s strong legacy of technical innovation and client service excellence. Heather is a chemical engineer with expertise in process and mechanical design for the liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas sectors. She has particular expertise in gas storage, boiloff handling, vaporization, purification, and liquefaction processes. Over her 25-year career, Heather has been the lead project manager and engineer on a number of engineering, procurement, and construction projects where she has distinguished herself as a leader of multi-disciplinary teams. As a consulting engineer, Heather values working closely with clients to achieve their project objectives while also building trusted and long-term relationships.  READ MORE Terracon Names Jeff Davis National Director of Federal Services Terracon Terracon, a leading provider of environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services, has named Jeff Davis, F.SAME, national director of Federal Services. Davis joins Terracon with a proven track record of federal leadership and successful sales management. His diverse expertise in federal marketing and sales has provided clients in the public and private sectors with engineering, science, and construction solutions to complex challenges. Based in Terracon’s Orange County office, Davis will focus on leading strategy for Terracon’s federal sector, including client development and program management, while providing technical oversight.  READ MORE  INDUSTRY NEWS Where Does All Earth's Gold Come From? Geology Page Ultra-high precision analyses of some of the oldest rock samples on Earth by researchers at the University of Bristol provides clear evidence that the planet’s accessible reserves of precious metals are the result of a bombardment of meteorites more than 200 million years. The research is published in Nature.  READ MORE Wildfires May Give Way to Massive Mudslides Popular Science Fires can unleash toxic materials and devastating debris flows.  READ MORE Bill Gates Says This 1 Simple Habit Separates Successful Leaders from Everyone Else Inc. The co-founder of Microsoft prescribes a principle that will raise every leader's bar. When you think of great leaders, do you conjure up images of charismatic, high-profile executives in expensive suits who make all the right business moves?  READ MORE Before You Dig Between the Poles It is estimated that unreliable location information about underground infrastructure represents a $50 billion drag on the U.S. economy. A new white paper features technical advances, case studies and 25 recommendations for reducing damage to underground infrastructure.  READ MORE Is There Gender Bias in Data? You Bet There Is Society of Women Engineers Data is fundamental to our information society. When data is collected and analyzed without aggregating it by gender, bias and discrimination result. The Society of Women Engineers provides a synopsis of an important book on the topic of exposing data gender bias.  READ MORE The Great Salt Lake: Going, going... Deseret News 11 feet, that is how much the level of the Great Salt Lake has dropped due the region’s thirst for water and decades of unmerciful drought. Experts predict it could drop another 3 to 4 feet in less than a decade. A recent report identifies 12 strategies to protect the lake.  READ MORE Augmented Reality Will Revolutionize the Geology Classroom Interesting Engineering A Washington University team is showing how you can explore objects on a molecular level and travel to other planets.  READ MORE Louisiana: Lost to the Sea? NOPR A recent study says Louisiana’s coast cannot be saved.  READ MORE Not So Fast — Louisiana Fights Back Almost 2 square miles of new marsh will be built in the upper Barataria Basin in Jefferson Parish using sediment dredged from the Mississippi River just over 5 miles away. This is one of many efforts underway in the state to fight erosion and featured in the news on Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority website.  READ MORE Put Your Head in The Cloud Entrepreneur More and more companies are being forced to take their business online, but not all have the necessary digital infrastructure in place. There are 5 ways the cloud can benefit your business during the pandemic.  READ MORE Specialization and Career Success, It's Not What You Think — At First TED Talk Focusing on a particular skill too early may undermine your long-term development. WATCH HERE Words of Wisdom “If you're passionate about something and you want to make a difference, I guarantee there's a way to do that with engineering.” - Elizabeth Bierman  BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Kenneth R. "Ken" Johnston, (GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. / Norwood, MA), 781/278-3700 President-Elect: Thomas W. "Tom" Blackburn, P.E., G.E., F.ASCE (Blackburn Consulting / Auburn, CA), 530/887-1494 Secretary/Treasurer: Leo J. Titus, Jr. P.E., (ECS, Ltd. / Chantilly, VA), 703/471-8400 Directors: Chuck A. Gregory, P.E. (Terracon / San Antonio, TX), 210/641-2112 Martin LaRoche, P. Eng, M.Sc. (Kiewit / Montreal, Canada) Guy Marcozzi, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, F. ASCE (Duffield Associates, Inc. / Wilmington, DE) 302/ 239-6634 Christopher Matthew "Matt" Moler, P.E. (S&ME, Inc. / Greensboro, NC), 336/553-1245 Matthew "Matt" R. Poirier, P.E. (Sanborn Head & Associates, Inc. / Concord, NH) 603/ 229-1900 Steve Wendland, P.G. Steve Wendland, P.E., R.G., D.GE (Kleinfelder, Inc. / Prairie Village, KS ) 913/475-5851 NEWSlog Connect with GBA Recent Issues | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Web Version   GBA Staff: Joel G. Carson, Executive Director, 301-565-2733 (office) | 402-517-1819 (cell) Sara Menase, Program Manager, 301-565-2733  Phillip D. Pettway, Controller, 301-565-2733  Barbara A. Nappy, Program Director, 301-565-2733 (office) | 727-457-2272 (cell) Geoprofessional Business Association 15800 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 300  | Rockville, MD 20855 | 301-565-2733 | Contact Us  About GBA The Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) helps its members and their clients confront risk and optimize business performance by delivering unique professional resources, programs, and services that make them stronger, smarter and more successful. Learn how to add us to your safe-sender list so our e-mails get to your inbox. 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063