The End of the Road

This will be my last message in this space as Chair of ACEC. Time has flown, as it does when you’re having fun, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to those of you that allowed me the privilege of representing our industry, and my best wishes to my successor, Andy Robinson.

ACEC has seen notable progress on several initiatives over the past year. These initiatives were all under way before my tenure, and will continue to unfold long after I have moved on. Still, I take great satisfaction in having helped to move things forward. Among other things:

• The student outreach and video project has been successfully launched, and will, I believe, continue to grow and benefit our industry for many years to come.

• The implementation of Qualifications Based Selection took a quantum leap forward with the conclusion of an agreement with the Canadian Standards Association to develop a training program.

• Progress has been made in pursuing consensus on the name of our association, with a proposal to retain the acronym ACEC while incorporating both words “consulting” and “companies.”

• A Task Force has been struck to make recommendations regarding the continuing involvement and influence of ACEC member firms and staff in the activities of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).

After my term ends I hope to remain engaged in some of these initiatives. I am particularly interested in helping to see the video project through its first full year of implementation, and to support the initiative to ensure an ongoing ACEC presence at FIDIC.

CHRIS NEWCOMB, P. ENG., CHAIR, ASSOCIAtION Of CANAdIAN ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC)