Upcoming Meetings
Our monthly meetings occur on the second Thursday of each month—download this recurring calendar appointment to save the date. After we finalize the location and agenda for an upcoming meeting, we'll send a reminder to all members and open the meeting registration on this page.
May 2024 Meeting
Program: Senior Design Project Presentation
Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant Expansion
Speaker: Tarleton State University
Mayfield College of Engineering – Mechanical, Environmental & Civil Engineering Presenters: Courtney Thom, Mariann Hernandez, Kevin Burleson, Anissa Reyes, & Edwin Facundo as supported by Dr. Kartik Venkataraman, Professor of Environmental Engineering.
Thursday, May 9th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
12th Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate.
These students from Tarleton State University presented at the Annual Texas Water Conference as sponsored by Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) and won 3rd place in the student design competition for their Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant Expansion.
April 2024 Meeting
Program: Trinity River Common Vision and Corridor Development Certificate Process
Speaker: Matt Lepinski & Jai-W Hayes-Jackson - NCTCOG
Thursday, April 11th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Matt is a Lead Hydraulic Engineer in the Water Resources Branch at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fort Worth District, where he is responsible for Hydraulic and Hydrologic engineering initiatives that serve as the basis for numerous flood risk awareness and resiliency projects. He has more than 15 years of experience in the fields of water resources, civil engineering, project management, GIS, and intelligence analysis, including positions with USACE, FEMA, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Matt is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas and holds an engineering degree from New Mexico State University and a Strategic Intelligence Master’s degree from the National Intelligence University. Matt currently resides in the Fort Worth area with his wife and two daughters.
Jai W is a native of Dallas, Texas and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Political Science. He began his career in planning with the City of Pittsburgh before he joined the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s office to work on impact volunteer initiatives, equitable transit-oriented development, and the City’s resilience plan. In 2022, he joined the North Central Texas Council of Government as a Planner for the Environment and Development Department. He is responsible for managing floodplain management programs throughout the North Central Texas region. He serves as the point of contact for the Trinity River COMMON VISION – a cooperative regional effort to manage development along the Trinity River Corridor and oversees NCTCOG’s Cooperating Technical Partners Program (CTP), a FEMA-funded initiative centered on effective floodplain management, education, and outreach.
March 2024 Meeting
Program: Ethics Presentation
Speaker: Trish Smith, Executive Director - TSPE
Thursday, March 14th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Trish B. Smith is the Executive Director of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Trish has been with TSPE for 25 years. She is also the Executive Director and a Trustee of the Texas Engineering Foundation and manages the TSPE Political Action Committee for Engineers (PACE).
She has served three terms on the NSPE Board of Directors while serving as President of the State Societies Executive Council.
Prior to joining TSPE she served as the Coordinator and Program Manager of the Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism at Texas Tech University where she assisted in the delivery of engineering ethics seminars to engineering faculty, private firms, TxDOT and engineering students. She was also Program Manager for the team that developed the Code of Conduct for the NAFTA Mutual Recognition Agreement that was adopted by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the US.
In her earlier career she spent over fifteen years involved in the legal field in a variety of positions from legal secretary, paralegal, assistant to the Dean of the Texas Tech School of Law and Administrator of a 55-person law firm.
January 2024 Meeting
Program: Stormwater - City of Fort Worth
Speaker: Jennifer Dyke & Lane Zarate - TPW, City of Fort Worth
Thursday, January 11th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Lane is the Transportation & Public Works Assistant Director overseeing the Streets and Stormwater Operations Division. Lane is responsible for performing maintenance and repair of the City’s public street system, public drainage systems, and emergency response during emergency winter and flood events.
Lane has almost 20 years of multidiscipline engineering and management experience. After joining the City of Fort Worth as Engineering Manager in 2017, she was responsible for managing a team delivering over $90 Million in capital programs. In her most recent role she was responsible for overseeing multiple teams, providing strategic planning within budget constraints, to optimize maintenance for over 8,100 lane miles of City streets and 425 City bridges. Prior to joining the City of Fort Worth, Lane worked at Freese & Nichols Inc. in the Program Management Group and managed the DFW Airport TRIP program. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a Certified Construction Manager since 2016.
Jennifer is the Transportation and Public Works Department Assistant Director responsible for the Stormwater Management Program. Jennifer oversees the strategic direction, priorities and budget for the maintenance and repair of the City’s drainage system, mitigation of flood and erosion hazards, warning of stormwater risks through mapping and the high-water warning system, and the review of private development plans for compliance with City drainage standards.
Jennifer joined the City of Fort Worth Stormwater Management Program in 2014. Since joining the team, she had the opportunity to lead the development of the Program’s strategic master plan and the initial establishment of the City’s Open Space Conservation Program. Before coming to the City in 2014, Jennifer managed environmental and flood mitigation planning efforts in Houston at the Harris County Flood Control District. She is a proud Texas Aggie, Class of 2002, with a Bachelor’s in Renewable Natural Resources and Master’s in Urban Planning.
December 2023 Meeting
Program: City of Fort Worth - 2022 Bond Update
Speaker: Patricia Wadsack, Assistant Director - Transportation & Public Works
Thursday, December 14th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Patricia is the Capital Delivery Assistant Director for the Transportation and Public Works Department at the City of Fort Worth. She is responsible for overseeing multiple teams including arterials, mobility, stormwater, project controls, pavement management, neighborhood streets, utility coordination, public information, records management, construction management, and inspection to include surveying and materials testing. She is responsible for delivering a wide variety of capital and maintenance programs.
Patricia holds both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering. She is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School and the ICMA High Performance Leadership Academy. She is a licensed Professional Engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in civil engineering. She has strong experience in municipal project management and construction inspection on a diverse set of project types. In addition, she has more than a decade of experience as an engineering consultant and is a US Army veteran.
November 2023 Meeting
Program: TACA Current and Future Plans
Speaker: Josh Leftwich, President/CEO of Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association
Thursday, November 9th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Josh Leftwich was named the President and CEO of the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA) in May 2020, after having served 20 years in the mining and energy sectors. He has an extensive and diverse range of experience in environmental permitting and regulatory policy, legislative engagement, business planning, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
Before joining TACA, Leftwich was manager of business development, environmental and safety of the Southern Division of Knife River, which is one of the largest construction materials and contracting companies in the U.S. While there, he oversaw the company’s environmental programs for its operating sites and led safety and business development teams. Over the span of his career, Leftwich has directed projects at Cameco Resources, Uranium Energy Corp and Mesteña Uranium.
He has also been an active member of TACA, having served on TACA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, as well as Chair of TACA’s Government Affairs Committee. His involvement and work during the 86th Texas Legislative Session proved invaluable, as TACA faced some of the most challenging and active policymaking initiatives in its history.
Leftwich is a graduate of Texas A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Renewable Natural Resources, and was a Fellow at Oxford University’s World Nuclear University. He and his wife Sheridan have four children.
October 2023 Meeting
Program: TRA CIP Plans
Speaker: Trinity River Authority
Thursday, October 12th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
September 2023 Meeting
Program: Brownfields Program
Speaker: Marsha Lay, EPA Region 6
Thursday, September 14th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Marsha Lay began her career in government at the State of Indiana inspecting Underground Storage Tanks (UST). Later, she went on to become a Leaking UST project manager, working closely with emergency response issues. Finally, she ended her 10-year career at the State as a Risk Technical Environmental Specialist in the Science Services Branch. Prior to leaving the state she spent two years developing the new risk-based closure guidance, known as R2. Her specific focus was on vapor intrusion and delineating vapor forming chemicals’ impacts on soil gas and sewers and their pathways leading into structures.
Marsha is currently a Brownfields Project Officer for the US EPA where she manages Assessment, Cleanup, Multipurpose and Revolving Loan Fund grants. These grants help revitalize under- or unused properties to benefit their communities.
August 2023 Meeting
Program: Downtown Fort Worth Development Plans
Speaker: Andy Taft - President, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Thursday, August 10th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Andy joined Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. as President in 2003. DFWI is Fort Worth’s downtown advocacy organization and it manages the downtown planning and implementation process, two Public Improvement Districts, the downtown Tax Increment Finance District, two city parks, the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and Parade of Lights. DFWI renovated Burnett Park, developed the JFK Tribute in Fort Worth and partnered with the Fort Worth Housing Authority on the acquisition of the Hillside neighborhood. DFWI is now leading the $40M Heritage Park project and the T&P Terminal pedestrian access project.
Andy is a member of the Fort Worth Chamber Board, Visit Fort Worth Board and a number of other civic organizations. He is a founding member of the Fort Worth Homelessness Commission board and the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center Board. He is a past member of the National Civic League Board of Directors and is a past Chairman of the International Downtown Association.
July 2023 Meeting
Program: Welcome, BNSF Engineering Services, and Network Operations Center Overview
Speaker: David Smat, Craig Rasmussen, Matt Denham
Thursday, July 13th, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM (plan to arrive at 11:15 for check-in)
In-Person Only
RSVP BY 1 PM JULY 6!
BNSF Railway Corporate Campus
2650 Lou Menk Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76131
Note: Please bring driver’s license for check-in at visitor center and wear business casual attire. Photography is prohibited within the BNSF facilities.
If you have any questions, please contact:
David Smat (817) 374-2191
Chad Prior (817) 312-2183
Directions:
I-35W North to Western Center Blvd
Left on Western Center to BNSF Corporate Campus (Lou Menk Drive)
Right on Lou Menk Drive
Follow around to the visitor center for drop off (left into visitor center marked with a red asterisk) or park in one of the parking lots identified on the map (in yellow) and walk over to the visitor center.
Click here to register for July 2023 meeting.
May 2023 Meeting
Program: Tarleton Senior Design
Speaker: Tarleton Mechanical and Civil Engineering Programs
Thursday, May 11th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Dr. Kartik Venkataraman and Dr. Rajesh Vuddandam, along with 7 of their senior students, will be presenting their capstone projects. One student group will be representing the mechanical engineering program and a second student group will be representing the civil engineering program.
April 2023 Meeting
Program: Panther Island: Central City Flood Project
Speaker: Matt Oliver - Tarrant Regional Water District Communication Manager
Thursday, April 13th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Education
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
Bachelors of Arts Degree:
Advertising Major (December, 2008)
Matt Oliver has worked in public relations and community outreach for the Panther Island/Central City project since September of 2009. He serves as the head of the Communications Department; he is the media contact for the project, gives project updates to a wide range of organizations, manages project messaging and assists with the execution of events related to the project.
Mr. Oliver’s professional/civic activities include:
· Amon G. Carter, Jr. Downtown YMCA – Board President 2021 - Present
· Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau – Marketing Committee 2014 - Present
· Urban Land Institute North Texas Young Leaders Executive Committee (Programming co-chair) 2015 – 2017
· SteerFW Keyholder – Class of 2017
· Vision Fort Worth, (Serves on Events Committee) 2014 – 2016
· NEED YPO, Catholic Charities Young Professional Organization, Board Member (Serves as Co-Chairman), 2012-2017
· Leadership Fort Worth – Leading Edge Graduate – Class of 2012
· Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council (Serves on Programs Committee), 2012-Present
· Public Relations Society of America, Member, 2011- Present
· Steer FW, Member, 2012- Present
· Streams and Valleys, Inc., Member, 2010- Present
March 2023 Meeting
Program: Ethics Panel & Discussion
Speaker: Bill Baird
Thursday, March 9th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
February 2023 Meeting
E-Week Banquet
WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER
John Lovenburg - BNSF Railway
Vice President - Environment and Sustainability
Thursday, February 9, 2023
11:30 AM -1:30 PM
The Ashton Depot Catering + Events
1501 Jones St.
Fort Worth, TX
This month’s meeting shall be replaced with the E-Week Banquet. See the E-Week page for additional details.
NOTE: REGISTRATION FOR E-WEEK IS CLOSED.
January 2023 Meeting
Program: AI/Infrastructure Management Team Leader
Speaker: Matt Stahl, P.E., AWAM, CFM
Thursday, January 12th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Summary: This presentation will share recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning and explore possible applications for civil engineering.
Biography: Matt Stahl, P.E., AWAM, CFM is an AI/Infrastructure Management Team Leader and Associate Water Asset Manager for Halff Associates. Over the past 12 years, Matt has worked as a civil engineering consultant and project manager for stormwater, water, and wastewater program development, data science and machine learning, GIS database, H&H analyses, and water resources planning. Matt leads citywide data-driven projects to assist clients with O&M and capital programming throughout Texas.
December 2022 Meeting
Program: 2021 IECC Updates
Speaker: Maverick Allen & Gary McCoy
Thursday, December 8th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
The Fort Worth Club
306 West Seventh Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE FOR $4. Please bring your ticket in to validate and pay.
Gary McCoy:
BIO:
Gary has worked with countless developers, architects, engineers, and
construction personnel over the years. He has continually provided
innovative and cost-effective green measure implementation to meet
and exceed project requirements. Gary has project experience ranging
from residential custom homes to multi-family housing to high rise
commercial buildings. Gary, an effective communicator and team
leader, has helped projects troubleshoot and remedy problems saving
hundreds of thousands to his clients.
Credentials:
LEED Green Rater
Commercial / Residential IECC inspector
Residential IECC Plans Examiner
IC-700 NGBS Green Verifier
HERS Rater
City of Dallas Green
PH 2 residential & commercial inspector
Texas Real Estate Broker
Maverick Allen:
BIO:
Maverick has a comprehensive background in construction and design
processes. After working through university as an electrician, he
gained design side experience with an architecture firm and began
providing sustainability consulting in 2016. Working multiple positions
along the construction supply chain has provided the experience
needed to ensure that each deliverable from Blink meets the highest
standards of excellence. Maverick strives to find and implement the
best work-flow, process, and communication methods for each project.
Credentials:
LEED Green Rater
IECC Commercial Plans Examiner
IECC Residential Plans Examiner / Inspector
IC-700 NGBS Green Verifier
Bachelor of Science in Architecture from University of Texas at
Arlington
November 2022 Meeting
Program: Geogrids and design applications for subgrade stabilization and pavement optimization
Speaker: Eden Thomas, P.E. from Tensar International Corp.
Thursday, November 10th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Geogrids and other geosynthetics are used to solve a variety of design challenges in roadway design, including: stabilizing weak subgrades, quantitatively enhancing the performance of pavements, reducing construction materials and costs associated with construction. Both public and private sector engineers have recognized the benefits of utilizing geogrid products calibrated within a design model and validated through small- and full-scale pavement performance studies.
This presentation will provide an overview on current practices for incorporating geogrids in design to solve common roadway design challenges. Best practices for design and general industry standards used for the incorporation of geogrid in flexible (asphalt) and (concrete) rigid pavements will also be discussed.
Eden W. Thomas, PE (TX, LA)
Title: Area Engineer for Tensar International Corporation
Bio: Based out of Houston, Eden is the Area Engineer for Tensar and covers the state of Texas and Louisiana. He has over 10 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer. He began his career with the US Army Corps of Engineers and then worked in geotechnical consulting for over 8 years. He has worked throughout Texas and Louisiana on a wide variety of projects ranging from the industrial and petrochemical sector to heavy civil and municipal projects. For the past 3 years, he has worked for Tensar International Corporation as an Area Engineer. In that role his primary duty is to assist geotechnical and civil engineers solve design problems and optimize projects by incorporating geogrid quantitatively and qualitatively.
Register Here for November Meeting
October 2022 Meeting
Program: Candidate Forum
Thursday, October 13th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
September 2022 Meeting
Program: TxDOT Projects & Initiatives
Speaker: John Cordary, PE
Thursday, September 8th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
John Cordary is the Deputy District Engineer of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Fort Worth District which plans, designs, builds, operates, and maintains the state transportation system in the following nine counties: Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise.
Register here for September 2022 Meeting
August 2022 Meeting
Program: Tarrant Transit Alliance
Speaker: Cristal Hernandez-Galvan
Thursday, August 11th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Cristal comes to TTA as a former board member with experience in the public and private sectors. She has a dual competency of both political and business management. As an entrepreneur she is the owner of a multiservice small business, specializing in business development, strategic consulting, advocacy and funding proposal development.
She has a mindset for connecting programs to funding and knows first-hand the importance of being innovative and establishing the infrastructure of an organization, as well as managing that organization with perseverance, vision, and innovation.
Cristal’s vison for TTA is to continue advocacy efforts for establishing equitable and sustainable transit as well as work to develop connectivity and to promote economic growth using Transit Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities.
Cristal is known as a highly collaborative leader who began her career in municipal government as a college intern with City of Fort Worth. She has the knowledge and understanding for the public and political demands inherent in managing the initiatives of a growing city, and not only knows what it takes to attract businesses to our region but recognizes the importance of building partnerships in an effort to secure funding.
She is committed to being an impactful leader for our organization and we are thrilled to welcome Cristal as the Executive Director of the Tarrant Transit Alliance. We are more than confident with her distinctive experience, political acumen, and strong sense for advocacy; she will work to promote equitable and sustainable transit for our community and focus on leading the organization as one of regional influence.
Cristal holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in Business Management, from Texas Wesleyan University. Amongst her many professional affiliations, she is a member of the Fort Worth Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council, the Rotary of Fort Worth, a member of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fort Worth Friendly Board of Directors, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Committee and serves as an Ambassador, Hispanic Women’s Network, Fort Worth Chapter and the State Board, Grants Manager, Artes De La Rosa Board of Directors, Nuestro Kimball Committee, Friends of the IM Terrell STEM Academy Foundation, Castleberry ISD Foundation, and is an alumni of LeaderPrime Fort Worth.
Cristal assumed the role of Executive Director on July 14, 2022.
Register here for August 2022 Meeting
July 2022 Meeting
Program: NCTCOG Transportation and Stormwater Infrastructure (TSI)
Speakers: Jeff Neal & Edith Marvin
Thursday, July 14th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Jeffrey C. Neal is a Senior Program Manager with the Streamlined Project Delivery and Data Management Team for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), his employer since 1999. Mr. Neal has managed the Streamlined Project Delivery and Data Management Team since 2018 in efforts to integrate internal and external environmental data/analysis resources, enhance stakeholder coordination and equitable mitigation initiatives, and expedite project implementation and asset optimization activities among numerous local governments and regional transportation providers. Mr. Neal holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography and a Master of Science Degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Neal is also the current MPO representative of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Transportation Asset Management Expert Task Group, a member of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Standing Committee on Transportation Asset Management (AJE30), and a member of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence (CTE) Technical Working Group.
Edith Marvin serves as the Director of Environment and Development for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Mrs. Marvin has over 30 years of private and public sector experience in the field of engineering and development in areas including residential, commercial, utility, roadway, environmental, and stormwater design and construction. She graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In her positions with the City of Carrollton and the Town of Flower Mound she has been responsible for reviewing plans and coordinating with the development community and public utilities; capital infrastructure master planning; community policies and standards; and design and construction of roadway, storm drainage, utility, parks, and facilities capital projects. Mrs. Marvin is a Licensed Professional Engineer and is a Certified Floodplain Manager.
Register here for July 2022 Meeting
June 2022 Meeting
Program: TSPE Focus on Members Program
Keynote Speaker: Konstantine Bakintas, PE and Richard Arvizu, PE, CFM
Thursday, June 9th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Konstantine has a passion for improving the landscape of our communities by building innovative infrastructure and site improvements that will serve the public for decades. His extensive experience includes engineering design and project management for a wide variety of civil and environmental assignments.
He also enjoys assisting small municipalities as a consulting City Engineer.
Mr. Bakintas earned a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah, and a Master of Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
He has been recognized as Engineer of the Year by the DFW Mid-Cities Chapter, and Distinguished Engineer by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, and has presented technical papers to the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association.
Konstantine currently serves as President of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He lives in Grapevine with his wife Stephanie, an educator, and he enjoys sailing, movies, and bikes.
Richard began his civil engineering career with Binkley & Barfield, Inc. in 1996 and has been providing infrastructure solutions to clients, with a dedication to responsiveness and trust, ever since.
That same year he joined the TSPE Preston Trail chapter, which awarded him Young Engineer of the Year in 1999 and Engineer of the Year in 2009. Actively involved in MATHCOUNTS, he has served as State Chairman and was recognized as a Distinguished Engineer of the Texas Education Foundation. Richard currently serves as TSPE Region V Vice President and will be installed as Executive Vice President at the 2022 TSPE Conference.
Richard earned two degrees, a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Richard lives in Murphy, Texas with his wife, Erika, an Occupational Therapist at Methodist Hospital. Married for over 22 years, they have an 18-year-old son, a 14-year-old daughter, and three cats. Richard enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, wine, family, friends, and travel.
May 2022 Meeting
Program: Tarleton State Senior Design Project
Keynote Speaker: Gaige Hyden and Luis Pantoja
Thursday, May 12th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Program Description:
Our client is looking to purchase and develop an 1800-acre tract of land in Wise and Denton County, TX. Our task is to provide preliminary Hydrology & Hydraulics engineering services which involves the design of eight separate roadway crossings along Oliver Creek. The roadway crossings will be design to handle the 100-yr storm without overtopping and to also not increase the existing water surface elevations in the tributaries more than 0.1 ft. These parameters were established to minimize flood risk and to ensure safety for the proposed communities and to meet local design criteria. We are also requested to prepare preliminary construction cost estimates based upon the road crossing sizing results. This project involves the use of publicly available FEMA base level engineering data and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic modeling software HEC-RAS. This project was also sponsored by LIA Engineering and was assigned through Jeffrey Alvaraz, P.E, CFM and Larissa Knapp-Scott, CFM.
April 2022 Meeting
Program: Burj Khalifa - The Tallest Building in the World
Keynote Speaker: Luke Leung, PE, ASHRAE Fellow, LEED Fellow, BEMP, P Eng
Wednesday, April 20th, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
Joint Meeting with ASHRAE
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Botanical Research Institute of Texas
1700 University Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Speaker:
Luke is a LEED Fellow; ASHRAE Fellow; ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Commercial Team Leader; ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization Embodied Carbon/LCA work group leader; ASHRAE Directors-at-Large; Carbon Leadership Forum MEP 2040 founding member; City of Chicago Decarbonization Task Force; AIA COVID-19 Task Force, BOMA Toronto Health Committee Co-Chair; Chair of ASHRAE “Environmental Health Committee”; ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer; Former Chair of ASHRAE TC 9.12 on Tall Buildings; Former Board of Directors for USGBC, Illinois; Industry Advisory Board for IN2 start-up incubator program with US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
He is the wide firm Principal of the Sustainability Engineering Studio for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP. His work includes Burj Khalifa, the current world’s tallest building, and other four of the top 20 tallest buildings in the world. Other work also included General Motors Global Headquarters, Beijing Finance Street, US Census Bureau, US Air Force Academy CCLD, US Embassy in Beijing, BBVA Tower in Mexico City, LG Art Hall in Seoul, Korea; Master planning of XiongAn – the millennium plan of China, and numerous other significant tall and large projects.
Program Description:
This talk will focus on the design, construction, and post-occupancy of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The tower’s design optimizes performance by anticipating how environmental factors change both in the desert climate and at different elevations. Special attention was paid to materials selection, how creep and shrinkage impacts water risers, etc. The tower features many innovative systems. Select systems include: a 460 psi chilled water system; an ice storage chilled water system; one of the world’s largest condensate recovery systems; stack effect monitoring and control; post-occupancy measurement of air contaminant levels; special balcony door sensors that inform occupants when air quality is ideal for opening the door; and a first-of-its-kind “lifeboat” elevator system that can provide controlled evacuation, among others.
March 2022 Meeting
Program: Engineering Ethics
Keynote Speaker: Shane Wade
Thursday, March 17th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Shane Wade is CP&Y’s Director of Operations. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University. Shane has 24 years of experience serving as a project manager, lead bridge design engineer, roadway design engineer, and sub-consultant manager, with 15 years of experience serving as a design quality assurance manager (DQAM). He has worked on numerous projects across Texas and the United States including the Chisholm Trail Parkway, the High Five, the Dallas North Tollway, and the Kansas Department of Transportation Johnson County Gateway Design Build. As Director of Operations, Shane works directly with our core leadership team and is responsible for overseeing the firm’s daily operations across all service groups and offices.
January 2022 Meeting
Program: ONCOR: February 2021 Extreme Cold Weather and Short Supply Event
Keynote Speaker: Collin Martin, P.E.
Thursday, January 13th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person Only
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Reata - 35th Room
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Collin Martin joined Oncor Electric Delivery in 2002 and currently serves as Senior Director of Transmission Grid Operations where he is responsible for the real-time operation of Oncor‘s Transmission grid along with the associated engineering support and outage coordination functions. Collin has held roles covering many aspects of engineering, operations and support functions, including System Protection, Transmission Operations, Transmission Grid Operations, Asset Management, Program Management and Transmission Engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas.
Past Meetings
December 2021 Meeting
Program: City of Fort Worth 2022 Bond Program Update
Keynote Speaker: Lauren Prieur, PE, PMP, CCM
Thursday, December 9th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person or Microsoft Teams!
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Burnett Plaza 2nd Floor Conference Center
801 Cherry St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Lauren graduated Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and is currently working on her M.P.A. through the University of Texas at Arlington. After seven years with the US Army Corps of Engineers working in dam and levee safety, she began her transportation career as the program manager responsible for the oversight and delivery of the $2.4B Capital Improvement Program for the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works. Mrs. Prieur currently serves the City of Fort Worth as the Assistant Director for Capital Delivery, overseeing the implementation of the $265M 2018 Bond Program and planning for the $300M+ 2022 Bond Program.
November 2021 Meeting
Program: Trinity Metro Project Updates
Keynote Speaker: Chad Edwards
Thursday, November 18th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person or Microsoft Teams!
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Reata
310 Houston St
35th Room
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Chad Edwards joined Trinity Metro in 2021 as Vice President of Planning & Development. Edwards oversees planning, scheduling, government relations, facilities, grants and project management. His experience includes serving as the assistant director and regional mobility and innovation officer for the City of Fort Worth, working as an assistant vice president for capital planning at DART and as program manager at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). Edwards earned a Bachelor of Arts in geography with a minor in environmental studies from Texas Tech University. He earned a Master of City and Regional Planning and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems from the University of Texas at Arlington. He serves as the co-chair of the Metropolitan & Municipality Planning Subcommittee for the American Public Transportation Association and as a member of the Surface Transportation Technical Committee for NCTCOG.
October 2021 Meeting
Program: Risk and Resiliency for Water Utilities
Keynote Speaker: S. Frank Crumb Jr., P.E., BCEE and Kimberly M. Miller, AICP
Thursday, October 7th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person or Microsoft Teams!
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Burnett Plaza 2nd Floor Conference Center
801 Cherry St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Mr. Crumb joined Halff Associates, Inc. in October of 2014 bringing with him 35 years of water and wastewater utility experience in the public sector. Franks role at Halff is Public Infrastructure Business Development.
As Water Director for the City of Fort Worth, Texas, he was responsible for a large service area of both retail and wholesale customers. In this position he was actively engaged in capital planning and financial management of the utility, including annual budget preparation and rate recommendations to the city council.
He has held board positions with the Water Reuse Association, Water Reuse Texas and the Underground Construction Technology organization.
Kimberly M. Miller joined Halff Associates in 2019 as Principal Planner for Resilience. She has 25 years of public and private sector experience and began her career at the City of Austin managing the redevelopment of Mueller Austin. She began her career in resilience after Hurricane Katrina, when she helped Gulf Coast communities plan for more resilient housing and infrastructure. She has been the lead planner for Halff Associates’ Risk and Resilience Assessments in coordination with Frank Crumb, and the firm’s Water Utility Division and is currently preparing Emergency Response and Emergency Preparedness Plans for several Water Utilities. Over the last 10 years, her projects include community development and engagement, comprehensive planning, development services, waterfront plans, hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plans.
September 2021 Meeting
Program: Common Accessibility Design and Construction Issues
Keynote Speaker: Erin Eurek, P.E.
Thursday, September 9th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
In-Person or Microsoft Teams!
(NOTE: Masks are highly encouraged for in-person attendees.)
Burnett Plaza 2nd Floor Conference Center
801 Cherry St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Erin is a licensed Professional Engineer with over 14 years of traffic and transportation experience with Kimley-Horn. Her professional practice focuses on developing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plans for local and state agencies across the country. Erin also has extensive experience with traffic signal design particularly those with complex design issues where right-of-way is limited, and ADA compliance challenges exist. Erin spearheaded the development of KADA, Kimley-Horn’s ArcGIS/GPS-based data collection, data processing, and data management application that has been used to develop and implement ADA Transition Plans nationwide. Erin has taught trainings to multiple municipal and state agencies on the design of pedestrian facilities in the public rights-of-way based on her practical experience as a design engineer and comprehensive knowledge of the Proposed Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public-Right-of-Way (PROWAG). Erin currently serves as the Vice President of the Texas District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and in her free time she enjoys CrossFit, shooting sporting clays, and attending concerts.
August 2021 Meeting
Program: City of Fort Worth Stormwater Update
Keynote Speaker: Linda Young, Justin Naylor, & Michael Crenshaw
Thursday, August 12th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Virtual on Microsoft Teams!
Free Registration!
Burnett Plaza 2nd Floor Conference Center
801 Cherry St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Linda Young, PE, is the Engineering Manager responsible for delivery of stormwater capital projects for the City of Fort Worth. She has experience in both the public and private sector including refinery construction, retail gas station construction, internal audit and environmental engineering.
Justin Naylor is a Senior Professional Engineer with the City of Fort Worth’s Transportation & Public Works Capital Delivery Division. He is a registered Professional Engineer, Project Management Professional and Certified Floodplain Manager. He has over 10 years of engineering experience including roles in the private and public sector.
Michael Crenshaw has over 20 years of experience and is currently Manager for 360 Clarus, LLC. Prior experience includes roles as product management, program management, and project manager specializing in floodplain management, drainage systems analysis and design, watershed master planning, hydrologic-hydraulic studies and designs, complex drainage systems analysis and design, and watershed master planning studies and analysis.
July 2021 Meeting
Program: Statewide Dam Operations Presentation
Keynote Speaker: Max Strickler, CFM, HIT
Thursday, July 8th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (In-Person be there at 11:45)
In-Person or Microsoft Teams!
Burnett Plaza 2nd Floor Conference Center
801 Cherry St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Speaker:
Max Strickler is a Lead Hydrologist in the Water Management section of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Fort Worth District. Max graduated from Texas A&M University with a Masters Degree in Water Management and Hydrologic Science. He has been with USACE for 10+ years and manages hydrologic operations of 25 USACE reservoirs for flood control and water supply. He has worked on hydrologic and reservoir system simulation models for the Trinity, Brazos, Guadalupe, Red, Colorado, and Neches River basins using HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim, and Riverware.
June 2021 Meeting
Program: Tarrant County 2021 Proposed Transportation Bond Program
Keynote Speaker: Mike Galizio
Thursday, June 10th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Speakers:
Mike Galizio has over 25 years of planning experience working for local, regional, and state agencies in California, Washington, Nevada, and Hawaii. He and his wife moved to Texas in 2017 and now live in South Arlington. After working two years for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Mike joined the Tarrant County Transportation Services Department in 2019.
May 2021 Meeting
Program: Tarleton Senior Design Project - Design of Various Elements of a New Engineering Building
Keynote Speaker: Karina Borisova, Shannon Lawless & Daniel Pina
Thursday, May 13th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Speakers:
Ms. Karina Borisova is a senior at Tarleton State University majoring in Civil Engineering. She will be graduating with Honors this May. Karina Borisova is from Brownwood, TX, and moved to the United States from Russia as a freshman in High School. Ms. Borisova’s interests in Civil Engineering include Water Resources and Structural Engineering. She has been actively involved and held officer positions in the ASCE Student Chapter at Tarleton since her freshman year. Ms. Borisova has completed two summer internships with TxDOT in Brownwood and will join Kimley-Horn’s Water Resources team in Las Colinas, TX in June.
Ms. Shannon Lawless is a senior Environmental Engineering major at Tarleton State University and will be graduating in May 2021 as a Presidential Honors Graduate with Summa Cum Laude recognition. She will also obtain her GIS certificate upon graduation. Ms. Lawless is from Garland TX and her interest areas in Environmental Engineering include water resources, hydrology, and hydraulics. Mrs. Lawless participated in research with two of her professors while attending Tarleton. The first research study was over the efficiency of water treatment systems to remove nanoparticles with Dr. Lynal Albert. Her most recent study was interpreting various results from water tests on TCEQ recognized lakes in Texas with Dr. Kartik Venkatraman. Ms. Lawless interned for two summers with the NRCS in 2019 and 2020 and has accepted a full-time position at Peloton Land Solutions to begin May 24th, 2021.
Mr. Daniel Pina is a senior Civil Engineering major at Tarleton State University and will be graduating on May 15th, 2021. Mr. Pina is from Comanche, TX. Mr. Pina’s interest areas in Civil Engineering include transportation and water resources. Mr. Pina has accepted a full-time position at TxDOT in Brownwood, Tx. Mr. Pina’s goals include attaining his PE license and making a positive impact on the world.
April 2021 Meeting
Program: TSPE & Legislative Update
Keynote Speaker: Jennifer McEwan, Ph.D. & Trish Smith
Wednesday, April 28th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Speakers:
Jennifer McEwan, Ph.D.
Jennifer McEwan, Ph. D. is widely known for her transportation expertise and knowledge of project development and advancement. Prior to founding Grace & McEwan Consulting, Jennifer served as Senior Policy Director at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig. She is experienced in advocacy and policy research for regional and statewide mobility coalitions, chamber organizations and trade associations, in addition to numerous statewide appointed task forces and the Sunset Advisory Commission. She currently serves as TSPE Legislative & Governmental Affairs Director, Treasurer of the Transportation Advocates of Texas, and policy director for the Texas Transportation Alliance. Jennifer has a B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University, a Masters from Texas State University and a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.
Trish Smith
Trish B. Smith is the Executive Director of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Trish has been with TSPE 24 years. She is also the Executive Director and a Trustee of the Texas Engineering Foundation and manages the TSPE Political Action Committee for Engineers (PACE). She recently completed a third term on the NSPE Executive Committee, Board of Directors and House of Delegates. Prior to joining TSPE she served as the Coordinator and Program Manager of the Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism at Texas Tech University where she assisted in the delivery of engineering ethics seminars to engineering faculty, private firms, TxDOT and engineering students. In her earlier career she spent over fifteen years involved in the legal field in a variety of positions from legal secretary, paralegal, assistant to the Dean of the Texas Tech School of Law and Administrator of a 55-person law firm.
March 2021 Meeting
Program: Engineering Ethics
Keynote Speaker: Steven E. Eubanks, P.E., PMP, CFM
Thursday, March 25th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description: Mr. Eubanks is Owner of Steven Eubanks Engineering, LLC, since retiring after 19 years at the City of Fort Worth. He held several positions in the City’s Stormwater program, including Chief Stormwater Engineer. His responsibilities included new development review, capital project management, flooding and drainage complaint investigations, public-private partnerships, infrastructure criticality assessment, and engineering assistance for maintenance projects. He assisted in the development of the City’s Stormwater Utility and the 2006 Fort Worth Storm Water Management Design Manual, and more recently oversaw development of the City’s Stormwater Master Plan. He has spoken at numerous conferences and has developed several workshops and training programs. He was honored by TSPE Fort Worth Chapter as Engineer of the Year in 2016.
February 2021 Meeting
Program: DFW International Airport
Keynote Speaker: Bill Grozdanich, Assistant Vice President of Program Controls
Thursday, February 25th, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description:
Bill serves as the Assistant Vice President of Program Controls in Design, Code and Construction (DCC) within DFW International Airport’s Infrastructure and Development Division. Bill is responsible for planning, organizing, supervising, and administering the Program Controls section of the DCC Department, including areas of estimating, scheduling, scope management, risk management, reporting and document control in execution of the Airport’s Master Plan. He manages the development of the Department and capital project performance metrics, tracking and reporting.
Bill joined the Airport in 2013 serving as the Construction Program Accounting Supervisor. In this position, he played an integral role in TRIP, accounting for the scope, schedule and budget for the program.
Bill served as the Construction Program Accounting Manager and Department Controller for the Finance Department, a role he’s held since 2015. Bill was responsible for managing financial reporting and accounting of TRIP and DCC’s Capital Projects portfolio and operating budget. Prior to joining DFW, Bill worked for Freese and Nichols, Inc., a Fort Worth based Engineering Company as an Operations Analyst, Corporate Auditor for RadioShack Corporation, and Lead Auditor for Union Pacific Resources now Anadarko Petroleum.
Bill is proud to serve as the coordinator for DFW’s United Way Golf Tournament benefiting the United Way of Dallas and Tarrant Counties.
Bill holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Accountancy with a Minor in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
January 2021 Meeting
Program: City of Dallas Mill Creek Tunnel Construction - Mill Creek Drainage Tunnel (millcreektunnel.com)
Keynote Speaker: Paul Smith, PE
Thursday, January 14th, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description:
Mr. Smith is a construction operations manager with Black & Veatch Corporation specializing in underground construction and construction management. Mr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, concentrating in construction management and water resources engineering. He is a registered professional engineer and certified construction manager with over 31 years of professional experience in planning, design and construction of tunnels in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Framingham, MA; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Toronto, ON; Columbus, OH and Dallas, TX. Mr. Smith is currently responsible for the construction management of the Dallas Mill Creek/Peaks Branch/State-Thomas Drainage Relief Tunnel Project.
December 2020 Meeting
Program: Planning of Transportation and Stormwater Infrastructure Together Before the Growth
Keynote Speaker: Tamara Cook, AICP, NCTCOG & Jeffrey C. Neal, PTP, NCTCOG & Jerry Cotter, PEUSACE
Thursday, December 10th, 11:45 PM - 12:45 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description:
Tamara Cook, AICP, NCTCOG
Tamara Cook is a Senior Program Manager of Environment and Development at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Environment and Development Department. Tamara has been with NCTCOG since 2004. Tamara currently manages programs and projects related to a variety of sustainability topics including: water resources and conservation, water quality, flood risk reduction, public works, stormwater, waste management, energy-efficiency, building codes, and development excellence. Tamara previously managed programs related to long-range transportation planning, Environmental Justice and Title VI analysis; integration of conservation planning into the transportation planning process; and, compatible land use surrounding the Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base. She also has previous work experience in air quality, alternative fuels, and emission reduction strategies.
Tamara is a member of the American Planning Association and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Tamara is a LEED Green Associate and is certified as a Sustainability Associate from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. Tamara received her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Christian University, majoring in Environmental Science. She subsequently received a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning with an emphasis in Environmental Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Tamara currently serves as the Director of the Texas APA Midwest Section. She also volunteers her time as a member of the CityLab Advisory Council; serves as the Special Award Coordinator for the Future City Competition North Texas; serves on her Homeowners Association Board; and, plays the violin in the all-volunteer Coppell Community Orchestra.
Jeffrey C. Neal, PTP, NCTCOG
Jeffrey C. Neal is a Senior Program Manager with the Streamlined Project Delivery and Data Management Team for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). He has been employed with NCTCOG since 1999, and his primary work has consisted of planning, travel demand modeling, value engineering, environmental review, agency coordination, and project implementation processing for numerous major freeway, toll road, HOV/Managed Lane, thoroughfare, and transit corridors across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area.
Since 2018, Mr. Neal has managed the Streamlined Project Delivery and Data Management Team in efforts to integrate internal and external environmental data/analysis resources, enhance stakeholder coordination and equitable mitigation initiatives, and expedite construction delivery and asset optimization activities for transportation projects among numerous local governments and regional transportation providers. Mr. Neal also works collaboratively with many local, State, and Federal entities to enhance the collection, analysis, and promotion of infrastructure performance assessments benefitting North Central Texas project programming and prioritization strategies. Mr. Neal holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography and a Master of Science Degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma, and he is a certified Professional Transportation Planner (PTP). Mr. Neal is also a current representative of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Transportation Asset Management Expert Task Group, a member of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Standing Committee on Transportation Asset Management (AJE30), and a member of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence (CTE) Technical Working Group.
Jerry Cotter, PEUSACE
Jerry is the Chief of the Water Resources Branch, for the Fort Worth District. Prior to this position Jerry served as the Chief of the Water Management Section within the Water Resources Branch. The Water Resources Branch manages and conducts investigations for 27 flood control reservoirs, levee systems across the Dallas Fort Worth area and numerous flood damage reduction projects within the Fort Worth District. Jerry is also the senior leader for national teams within USACE engaged in developing new and innovative tools to support the USACE water resources and water management missions.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Jerry began his career with the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1980 as a hydraulic engineer within the Water Resources Branch. In 1984, Jerry left federal service and practiced in the private sector until 1994 when he left the Super Conducting Super Collider and returned to work for USACE in the Water Resources Branch. During his career, Jerry has worked on many studies as well as infrastructure projects for municipal, county and federal governments across Texas and in Florida including, dam designs, drainage systems, water and waste water systems and roadways.
November 2020 Meeting
Program: Project Management
Keynote Speaker: Steven E. Eubanks, P.E., PMP, CFM
Thursday, November 12th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description: Mr. Eubanks is Owner of Steven Eubanks Engineering, LLC, since retiring after 19 years at the City of Fort Worth. He held several positions in the City’s Stormwater program, including Chief Stormwater Engineer. His responsibilities included new development review, capital project management, flooding and drainage complaint investigations, public-private partnerships, infrastructure criticality assessment, and engineering assistance for maintenance projects. He assisted in the development of the City’s Stormwater Utility and the 2006 Fort Worth Storm Water Management Design Manual, and more recently oversaw development of the City’s Stormwater Master Plan. He has spoken at numerous conferences and has developed several workshops and training programs. He was honored by TSPE Fort Worth Chapter as Engineer of the Year in 2016.
October 2020 Meeting
Program: Fort Worth Economic Development Update
Keynote Speaker: Robert Sturns, EDFP, Director, Economic Development City of Fort Worth
Thursday, October 22nd, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description: Robert Sturns has more than 25 years of experience holding leadership roles in municipal government, commercial real estate and banking operations, with the last 20 years negotiating terms and structuring deals for economic and community development programs in Texas. As a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), Mr. Sturns has received numerous awards and accolades for creative and successful business recruitment/retention efforts. By leveraging partnerships with public and private entities, he has been directly engaged in the announcement of over $3.0 billion in new capital investment and 25,000 jobs.
In his current role, he is responsible for the economic development program for the City of Fort Worth, including business attraction & retention, as well as small business/entrepreneurship development. Mr. Sturns received a commission as an Officer in the United States Army Reserve where he served for 10 years and reached the rank of Captain. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 2020 Meeting
Robel lulseged, p.e.
Program: Leveraging Analytics to Improve Customer Experience
Keynote Speaker: Robel Lulseged, P.E., Oncor
Tuesday, September 29th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description: Robel is an engineering manager at Oncor responsible for developing asset management strategies to ensure the delivery of safe and reliable electricity to millions of Texans. Oncor is the largest electricity delivery company in Texas with more than 139,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines serving more than 10 million people in over 120 counties. Robel has been at Oncor for over 11 years and has held various positions in engineering design and asset management. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.
August 2020 Meeting
Trish h. Hatley, p.e., f.nspe
Program: Best Practices to Increase Diversity in Your Organization
Keynote Speaker: Trish H. Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE and Stephanie Buckingham, CPTD, PHR
Wednesday, August 19th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
In this presentation you will:
Create awareness about Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)
Present the business case for D&I
Challenge your unconscious bias and perspective
Identify best practices for how organizations and individuals can advance D&I practices
stephanie buckingham, cptd, phr
Tricia is a Principal and Vice President at Freese and Nichols, Inc., an engineering, architectural, and environmental firm with offices throughout the south and southeast. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and is the firm’s Division Manager over offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Additionally, Tricia is President for the National Society of Professional Engineers for the 2020-2021 term.
Stephanie is part of Freese and Nichols’ HR team, focusing on Organizational Development. She is responsible for coaching, career and leadership development and designing and delivering training for Freese and Nichols employees and clients. In 2019, she facilitated 103 courses for over 2,500 people, including employees, clients and conference attendees. Her training focuses on Communication, Teamwork, Accountability, Strengths, Emotional Intelligence, and Ethics.
July 2020 Meeting
Keynote Speaker: Michael Morris, P.E.
Wednesday, July 22nd, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to be provided beforehand)
Free registration!
Program Description: Michael Morris is the department director and has been on staff in the Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, since 1979. The Metropolitan Planning Organization serves the region by developing transportation plans, programs and projects that address the transportation needs of the fourth largest region in the country.
Mr. Morris received his Masters in Civil Engineering from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1979 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. Several groups have recognized him. He previously served as the Chairman of the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and a National Associate of the National Academies.
June 2020 Meeting
Keynote Speaker: Nader A. Ayoub, P.E.
Thursday, June 11th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to follow after registration)
Free registration!
Program Description: Mr. Ayoub is a Regional Vice President with Iteris, Inc. located in Austin, TX. Mr. Ayoub is a registered PE in the State of Texas and has over 36 years of experience in traffic operations specializing in vehicle detection and controller systems design, ITS communications design, ITS/signal system implementation and ITS project management. He has extensive experience in project management and deployment of traffic signal control systems. He has established procedures and recommended practices for the operation of traffic signals in the areas of detector design and operation, coordination and special phasing which has been adopted by TxDOT. In addition, Mr. Ayoub has developed training courses for traffic signal operations and design. He has successfully completed numerous projects within Texas that included the full complement of ITS devices and signal operations that include not only the design but also implementation, integration and ongoing maintenance and operations assistance.
May 2020 Meeting
Program: TCEQ Water/Wastewater Separation Exception Requirements
Keynote Speaker: Ron King, P.E.
Thursday, May 28th, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Zoom (Meeting link to follow after registration)
Free registration!
Program Description: Mr. King has provided engineering services for many government sector clients across the State of Texas for the last 29 years. He has extensive background in water and wastewater utilities, including pipelines, pumping stations, and storage tanks. He also has a background in water resources, including dams, reservoirs, and dredging projects. Two notable projects that he was project manager for were the DFW International Airport 2.5 MG Elevated Storage Tank and the City of Fort Worth Lake Worth Dredging Program.
This presentation provides a simple tool that was developed to easily navigate through the TCEQ water/wastewater separation Exception Requirements. It is an interactive flowchart that quickly guides you to the correct TCEQ Chapter and to your specific case. Further, you can click on your specific case and the tool navigates directly to the details developed to represent the TCEQ requirements. Research time and “head scratching” are greatly reduced with this easy-to-use tool. It is useful for engineers for design preparation, owners for plan reviews, contractors for construction options, and inspectors for confirming compliance.
March 2020 Meeting
Program: Engineering Ethics
Keynote Speaker: Roxanne L. Pillar, P.E., CMQ/OE, FNSPE
Thursday, March 12th, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
Dome
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: A native of Iowa, Roxanne graduated from South Dakota State University with a BSCE. She moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and started her career. She worked for the FAA and consulting companies designing and managing public works and transportation projects. In 2004 she was employed by Huitt-Zollars as the Fort Worth Office Managing Principal. She is currently the HZ VP/Director for Quality, implementing the ISO 9001 Quality standard across the company of 550 employees in 19 offices.
She is the past state president of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers; past president of the Fort Worth Chapter of TSPE, past president of the Fort Worth Post of SAME, and past president of the Fort Worth Branch of ASCE; and a Fellow in NSPE, ASCE and SAME. She was a member and chair of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and serves on the TBPE Industry Advisory committee. She is currently a member of the American Society for Quality, chair of the Fort Worth Downtown Inc. Transportation committee and on the board for Tarrant Transit Alliance.
She is an Aggie Mom to her two children and enjoys DIY home improvement projects and quilting (Engineering with Fabric).
January 2020 Meeting
Program: Smart Cities
Keynote Speaker: Maria Carcedo
Thursday, January 16th, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: A smart city makes extensive use of information and communications technologies to improve the quality of life of its citizens. In this session, we will explore the vast field of Smart Cities, the problems that it tries to resolve, and the measurable outcomes. Furthermore, it will highlight the current joint collaboration between 4 local cities to improve congestion in our DFW metroplex.
Maria Carcedo is a Senior Solution Architect with 20+ years experience in telecommunications systems’ architecture, lifecycle management, sales support, software development, integration and testing. Her consulting focus areas are in Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Vertical IoT Solutions (Transportation, Healthcare, Smart Cities and Automotive), and Messaging systems (SMS, MMS). Maria is fluent in 3 languages, and loves to travel, restore old furniture and camp.
December 2019 Meeting
Program: Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association
Keynote Speaker: David Perkins
Thursday, December 12, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: David Perkins is the president and CEO of the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA). In this role, he represents the aggregate, concrete and cement industry in Texas through advocacy and engagement. He works diligently to build long-term relationships with a variety of critical stakeholders to promote sound legislative and regulatory policy outcomes at the state and local levels. In addition to advocacy efforts, TACA engages through active committee participation and by hosting a wide-range of educational seminars and conferences to provide a platform of information exchange for its members. This helps to increase the base of knowledge and fosters the continuous improvement of this critical industry in Texas in the areas of safety, environmental and sustainability practices, product specifications, operations, workforce and leadership development, education and community engagement. Altogether, TACA members produce 80% of the aggregates, 100% of the cement and 75% of the concrete in the state of Texas, which itself leads the nation in each of these three segments.
Before joining TACA in February 2018, Perkins served as vice president – environmental, government and public affairs for Martin Marietta. More than 20 years ago, David began his career as a senior environmental engineer at Texas Industries, specializing in air quality and waste permitting processes, general environmental compliance, sustainable development and alternative materials projects. During his career at TXI/Martin Marietta, he served in a variety of capacities, including director of corporate communications and government affairs, regional marketing manager, as well as a number of different positions, including sales and marketing manager for the Package Division and management of TXI’s patented CemStar SM Process, a low-emission cement production technology.
Perkins has served on the Government Affairs Council for the U.S. Portland Cement Association (PCA), as vice-chair of the PCA Sustainable Development Committee and on the Board of Trustees for the PCA’s Political Action Committee. He served on the Industry Advisory Committee for the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, as well as the board of directors and executive committee for the Texas Association of Business. He has also served multiple terms as chair of TACA’s Government Affairs Committee.
Perkins holds a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin and a master of science degree in environmental science from Texas Christian University.
November 2019 Meeting
Program: Legislative and Governmental Affairs Update
Keynote Speaker: Jennifer McEwan, Ph.D.
Wednesday, November 13, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Ms. McEwan is widely known for her transportation expertise and knowledge of project development and advancement. She works closely with project sponsors at the state and local levels including elected officials and decision makers on transportation infrastructure projects.
Prior to founding Grace & McEwan Consulting, Jennifer served as Senior Policy Director at Greenberg Traurig in the Government Law & Policy practice in the firm’s Austin office. She is experienced in advocacy and policy research for regional and statewide mobility coalitions, chamber organizations, trade associations, institutions of higher learning and public education coalitions, in addition to numerous statewide appointed task forces and the Sunset Advisory Commission. Jennifer is also experienced in developing and implementing strategies and supporting data for advocacy and, working with state legislators, county commissioner courts, and county judges and other elected officials regarding transportation and infrastructure policy issues. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Transportation Advocates of Texas, and policy director for the Texas Transportation Alliance.
Jennifer has a B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.
October Meeting
Program: Bois d’Arc Lake
Keynote Speaker: Jeff McKito, North Texas Municipal Water District
Wednesday, October 9th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Jeff McKito has 25 years of experience in all facets of communications. Currently, he leads project communications for the North Texas Municipal Water District spreading the word on projects that affect the District’s growing region of 1.7 million people.
Previously, Jeff managed video production for the city of Frisco, and spent ten years as communications manager for the city of Lubbock. Before leaving for the ‘dark side’ as his television colleagues called it, Jeff spent eleven years in television news and radio broadcasting.
He graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a communications degree and from Texas Christian University as a Certified Public Communicator.
September Meeting
Program: Hyperloop Texas
Keynote Speaker: Kevin Feldt, AICP, North Central Texas Council of Governments
Thursday, September 12th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Kevin Feldt is a certified planner with over 25 years’ experience in both the private and public sectors. Kevin joined the North Central Texas Council of Governments in October 2008 as a Program Manager and is responsible for oversight of The North Central Texas Region’s Mobility Plan, people mover and high-speed rail projects.
Kevin is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Planning Association and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Kevin has previously served as a City of McKinney Planning and Zoning Commissioner.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from Bowling Green State University, Kevin received a Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from The Florida State University.
August Meeting
Program: A DFW Airport Capital Improvements Update
Keynote Speaker: Bill Grozdanich, DFW International Airport’s Infrastructure and Development Division
3rd Thursday, August 15th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Bill serves as the Assistant Vice President of Program Controls in Design, Code and Construction (DCC) within DFW International Airport’s Infrastructure and Development Division. Bill is responsible for planning, organizing, supervising, and administering the Program Controls section of the DCC Department, including areas of estimating, scheduling, scope management, risk management, reporting and document control in execution of the Airport’s Master Plan. He manages the development of the Department and capital project performance metrics, tracking and reporting
Bill joined the Airport in 2013 serving as the Construction Program Accounting Supervisor. In this position, he played an integral role in TRIP, accounting for the scope, schedule and budget for the program.
Bill served as the Construction Program Accounting Manager and Department Controller for the Finance Department, a role he’s held since 2015. Bill was responsible for managing financial reporting and accounting of TRIP and DCC’s Capital Projects portfolio and operating budget. Prior to joining DFW, Bill worked for Freese and Nichols, Inc. a Fort Worth based Engineering Company as an Operations Analyst, Corporate Auditor for RadioShack Corporation, and Lead Auditor Union Pacific Resources now Anadarko Petroleum.
Bill is proud to serve as the coordinator for DFW’s United Way Golf Tournament benefiting the United Way of Dallas and Tarrant Counties.
Bill holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Accountancy with a Minor in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
July Meeting
Program: Oncor and Texas Electric Market Update
Keynote Speaker: Jim Greer PE, Oncor
Thursday, July 11th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Forthcoming.
