This message was sent to ##Email## November 4, 2020 Vol. 50 No. 14          Home  |   About Us  |   Membership  |   Resources  |   Events  |   Contact Us Subscribe  |   Archive    GBA NEWS GBA 2020 Fall Conference Highlights GBA’s 2020 Fall Conference was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers who helped in planning, promotion, and delivery of this virtual event. During the Conference, over 100 volunteers led and attended committee meetings, hosted business roundtables, and delivered important updates. With over 270 registrants representing 107 Member Firms, valuable information about recovery, revitalization, and resurgence past the pandemic was delivered and can now be reviewed by all employees of member-firms. Here is what some of the attendees said about the conference: “Lots of people are trying to deliver virtual experiences but GBA delivers in a BIG Way.” “This is the most valuable, best planned virtual experience I have had. Bravo GBA!” “Fantastic job - I am so, so thankful that I am a "life-long" member of ASFE/GBA. You guys knocked it out of the park with this conference.” “Thanks to all who made this conference and program a SUCCESS.” “This was my first GBA Conference and I cannot wait for the next one. Great job on a completely virtual conference!” “Great job! Can't wait to do it in person again!” Thank you to all who attended and provided feedback through our survey or other methods. We will continue working to improve our Conference experience for all. Review Conference Recordings: HERE 2020 Fall Conference Videos Available Now Those that attended GBA’s 2020 Fall Conference agreed that the presentations were educational, entertaining, and inspiring. Now you can watch, listen to, and learn from these speakers too, on your own schedule. Presentations included: Turning Barriers into Bridges: How to Accelerate Results through Inclusive Actions – Lenora Billings-Harris Dramatic recent events highlight the necessity for deliberate discussions related to perceptions and realities as it relates to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce. This highly interactive, non-judgmental, and fun session presented by Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, CPAE provides an opportunity for participants to discover how and why unconscious bias impacts decisions and then how to implement behaviors that strengthen trust leading to positive bottom-line results. Watch HERE Looking Beyond Crisis: GBA Leaders Forum In support of our Conference theme, “Recovery, Revitalization, & Resurgence Beyond Crisis,” we convene a panel of GBA leaders to help you start looking beyond the COVID-19 crisis. This forum focuses on leadership behaviors, business strategies, and proven tactics critical to leading corporate performance beyond crisis. This helps you take advantage of the emerging new business environment. Watch 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. Watch HERE Great Leaders Pivot, Not Panic: 6 Keys to Help Your Team Buy into Change, Adapt Quickly & Innovate for Future Success – Betsy Allen Manning With change comes many challenges. During this presentation, Betsy Allen-Manning shares her research, as well as experience managing change for billion-dollar corporations. Discover why some leaders fail through change, and others succeed; and walk away with a 6-step strategy to communicate your change effectively, generate higher levels of innovation and buy-in, reduce the conflict that comes with change, and reshape your culture for a positive and successful team moving forward. Watch HERE Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence – Erica Dhawan During this unprecedented time of change and uncertainty, we are collaborating faster and more often than ever before. We feel like we’re connected – but are we really? Erica Dhawan teaches you the art and science of working better together using Connectional Intelligence, the key to productivity and collaboration for geoprofessionals in the “new normal”. Watch HERE Pivot, Don’t Panic: The Four Investments Smart Teams Rely on During Uncertainty – Jon Acuff Six months ago, “change” was something we all knew we’d need to deal with someday. It was just over the horizon. It was around the corner. We knew it would come, we just didn’t know when, and we didn’t know how. Then the world got flipped upside down. Change is no longer a topic of conversation for your team, it’s the norm. The new vocabulary. The new reality. The elephant isn’t hiding in the corner of the room now. The elephant is the entire room. Watch HERE Join New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff as he shares practical steps and inspiring insights to help your team navigate this brave new world. As added value to all members, GBA recorded the 2020 Fall Conference Presentations and made them available to all through our on-demand platform. These videos make great lunch-and-learns for professional development of small groups or your entire staff. Watch On-Demand: HERE President Ken Johnston Delivers Midyear Report to GBA Members During the 2020 Fall Conference, President Ken Johnston (GZA GeoEnvironmental) shared his review of the first 6-months of GBA’s fiscal year with our members. In his address, President Johnston shared his personal challenges and the challenges facing our members today. He highlighted GBA’s response to the COVID crisis and emphasized the value GBA brings to our members, especially during these challenging times. Mr. Johnston thanked all our members for their continued support and emphasized when we work together, we will recover the challenges of 2020 and be prepared for the future. Please take a minute to review GBA’s accomplishments and GBA’s plan to move forward for the remainder of the fiscal year and beyond. Read Letter from the President: HERE Annual Awards Winners Recognized GBA is a volunteer organization. Almost all the resources we produce for our members, our contributions to the geoprofessional community, and these conferences are mostly driven by volunteer leaders. Each Spring, during our conference we recognize those that have contributed to GBA in a significant way. We were not able to hold our annual awards ceremony as we pivoted to the new virtual reality last Spring and we presented the awards during the 2020 Fall Conference. Some of the awards from the Annual Awards Ceremony include: Member Engagement Award Winners Blackburn Consulting Sanborn Head & Associates, Inc. SME, Inc. Terracon Consultants Recognition for Board Service Saiid Behboodi, P.E., G.E. (PBS Engineering & Environmental) For his extraordinary efforts and dedicated service to the Association, its Members and the public while serving on the GBA Board of Directors. President’s Award James Withiam, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE., G. GBA In recognition of his many contributions that support GBA’s purpose and strategy through leadership, influence, ingenuity, and outreach to alliance organizations. Congratulations to all recognized. See the full list of award winners: HERE  EVENTS Future GBA Events: Mark Your Calendars Now 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 Kleinfelder Completes Acquisition of Gas Transmission Systems, Inc. Kleinfelder The Kleinfelder Group, Inc., a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm, announced today that it has acquired Gas Transmission Systems, Inc. (GTS). The transaction, which closed on October 19, 2020, creates significant growth opportunities and bolsters Kleinfelder’s U.S. market position as an industry-leading gas utilities and pipeline services expert.  READ MORE SNC-Lavalin Reselected for $35M USD Construction, Engineering and Inspection Services Contract by Georgia Department of Transportation SNC Lavalin SNC-Lavalin (TSX: SNC) has been awarded another three-year, up to $35 million USD Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract to continue providing construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), District 6, which encompasses 17 counties in northwest Georgia.  READ MORE Regulatory Relief for Major Sources of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions Braun Intertec In October, the EPA issued the final rule text for an amendment to the Clean Air Act’s (CAA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP standards). The amended rule allows major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) to reclassify as “area sources.” Permitting for air emissions requires consideration of not only the amount of emissions currently generated by operations, but also the amount that could be generated. A major source emits or has the potential to emit 10 tons per year or more of a single HAP or 25 tons per year or more of combined HAPs.  READ MORE Hill Joins ECS as Senior Project Engineer ECS Limited ECS is pleased to announce that Bob Hill, PE, has joined the firm as a Senior Project Engineer in the Richmond, VA, office. Mr. Hill holds more than 34 years of industry experience, including management and oversight of geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing operations. His areas of specialty include field testing and special inspections of asphalt, soils, concrete, masonry, sprayed fireproofing and structural steel, and he brings strong project management and business development skills to his new role with the firm.  READ MORE Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic Klohn Crippen Berger Every aspect of society and our everyday lives has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the unthinkable happened – whole countries shut down and everyone, apart from frontline and essential workers, hunkered down at home. As an essential service, we in the consulting engineering sector also took our work home to keep our portfolio of infrastructure, mining, energy and other projects moving ahead. Over the past several months, following a crash course in adaptability, we’ve learned some key lessons about our industry. Two lessons stand out.  READ MORE  INDUSTRY NEWS You're Hired — I'm Looking Forward to Meeting You (In Person) PWC Find, attract, and integrate talent in a world of hybrid (virtual and office) work.  READ MORE Is it Safe? Back to the Future — In the Office World Economic Forum Is it safe? And three other questions to ask before you go back to the office.  READ MORE Dam! Another Infrastructure that Needs Investment Resource Magazine The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) estimated that $66 billion is needed to repair all deficient dams in the United States. Repairing hazardous dams can help, but simply removing them can be a better.  READ MORE Statute of Limitations, Limits Times Free Press Court dismisses lawsuit against TVA and Jacobs Engineering over coal ash cleanup. statute of limitations for such civil suits.  READ MORE Future Proof Your Buildings Grist Increasingly, building owners are trying to make sure they are on the right side of various technology, energy and climate trends in the designs they seek and construction. It Works! GeoEngineer Last month, the MOSE flood protection system operated for the first time and proved to be successful, preventing the city of Venice from flooding.  READ MORE A Cure for A Four-Letter Word? — NEPA SAME News The National Environmental Policy Act is considered by many to become a cumbersome process that too frequently misses the original intent of the legislation—but technology is now seeking to help cure its most systematic issues.  READ MORE Passing Gas JW Energy U.S. gas companies are abandoning many of their wells, leaving them to leak methane.  READ MORE Too Much Soil Sample — It's Out of this World! Scott Manley on YouTube NASA's OSIRIS REx spacecraft was supposed to grab a sample of the asteroid Bennu so that it could be returned to Earth for analysis. Their ingenious sampling device did its job too well. Watch Video COVID's Silver Lining for Construction Industry Constructor Magazine One silver lining in the dark economic cloud hovering over the building sector is that the pandemic might finally break the industry’s lingering resistance to embracing technology on and off the jobsite.  READ MORE At Home with Composites TechNewsWorld Why are homes and autos still built the old fashioned way?  READ MORE Words of Wisdom "As inclusive leaders it is your job to disrupt stereotypical statements. Break the culture of silence on inclusion and diversity." - Lenora Billings-Harris "Poor leaders view change as a tragedy, great leaders see changes as opportunities in disguise.” - Betsy Allen "Connectional intelligence is an unstoppable force, when used for good, will unleash a powerful force in any organization.” - Erica Dhawan "A crisis is an invitation to innovation.” - Jon Acuff  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  Barb 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