IN THIS ISSUE

** CECO GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 15TH
** ODOT TOWN MEETINGS WRAP UP IN TULSA/AFTON
** MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION PUBLIC HEARING
** 254/255 FORMS BEING REPLACED
** THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO STATE BOARD'S STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM
** GSA/FBI ISSUE WARNING ON REQUESTS FOR BUILDING PLANS.
** ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CONTRACTORS -- YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
** VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!
** FAST-GROWTH FIRMS SHARE SECRETS OF SUCCESS
** DID YOU KNOW THAT ACEC.......
** CECO MEETING CALENDAR

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CECO GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 15TH

The next CECO General Membership Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 15th. The meeting will begin at 11:45am at the Golden Corral Restaurant, 6161 N. May Ave, in Oklahoma City.

David Brown was appointed the Administrator of the Construction and Properties Division of the Department of Central Services in 2000. Prior to joining the Construction and Properties Division, Brown had been a private practice Architect in Oklahoma City for many years.

The Construction and Properties Division is responsible for contracting for engineering, architectural and construction for state projects, and Brown will discuss upcoming projects of interest to the design community. He will also discuss the ongoing legal dispute between the Construction and Properties Division and Oklahoma State University regarding OSU's architectural selection process for the renovation of Lewis Field.

As you may remember, several months ago Oklahoma State University conducted a selection process for the renovation of Lewis Field. After the initial interview process and the firms were ranked by the interview team, the Regents conducted a second interview process, ultimately selecting a firm for the project which was ranked 4th of 4 in the initial selection process. When OSU submitted required paperwork to the Construction and Properties Division (C & P) for approval, the OSU selection was denied by C & P for not following the statutory selection process set forth in the State Consultants Act. C & P and OSU have been at odds since then over whether or not OSU is subject to the State Consultants Act, and an Attorney General's opinion has been requested in an effort to settle the dispute.

The November CECO General Membership Meeting will be the second under the new format adopted by the Board of Directors. The CECO Board decided to move the CECO meetings from area hotels to local restaurants in an effort to control costs to members. Under the new system, members will order and pay for their own meals. You are also asked to include a gratuity for the servers. With this change, CECO will not be charging a registration fee for the meeting.

This should be a very interesting and informative meeting, and we look forward to seeing you on November 15th.

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ODOT TOWN MEETINGS WRAP UP IN TULSA/AFTON

Secretary of Transportation Herschal Crow, Transportation Commission Chairman Tom Love, and ODOT Director Gary Ridley are holding a series of town meetings across the state to discuss area highways and the current and future transportation needs of Oklahoma.

The meetings are focusing on the maintenance situation and needs of the counties within the region as well as informing Oklahomans of the desperate need for preventative roadway maintenance, construction updates, and specific areas of interest.

The meetings will also include a brief video followed by an open discussion of Oklahoma's transportation needs.

Most of the meetings have already been held. The remaining town meetings are as follows:

* Nov. 15th, OSU-Tulsa Auditorium, 700 N. Greenwood, Tulsa
* Nov. 16th, 10:00am, Afton Technology Center, Afton

The meetings are open to all interested parties, and CECO members are invited and encouraged to attend.

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MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION PUBLIC HEARING

As previously reported, the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors has started rulemaking procedures to implement Mandatory Continuing Education in Oklahoma.

To that end, the State Board will be holding a Public Hearing on the proposed rules on Thursday, November 29th, at 3:00pm. The public hearing will be held at the Oklahoma Engineering Center, 201 N.E. 27th St., Oklahoma City.

The proposed rules will be posted soon on the State Board's website, http://www.okpels.org/. You can also receive a copy by calling the State Board at (405) 521-2874, or, CECO at (405) 525-7696.

All CECO members are encouraged to review the proposed rules, and to attend the Public Hearing on November 29th.

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254/255 FORMS BEING REPLACED

After some 25 years of use, the Federal government is going to replace the SF 254/255 forms with a new Consolidated Form for Selection of A-E Contractors.

The new form, SF 330, has been developed and public comment is now being accepted.

You can download the proposed form at: http://www.acec.org/Events/aeform.pdf

Public comment is being accepted through December 18, 2001.

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THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO STATE BOARD'S STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM

CECO would like to thank the firms who have responded to the CECO Board's request to assist in the funding of the State Board of Registration's STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM.

To date, seven CECO member firms have contributed to the fund, and we are asking for the assistance of the rest of our members to underwrite the cost of this program which will be beneficial to your firm and the engineering profession in Oklahoma.

As previously reported, the State Board of Registration has developed a STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR ENGINEERING REGISTRATION. This a proactive attempt by the State Board of Registration to encourage students to see professional registration as the natural follow-up to receiving an engineering degree.

The State Board has already held STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAMS at Oklahoma State University and Oral Roberts University. The next STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM will be at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian University and the University of Tulsa in the next few months. The STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM consists of presentations by State Board members and professional organizations regarding the registration process and the benefits of registration. Additionally, the Board hosts dinner for the students, providing the students the opportunity to visit one-on-one with Board members and industry representatives.

Since engineering registration is the LIFE BLOOD OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING, the CECO Board of Directors is asking each CECO member firm to support this important program with a $50.00 contribution to the STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM.

Consulting firms cannot operate without registered Professional Engineers. Getting engineering students to begin thinking about engineering registration early in the educational career is critical to the continued flow of qualified registrants into the consulting profession.

$50.00 is a small investment to make to support professional registration and for the continued strength of the consulting profession.

Please send your tax deductible contribution (business or personal check) to:

Oklahoma Engineering Foundation
201 N.E. 27th Street
Oklahoma City, OK, 73105

Please reference the STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM on your check.

Again, THANKS to those firms that have already contributed, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give CECO a call.

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GSA/FBI ISSUE WARNING ON REQUESTS FOR BUILDING PLANS

In light of the attacks of September 11, 2001, ACEC member firms are advised to exercise extreme caution if any person or group requests building plans or specifications for certain projects. While most requests are likely to be routine and legitimate as in the past, it is appropriate to use good judgment in reviewing each request before providing documents or plans.

Many associations, in conjunction with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), are coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to provide design firms with information on this situation.

The FBI is advising that all design professionals heighten their awareness and report any suspicious requests to the appropriate local FBI field office and to the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) at FBI Headquarters.

Contact information for FBI field offices is available at http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm and in local phone directories. The NIPC can be reached by fax (202) 323-2079 or e-mail (nipc.watch@fbi.gov).

Click on the following link http://www.nipc.gov/incident/incident.htm to access a form that will assist you and your colleagues in tracking and reporting unusual requests. All reports should be sent directly to your FBI field office and to the NIPC. If the report involves a GSA building or project, a copy of the report should be sent to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Federal Protection Services as detailed on the report form.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONTRACTORS -- YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

GSA is in urgent need for firms to sample for Anthrax. Sampling would include swipe, air, and vacuum (bulk) environment sampling.

A representative from the GSA National Capital Region, Steven P. Richard, has requested those providers on the GSA Environmental Services Schedule who have the noted capabilities.

Companies not currently on the GSA Services Schedule can still apply for the work, but will first need to get authorized by GSA.

GSA is likely to expedite the process in order to get as many companies working as necessary to conduct this important work.

Interested and capable firms should contact Steven Richard at (202) 708-5236 or Helen Jay of the GSA Management Services Center, at (253) 931-7063.

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VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!

ACEC's 2002 Annual Convention will be held in Las Vegas, May 12-15, 2002.

Due to the attacks on September 11th, ACEC cancelled the Fall Conference in Orlando. Programming from that meeting will be switched to Las Vegas in May.

The headquarters hotel is the luxurious Rio All-Suite Casino Resort. Room rates are $139 single/double and all rooms are suites.

Registration information will be available January 2, 2002. If you have questions, please contact the ACEC Meetings & Conventions Dept. at 202-347-7474 or visit www.acec.org

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FAST-GROWTH FIRMS SHARE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

The fastest-growing architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms in the nation share many common business practices, according to recent research published in SUCCESS SECRETS OF THE ZWEIG LETTER HOT FIRMS, an inside look at success strategies used by 64 of the most-successful design firms in the United States.

The firms profiled in this report were selected from THE ZWEIG LETTER Hot Firm 2001 List, a national survey conducted by ZweigWhite. Over a three-year period, firms on the list outperformed all other design firms based on percentage growth and dollar growth in revenue. Firms ranged in size from 38 employees to 16,000, and revenues ranged from $5 million to $3 billion. While firms varied widely, they shared these common business strategies:

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. Many of the Hot Firms profiled in the report credit an organizational structure based around clients as one driver of their success. This structure allows the firms to be more responsive to client needs and more efficiently develop market expertise and branding. Studios, standing teams with a specific market focus, or similar arrangements where the client type rather than the technical nature of the work, geographic area, or internal design process, drive the focus.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING. Another key component cited by many of the firms is having a solid strategic planning process, one that involves staff as well as management. For these firms, the planning process has laid out a structure for decision-making as well as a means to grow. Successful business planning allows these firms to shake up leadership, drop markets and enter new ones, reposition themselves, and more.

OPEN-BOOK MANAGEMENT. Many firms cite open financial policies as a key to success. Leaders communicate the financial status and drivers within their firm in a number of ways, from regular firm-wide e-mails to in-person meetings, but all agree that giving their employees the information and tools they need to do their jobs well creates an environment of motivated, educated employees.

SUCCESS SECRETS OF THE ZWEIG LETTER HOT FIRMS is available from the publisher for $295, plus $4 for shipping and handling. Contact ZweigWhite, P.O. Box 8325, One Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA 01760, tel: (508) 651-1559, fax: (508) 653-6522, e-mail mailto:info@zweigwhite.com or visit our web site at http://www.zweigwhite.com/store/inhtf.

ZweigWhite is the leading source of management consulting, information, and education for the design and construction industry. The firm is based in Natick, MA, and has additional offices in Oakland, CA; Washington, DC; and Overland Park, KS.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT ACEC.........

Ø Led the engineering community's fight against legislation that would limit federal outsourcing of engineering services.

Ø Derailed anti-business ergonomics regulations that would have created unreasonable added expenses for member firms.

Ø Promoted the $57-billion "Water-21" bill which would fund much needed water infrastructure projects nationwide.

Ø Launched a campaign to assure renewal of the $10 billion business insurance and indemnification provisions in the Price-Anderson Act safeguarding engineering firms from the liability risks of nuclear projects.

Ø Led over 300 engineers on visits with more than 260 lawmakers during Consulting Congress Day 2001--urging defeat of anti-outsourcing legislation and elimination of the estate tax.

Ø Published updated "Practice Procedures for the Mechanical/Electrical Engineer"-including a new section on electronic submittals.

Ø ACEC is seeking inclusion of infrastructure spending in legislation that would add $20 billion of new spending for homeland security and infrastructure needs including: bioterrorism prevention and response; airport, transit, and other infrastructure security; highway enhancements; and drinking water projects.

These are just a few of the many activities of ACEC in recent days and months that shows ACEC MEANS BUSINESS!

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CECO MEETING CALENDAR

CECO Board & General Meeting
November 15, 2001
(Lunch Meeting)
Oklahoma City, OK

CECO Board & General Meeting
January 24, 2001
(Lunch Meeting)
Tulsa, OK

ACEC Consulting Congress Day/Engineering Excellence Awards
March 12-13, 2002
Washington, DC

CECO Board & General Meeting
April 18, 2002
(Dinner Meeting)
Oklahoma City, OK

1st Annual ODOT/CECO Partnering Conference
May 3, 2002
Oklahoma City, OK

ACEC Annual Convention
May 12-15, 2002
Rio Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV

CECO Annual Convention
(Joint meeting with
MO and AR)
May 30 ­ June 1
Chateau on the Lake
Branson, MO

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