June Meeting
Program: Downtown Fort Worth Development Updates
Keynote Speaker: Becky Fetty
Thursday, June 13th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Becky Fetty is the Director of Marketing and Membership for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. (DFWI). She coordinates member communication and outreach for the organization and produces multiple events including DFWI’s Annual Meeting, membership luncheons and DFWI’s fundraiser, Main Table.
Prior to joining DFWI, Becky began her marketing career in multifamily property management. She was the Southwest Region Director of Marketing for Lincoln Property Company. She oversaw marketing for 34 assets in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and Nevada.
Becky is an active member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor2.0 program, and a Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth volunteer.
Originally, from Massachusetts, she moved to Texas in 2005 and lives with her husband Matt and their six-year old daughter, Clara.
May Meeting
Program: TCU Senior Design Project Presentation
Keynote Speaker: TCU Seniors
Thursday, May 9th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Applied Avionics Inc. (AAI) produces illuminated push-button switches and indicators for commercial and military aviation and ground systems. These switches and indicators are qualified and approved by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and listed on a Qualified Parts List (QPL) as Mil-Spec parts. In order to maintain this qualification, and as part of the manufacturing and inspection process, several of the products manufactured by AAI must be tested for: A) actuation force, B) actuation travel and C) extraction force.
The primary focus of the TCU Senior Design project is to design and build a new system for doing this set of tests. Key features of the new system will be (1) an upgrade of hardware / software to use commercially available products, (2) the elimination of operator dependency when measuring actuation force and actuation travel, and (3) improvement in cycle time with respect to current system. The production rate, product care, and durability of design will be primary factors in the successful implementation of the new technique into AAI’s process.
April Meeting
Program: The Texas Central High-Speed Train: Connecting people, creating jobs and a new American industry
Keynote Speaker: Rebecca Cowle
Thursday, April 11th, 2019, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Program Description: Texas Central is the private, investor-owned company undertaking the development, design, construction, finance, and operation of an innovative, new high-speed passenger train line connecting North Texas and Greater Houston in less than 90 minutes, with one stop in the Brazos Valley. The system being deployed is the safest and most efficient mass transportation technology in the world, the Shinkansen N700-I Bullet Train, which has operated for more than 50 years in Japan with a perfect record of no crashes and zero passenger fatalities or injuries due to train accidents. This project gives Texans what they have been demanding – the freedom of another choice when moving between the state’s two largest regions. By employing a market-led approach – without the use of taxpayer grants – this project will serve as the model for future infrastructure projects of its kind.
Rebecca is the Director of External Affairs for Texas Central. Since 2013 she has leveraged her experience in non-profit fundraising and international infrastructural development to advance the Texas High-Speed Train project in both North Texas and the Brazos Valley. Previously, she has worked in the development office of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft Worth, as well as the international programs division of the World Food Logistics Organization in Washington DC. She is a proud alum of Texas A&M University.
Program: Ethics Presentation at West 7th Street Movie Tavern
Thursday, March 14, 2019
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
West 7th Street Movie Tavern
2872 Crockett Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
This month’s meeting will be held on Thursday, March 14th at the Movie Tavern in West 7th! We will be watching the film “Ethicana” followed by a discussion of the ethical ideas presented in the film.
February 22, 2019
Program: “E-Week Banquet”
Keynote Speaker: Glenn Isbell, Jr., Vice President of Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing at Bell
Friday, February 19, 2019
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Ballroom of Ridglea County Club
3700 Bernie Anderson Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
Your TSPE Fort Worth and Mid-Cities Chapters are once again hosting this years E-Week Banquet on Friday, February 19th from 11:30-1:30PM in the Ballroom of Ridglea County Club with guest speaker Glenn Isbell, Jr.!
Glenn Isbell is the vice president of Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Innovation at Bell where he is responsible for bringing radical new concepts to market quickly as well as driving the manufacturing technology to drastically reduce cost and improve throughput on Bells next generation of products.
Glenn is a seasoned executive with 22 years of significant contributions to Bell. He has held a number of vital leadership roles in engineering, aircraft programs, and Business Systems Modernization. He has served as vice president of Xworx; vice president, Business Optimization where he was involved in nearly every aspect of the company’s operations and most recently as executive vice president supporting the strategic alignment, growth and oversight of all services and support of our commercial products worldwide.
Glenn joined Bell in 1996 as a design engineer at the New Product Development Center. Since then he has served in a number of key engineering leadership positions, including wiring and installation, integrated product team lead on the H-1 Program and manager of Experimental Engineering at Xworx.
During his first 11 years with the company, Glenn worked on 19 developmental aircraft with design/build responsibility for nine of them. He then transitioned into a leadership role where he was responsible for establishing the vision and deploying Bell ‘s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM & CAD) design systems; one of the broadest deployments ever executed at Textron.
Glenn served as director, Systems Engineering and Engineering Operations (SE & EO) for several years prior to being named the vice president, Xworx where he was responsible for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation.
In his role as vice president of Business Optimization, Glenn developed the strategic direction and worked to transition Bell’s business model to be more competitive in the global marketplace. His ability to view work from the customers perspective and see how business processes, systems and product designs tie together to provide a strategic advantage, serves him well in his new role.
Glenn holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from The Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University, where he graduated as a Neeley Scholar. He is also a certified Textron Six Sigma Green Belt.
To become a sponsor for our banquet, please contact Jacob Hays at jhays@halff.com. We hope you’ll join us for a great event honoring our Chapter’s award winners and raising funds to support our scholarship program.
January Meeting
Program: State of the Railroad
Keynote Speaker: Dean Dalquist & Robert Newlun
Thursday, January 10th, 2019, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
BNSF Headquarters
2500 Lou Menk Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76131
Important Items:
Please confirm if any of the attendees for the January 10th event will be from Union Pacific, or any other Railroad. This will impact what can be discussed during the meeting.
Wear business casual clothing, with closed toe shoes.
All Visitors must have a valid Driver’s License or Passport to gain access to the BNSF Facility (no exceptions).
Photograph taking is prohibited once inside the BNSF facility; cellphones shall remain in airplane mode.
We will need all attendee names, company names, cellphone and email contact information, 48-hours before the event, so they can be pre-registered in the BNSF system.
Parking: To assure ample parking, please use the attached Campus Map. If parking spots are available attendees can park in front of the ‘Customer Support Center (Building A)’, which is colored orange on the map. Attendees will use the crosswalks to cross the street towards the Visitors Center entrance in the ‘Marketing Office Building (MOB)’, which is colored light brown on the map. ID check and badging will occur once inside this area (consider that this will take time to process all of the attendees, so the closer to 11am they arrive, the better).
Please register by close of business on Monday, January 7th.
December Meeting
Program: Project Management
Keynote Speaker: Trish Smith
Thursday, December 13th, 2018, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Topic: The upcoming legislative session and pre-filed bills that may affect the practice of engineering
November 8, 2018
Program: Project Management
Keynote Speaker: Ken Lawrence
Thursday, November 8th, 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Reata
35th Room (Basement Level)
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Free valet parking is available at the front of Reata. Validated parking is also available to the 3rd Street Parking Garage. Carpooling encouraged!
Ken is currently a Sr. Consultant with IT Nexus, Inc. With a background in capital planning, data analysis, water modeling, and GIS, Ken assists utilities in developing and implementing data and information management solutions for planning, management, and decision-making. He enjoys working with others to bring order and clarity to our work to attain greater personal and organizational fulfillment. Ken has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a M.S. in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
October 24, 2018
Program: Joint NSPE-TX/ACEC Meeting
Keynote Speaker: Clair Davis
Wednesday, October 24th, 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Clair is the Engineering Manager & Floodplain Administrator at the city. He is also the FEMA/NFIP program manager, leading a team of professional engineers focused on urban and rural flood and erosion hazard identification, risk communication, and mitigation outreach. Overseeing the flood warning system expansion and storm water design standard updates.
September 13, 2018
Program: TxDOT Fort Worth District Transportation Highlights
Keynote Speaker: Ricardo Gonzalez, P.E.
Thursday, September 13th, 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Ricardo Gonzalez is the Transportation Planning and Development Director for the Fort Worth District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). A TxDOT employee since 1995, Gonzalez began his career as a summer hire in the El Paso District's design section and survey crew. After graduating in 1997 from Texas Tech University with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he began working in Bridge Design and earned his license as a professional engineer in 2002. Gonzalez then spent the next three years in the Inspection Branch where he coordinated all international bridge inspections with corresponding officials from Mexico.
Gonzalez transferred to the Fort Worth District in 2006 as a construction engineer. In 2009, he was named deputy project construction manager for the $1 billion DFW Connector public-private partnership. In 2011, he was promoted to North Tarrant County area engineer. During that time, he oversaw the $4 billion North Tarrant Express, including the procurement and construction of Interstate 35W, and the successful delivery of the West 7th Street bridge, the world’s first pre-cast network bridge. After being selected as the director of maintenance in 2014, he oversaw a $120 million maintenance program and worked to improve the district’s four-year pavement management plan. Gonzalez was named transportation planning and development director in 2018.
As director of transportation planning and development, Gonzalez oversees the district’s Bridge Design, Bridge Inspection, Central Design, District Design, Public Transportation, Right of Way and Transportation Planning and Development offices. Under Gonzalez’ supervision, the district oversees more than $400 million in awarded contracts each year in cooperation with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and our regional partners. In addition, he is currently overseeing the district’s $591 million Texas Clear Lanes congestion relief projects.
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Ricardo Gonzalez is the Transportation Planning and Development Director for the Fort Worth District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). A TxDOT employee since 1995, Gonzalez began his career as a summer hire in the El Paso District's design section and survey crew. After graduating in 1997 from Texas Tech University with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he began working in Bridge Design and earned his license as a professional engineer in 2002. Gonzalez then spent the next three years in the Inspection Branch where he coordinated all international bridge inspections with corresponding officials from Mexico.
Gonzalez transferred to the Fort Worth District in 2006 as a construction engineer. In 2009, he was named deputy project construction manager for the $1 billion DFW Connector public-private partnership. In 2011, he was promoted to North Tarrant County area engineer. During that time, he oversaw the $4 billion North Tarrant Express, including the procurement and construction of Interstate 35W, and the successful delivery of the West 7th Street bridge, the world’s first pre-cast network bridge. After being selected as the director of maintenance in 2014, he oversaw a $120 million maintenance program and worked to improve the district’s four-year pavement management plan. Gonzalez was named transportation planning and development director in 2018.
As director of transportation planning and development, Gonzalez oversees the district’s Bridge Design, Bridge Inspection, Central Design, District Design, Public Transportation, Right of Way and Transportation Planning and Development offices. Under Gonzalez’ supervision, the district oversees more than $400 million in awarded contracts each year in cooperation with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and our regional partners. In addition, he is currently overseeing the district’s $591 million Texas Clear Lanes congestion relief projects.
August 9, 2018
Program: TRV Bridge Project Overview
Keynote Speaker: Douglas Rademaker, P.E.
Thursday, August 9th, 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Mr. Rademaker is a graduate of Iowa State University from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Sanitary Engineering.
He has over 40 years of engineering experience involving both the private and public sectors. Mr. Rademaker served as a Senior Project Manager delivering water and wastewater projects for Donahue & Associates, a national consulting firm with headquarters in the Midwest for 10 years. In 1987, he joined the City of Austin, Texas as a Senior Project Manager where he led the Project Management Division in the Transportation & Public Works Department. Mr. Rademaker was appointed to the post of Austin’s City Engineer in 1990.
In 1992 he joined the City of Fort Worth as the Director of Engineering and served as Fort Worth’s City Engineer for sixteen years. In that capacity Mr. Rademaker was responsible for the design, construction and inspection of most City capital infrastructure projects. He also was instrumental in development of the City’s Gas Lease Program.
In 2008 Mr. Rademaker led the City’s efforts to establish the City’s first centralized Program Management Office and served as Deputy Director of that office until he retired from the City in 2015.
In 2016, Mr. Rademaker was engaged by the City of Fort Worth to serve as the City’s Project Manager for the ongoing Trinity River Vision Bridge project.
July 12, 2018
Program: City of Fort Worth - Economic Strategic Plan Update
Keynote Speaker: Brenda Hicks-Sorensen, CEcD
Thursday, July 12 , 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Brenda Hicks-Sorensen currently serves as the Assistant Director with the City of Fort Worth, Texas, Economic Development Department. As Assistant Director, she is responsible for a team focused on strategic development and revitalization, which includes existing business development, business recruitment, tax increment financing districts, and targeted area redevelopment. She is also the project manager for the City’s economic development strategic plan.
Prior to her time in Texas, Brenda served in various economic and community development leadership roles, including as the director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development; president and founder of Economic and Community Development Solutions; vice president of Economic and Community Development with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; and president of the Fond du Lac County (Wisconsin) Economic Development Corporation.
Brenda earned her certified economic developer designation in 2005. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and a Master of Science degree in Urban Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy and Economic Development from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Brenda has served on numerous boards throughout her career and has earned several prestigious awards and designations for her work in the economic and community development field. These include the Outstanding New Economic Developer of the Year from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Outstanding Young Alumni from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, and the President’s Award from the Site Selector’s Guild.
June 14, 2018
Program: THE MACONDO BLOWOUT – WHAT HAPPENED?
Keynote Speaker: Richard Strickland, PhD, PE
Thursday, June 14 , 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Richard Strickland is the President of The Strickland Group, Inc. (TSG). TSG provides petroleum consulting services in the
area of reservoir and geological engineering to oil-and-gas producers, pipeline companies, and other
parties in the oil and gas business. Richard has been in the consulting business for 36 years with a major
emphasis on reservoir engineering, numerical simulation and reserve estimation. He has performed studies
on fields throughout the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, the North Sea, the Middle-East, China,
Africa, CIS countries, India, Indonesia, Central America and South America.
He has a B.S., M.S., and a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and was an Associate
Professor of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University for six years, teaching courses in reservoir
engineering and the numerical simulation of oil and gas reservoirs. He has also taught these same subjects
in over seventy-five company run, or industry sponsored courses attended by reservoir engineers and
geoscientists from practically every major oil company in the world.
Richard Strickland is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas and a member of the National Society of
Professional Engineers. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and have held several
positions at the national and local level. Richard served as an officer and director of the Accrediting Board
of Engineering and Technology, which accredits graduate and undergraduate engineering programs in the
United States, and have served on this board’s Engineering Accreditation Commission, which is the only
body that accredits such programs in the United States.
May 10, 2018
Program: TCU Senior Design Project Presentations
Thursday, May 10, 2018, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
The TCU senior design team will present their project on: Ballistic Catch Box
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control is sponsoring a continuing project to design, build, test and deliver a projectile catch box. LM MFC currently uses a launcher and catch box to test small-scale electronics in a high-g environment. This year’s team significantly increased the launch energy of the projectiles from the previous year’s project, along with the facilities, data acquisition, materials and procedures to safely conduct the tests.
April 12, 2018
Program: “Water for Texas, Water for the Future”
Keynote Speaker: Kathleen Jackson, Texas Water Development Board
Thursday, April 12, 2018
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Kathleen Jackson was reappointed to the Texas Water Development Board by Governor Greg Abbott on March 9, 2017. She was appointed to the Board by Governor Rick Perry on March 18, 2014.
Jackson has a diverse background representing agricultural, environmental, industrial, and wholesale-supply interests, which includes developing and implementing water management strategies for Southeast Texas. As a registered professional engineer, Jackson served as public affairs manager for one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemical producers.
Additionally, she was involved in production agriculture with her late husband, who ran a cattle operation and farmed rice. She served as a past member of the Lower Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors, the Texas Water Conservation Association, and participated on the Sabine and Neches Rivers Bay and Estuary Environmental Flows Assessment Program Stakeholders Committee.
She is also a board member and past president of the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Beaumont, a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, past president of the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson County, and a past board member of Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle.
Jackson received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.
Jackson has three children, sixth-generation Texans, who all reside and work in Texas.
February 23, 2018
Program: “E-Week Banquet”
Keynote Speaker: Mayor Jeff Williams, City of Arlington
Friday, February 23, 2018
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Download Calendar Invite
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
1600 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Your TSPE Fort Worth and Mid-Cities Chapters are once again hosting this years E-Week Banquet on Friday, February 23rd from 11:30-1:30PM in the Oak Room of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History with guest speaker Mayor Jeff Williams!
Jeff Williams was elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Arlington in May 2015 after decades of public service in Arlington.
Mayor Williams is president of Arlington based Graham Associates, Inc., an award-winning engineering and planning firm. He has worked on a host of Arlington-based projects, including: AT&T Stadium, the I.H. 30 Three Bridges Project, Globe Life Park, River Legacy Living Science Center, the Parks Mall, the Viridian development and the Richard Greene Linear Park. In 2009, Williams was presented with the State of Texas Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award.
During his 30 years in Arlington, Williams has been heavily involved in the community. His approach to leadership is inclusive and built on a foundation of finding consensus. That can be seen in many of Williams’ projects including the 2008 Arlington City Bond Election Committee and the 2014 AISD School Bond Election Committee. He chaired both committees and both bonds passed by wide margins. In 2014, Williams served on the City of Arlington’s Comprehensive Planning Committee. Mayor Williams has held leadership and volunteer roles in a variety of Arlington organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, PTA, Salvation Army, Mission Arlington and River Legacy Foundation. His community service has been recognized with the Vandergriff Community Leadership Award.
A graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in civil engineering, Williams was inducted into the university’s Civil Engineering Academy for Engineering Excellence.
More than three decades ago, Williams and his wife Karen picked Arlington over other North Texas communities to raise their family, in part because of the quality of education in the Arlington Independent School District. All three of his children went to AISD schools throughout their public education, graduating from Martin High School. Their oldest daughter taught first grade at AISD’s Rocquemore Elementary for three years. The Williams are active members of First Baptist Church of Arlington where he has served in numerous leadership roles including chairman of the Board of Deacons and chairman of the Building, Masterplanning, and Property Acquisition Committee.
Pay-to-Park is available at three locations; the Museum Lot, Western Heritage Garage, and the Will Rogers West Lot. Those that wish to park in the Museum Lot may purchase parking vouchers at the Box Office and are only valid for the Museum Lot. The other lots are managed by the City of Fort Worth and are pay as you go with an hourly rate.
Please see the link below for details on how your company can become a sponsor for this year’s event. We hope you’ll join us for a great event honoring our Chapter’s award winners and raising funds to support our scholarship program.
Please visit the Fort Worth Business Press website to view this year’s E-week Engineering Award Winners: http://www.fortworthbusiness.com/news/fw-mid-cities-engineering-groups-honor-local-professionals-for-engineers/article_dfeb0320-1369-11e8-bc03-d78d91539e3c.html
January 11,2018
Program: Meeting the Standard of Care: Understanding the Engineer’s Liability to the Owner and Contractor
Speakers: JP Vogel & Tim Fandrey
Thursday, January 11, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
J.P. B. Vogel is a partner and the leader of Gray Reed & McGraw’s Construction Law section. J.P. is a trusted advisor and litigator for businesses and individuals involved in the construction industry throughout Texas and the United States. His clientele includes owners, general contractors, specialty sub-contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers. For many of his clients, J.P. routinely provides counsel regarding their daily business operations including litigation, collection services, labor and employment issues, defect and insurance issues, drafting and negotiating agreements, and corporate governance. J.P. is a Dallas/Fort Worth native, and a proud graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law, Texas A&M University-College Station, and Highland Park High School.
Tim Fandrey understands construction and the business of construction. He represents contractors and subcontractors on a wide variety of construction matters including construction claims and litigation, lien and bond claims, giving of real time project advice and contract negotiation. Prior to law school, Tim worked as a civil engineer for over four years, gaining experience in both the private and public sector. Tim designed dozens of bridges and roadways for the Missouri Department of Transportation. While working in the private sector, Tim developed project management skills by managing bridge and roadway design projects. Tim earned his B.S. in civil engineering from University of Missouri and his J.D., magna cum laude, from St. Louis University School of Law.
December 14, 2017
Program: The Challenge of Urban Flooding
Speakers: Steven Eubanks, PE
Thursday, December 14, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Prior to Steve's presentation, we will have a presentation from Marcela Gonzalez, Coordinator of Volunteer Recruitment with Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County!
Steven Eubanks, a registered professional engineer and certified floodplain manager, has been named the Richard Van Trump Award winner by the Fort Worth Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. The Fort Worth Chapter instituted the Richard Van Trump Award in 1971 as a means to recognize an exemplary member or members for service to the chapter during the previous year and to give honor to the late Richard Van Trump, PE. The recipient is selected by the chapter’s past president to recognize those whom he finds most helpful and deserving in service to the chapter during the past president’s year in office.
Eubanks was born in Austin and grew up in north Dallas. He earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design at Texas A&M University in 1979 and then served in campus ministry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Akron, Ohio. He also began his engineering career in Akron as a board draftsman. Eubanks moved to Fort Worth in 1983, where he earned a Master of Divinity followed by doctoral studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, while working as a surveyor technician and then as an engineering technician. When the door to ministry closed, Eubanks earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington in 1995.
After being licensed as a professional engineer in 1997, Eubanks joined the City of Fort Worth in 1999 where he has served in several positions in the Stormwater Management Division. He has led several training workshops and spoken at numerous local, state and national conferences. Eubanks founded the Young Engineers Leadership Forum in 2015 to provide professional training for young engineers. He serves as Co-Chair for the Stormwater Committee of the Texas Floodplain Management Association and Chairman of the Young Engineers Committee of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Eubanks was also named Engineer of the Year in 2016 by the Fort Worth Chapter. He and his wife Shirley have three grown children.
October 12, 2017
Program: TRWD Update
Speakers: Dan Buhman
Wednesday, November 15, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Dan Buhman is the Assistant General Manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District. He earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering, is a registered Professional Engineer in three states, and spent the first 14 years of his career as a consulting engineer, working on both design and planning of water projects. At the Water District Dan oversees the Planning, Government Relations, Real Estate, Environmental, Information Technology, and Project Management groups. He was a small business owner prior to joining the District and has been a consultant to water providers throughout the country and in Texas.
Join us and learn why/what/how the Tarrant Regional Water District is so crucial to our region’s future. In addition to meeting our committee chairs, volunteers and new members, we’ll hear from Dan Buhman, the Assistant General Manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District, where he oversees Water Supply Planning, Real Estate, Environmental Services and several other departments!
For more than 90 years, TRWD has improved the quality of life in the communities we serve by providing a reliable and sustainable water supply, vital flood protection and an outstanding variety of recreational opportunities.
October 12, 2017
Program: Frost Tower
Speakers: Gannon Gries, AIA (Bennett Benner Partners) and Chad Brewer (Balfour Beatty)
Thursday, October 12, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Gannon has 16 years of architectural and design experience. His responsibilities include working with owners and design architects to create buildings that are sustainable and innovative while still meeting project requirements. Gannon has also been involved in programming through construction on multiple projects. He has been a design team member and project architect for a variety of projects in both the private and public sectors, including residential, higher education and corporate. Gannon currently serves as the Chairman of the City of Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission.
Gannon earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Arlington and earned his graduate degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, with his thesis on mixed-use high rise design. When not working away at the office, he enjoys large format photography, golf and spending time with his family.
Chad Brewer has spent his entire 18-year construction career with Balfour Beatty. He began his career as a project engineer and worked his way to managing some of the company’s largest local projects, including the Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center and the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel. Now serving as operations director for the Fort Worth office, Chad is actively involved with all phases of his projects, and works closely with the client to ensure their goals and expectations are met or exceeded.
Chad earned his undergraduate degree at Midwestern State University, and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
September 14 , 2017
Program: Legislative & Governmental Affairs Update
Speaker: Jennifer McEwan, Ph.D.
Thursday, September 14, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Ms. McEwan is widely known for her transportation expertise and knowledge of project development and advancement. She works closely with project sponsors at the state and local levels including elected officials and decision makers on transportation infrastructure projects.
Prior to founding Grace & McEwan Consulting, Jennifer served as Senior Policy Director at Greenberg Traurig in the Government Law & Policy practice in the firm’s Austin office. She is experienced in advocacy and policy research for regional and statewide mobility coalitions, chamber organizations, trade associations, institutions of higher learning and public education coalitions, in addition to numerous statewide appointed task forces and the Sunset Advisory Commission. Jennifer is also experienced in developing and implementing strategies and supporting data for advocacy and, working with state legislators, county commissioner courts, and county judges and other elected officials regarding transportation and infrastructure policy issues. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Transportation Advocates of Texas, and policy director for the Texas Transportation Alliance.
Jennifer has a B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.
August 10, 2017
Program: Dickie's Arena
Speaker: Scot Bennett & Jeff Taylor
Thursday, August 10, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Scot Bennett has been serving as Beck’s Director of Client Services for the Fort Worth Regional Office since 2013.
Scot studied Business at Arizona State University and Architecture at Woodbury University and has spent the last 20 years in the Design and Construction Industry. Scot is client-focused, solution oriented and understands these skills must be utilized to negotiate good business deals and terms for the Beck Team.
Scot started his career as an architectural intern and moved into design and then leadership. He is known for his ability to understand clients’ long-term goals and often maintains involvement throughout the delivery process to assure these goals are met. This gift of working with people extends to Beck’s internal team as well, who rely on him for mentorship and development.
Scot enjoys building strong connections within the local community and has been active in the Fort Worth area through participation in local professional organizations such as the Fort Worth Chamber, the Real Estate Council, the Urban Land Institute as well as charitable organizations, including The Salvation Army and Camp Fire where he is currently a board member.
Jeff Taylor is a Principal at Dunaway Associates and serves as the Director of Site Development Services. Jeff works closely with both the internal and external project design teams to ensure quality service is being delivered on all projects. Jeff is a graduate of Texas A&M University with degree in Civil Engineering. His experience includes initial program development, commercial site development, program management as well as public and private infrastructure design for medical, industrial, hospitality, higher-education and professional office building facilities.
July 14, 2017
Program: Bell Helicopter: A New Brand of Innovation
Speaker: Scott Drennan
Thursday, July 14, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Scott Drennan serves as director of Bell’s newly formulated Innovation team at Bell Helicopter. Scott earned a BS is Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University.
He joined Bell Helicopter in 1993 as an airframe structural analyst on the V-22 EMD program. His career in structures as both a direct employee and contractor for Bell focused mainly on tiltrotors. In addition, he worked on many of Bell’s helicopter programs such as the M407, M427, M429 and received his first taste of pure research work during a 2-year assignment on the Advanced Airframe Structures team where he contributed to the Composites Affordability Initiative sponsored by Wright Patterson Research Lab in Dayton.
Scott joined the ranks of Bell’s engineering management team in 2011 while in the middle of an 8-year assignment in Italy supporting the Leonardo-Bell partnership on the 609 program. Recent positions include director & chief engineer of the Bell 609 program and director of Air Vehicle Integration.
Today, Scott is proud to carry on Bell’s rich tradition of innovation as a leader in Bell’s innovation community. Bell’s new Innovation team’s mission is to depart from past practices and principles and radically innovate technologies and aircraft configurations in order to illuminate the future for the Bell business and change the way the world flies.
June 15, 2017
Program: Fort Worth Transit Authority
Speaker: Brian Murnahan
Thursday, June 15, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Brian joined the FWTA team in January. Brian has 20 years in public relations experience driving communications and media outreach across diverse industries. As an award-winning public relations executive, his areas of expertise include crisis communications, public/media relations, business development, campaigns and promotions, and social media, among others. Brian is a member of the Fort Worth Rotary and serves as the Treasurer for the Greater Fort Worth Public Relations Society of America.
May 11, 2017
Program: TCU Senior Design Project Presentations
Thursday, May 11, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
The TCU senior design team will present their project on Design of an Automated Adhesive Dispensing System sponsored by Klein Tools, a major hand tools manufacturer in US. One of Klein Tools products is called a fish rod that is used by professional electricians to pull wiring through walls and conduits to route wires. The current fish rod assembly process involves manually dispensing glue into the metal connectors. The team developed a fully automated glue dispensing system that consists of a connector orientation system, a customized conveyor system, a glue dispensing system, a control system and a human machine interface. The team will discuss the design and construction of the system and show the operation of the system.
April 13, 2017
Program: TRVA Panther Island Update
Speaker: Matt Oliver, TRVA Communication Manager
Thursday, April 13, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
The Trinity River Vision Authority (TRVA) is responsible for the implementation of a public infrastructure project which provides needed flood protection and fosters the development of Panther Island – an exciting, pedestrian oriented, urban waterfront neighborhood in Fort Worth. TRVA aims to attract businesses and entertainment to the district and is in charge of programming public spaces including Panther Island Pavilion, a waterfront venue and festival space directly adjacent to downtown. Panther Island is a key component of a larger Trinity River Vision – which is enhancing the river corridor throughout the greater Fort Worth area.
Bio:
Matt Oliver has worked in public relations and community outreach for the Trinity River Vision project since September of 2009. He serves as the media contact for TRVA, gives project updates to a wide range of organizations, manages print media projects and assists with the execution of events related to the project.
March 9, 2017
Program: Ethics Presentation at West 7th Street Movie Tavern
Moderator: Executive Director of TSPE—Trish Smith
Movie: "Incident at Morales"
Thursday, March 9, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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West 7th Street Movie Tavern
2872 Crockett St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Directions (Google Maps)
Directions (Apple Maps)
This month’s meeting will be held next Thursday, March 9th at the Movie Tavern in West 7th! We will watch “Incident at Morales” and follow it up with a discussion of the ethical issues portrayed in the film. We are excited to announce that Trish Smith will once again be on hand to moderate the discussion. Attendance at this meeting is the best way to satisfy your ethics credit for the year! The price to attend is $30 (sorry, no government discount for this special event).
February 24, 2017
Program: “E-Week Banquet”
Keynote Speaker: LCDR Sam W. Werschky, P.E., Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reeserve Base
Friday, February 24, 2017
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
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Ridglea Country Club
3700 Bernie Anderson Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
Complimentary valet parking will be available.
Directions (Google Maps)
E-Week 2017 is fast approaching. Last year’s lunch banquet at Ridglea Country Club was another success, therefore we decided to carry that tradition forward again into this year’s celebration. Mark your calendars for Friday, February 24th from 11:30 to 1:30 for this year’s E-Week Banquet! This year we are honored to have Lieutenant Commander Sam W. Werschky, P.E. address our club as the key-note speaker. Please see the link below for details on how your company can become a sponsor for this year’s event. We hope you’ll join us for a great event honoring our Chapter’s award winners and raising funds to support our scholarship program.
January 12, 2017
Program: Explore the Deepest Depths in the Gulf of Mexico-The Technological Challenge at 30,000
Speaker: Richard A. Sukup, P.E., Magnolia Global Energy, Ltd.
Thursday, January 12, 2017, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Presentation Topic: 'Explore the Deepest Depths in the Gulf of Mexico-The Technological Challenge at 30,000'. A look at recently developed breakthrough oil & gas technology innovations, advanced engineering analytics, and challenges after the 'Deepwater Horizon'.
Bio:
Retired Mobil Oil Corporation. President of Magnolia Global Energy-an oil & gas consultancy company. Licensed Professional Engineer State of Texas. BSc. Engineering Oklahoma State University and MSc. Texas Christian University. Author Society of Petroleum Engineers.
December 8, 2016
Program: Are We Still Vulnerable?
Speaker: Jerry L. Cotter, PE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District
Thursday, December 8, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Bio:
Jerry is currently the Chief of the Water Resources Branch, for the Fort Worth District and has served as the Chief of the Water Management Section within the Water Resources Branch. The Water Resources Branch manages and conducts investigations for 27 flood control reservoirs, levee systems, flood damage reduction projects and supports FEMA through the InFRM Team activities. Jerry is also the senior leader for national teams within USACE engaged in developing new and innovative tools to support the USACE water resources and water management missions.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Jerry began his career with the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1980 as a hydraulic engineer within the Water Resources Branch. In 1984, Jerry left federal service and practiced as a consulting engineer until 1994 when he returned to work for USACE in the Water Resources Branch. During his career, Jerry has worked on water resource projects for municipal, county and federal governments in locations throughout the world.
Charity Program: Alzheimer's Association
Brianna Strong, Education Outreach Coordinator
The Alzheimer's Association--North Central Texas Chapter is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donor-supported organization. Programs and services are made possible through contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. The chapter uses 77% of all funds raised for programs, services and research efforts.
Brianna will be informing us about their programs and services and ways the community can get involved.
November 10, 2016
Program: 7th Street Bridge
Speaker: Ricardo Gonzalez, TxDOT
Thursday, November 10, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
October 13, 2016
Joint TSPE/ACEC Meeting
Program: State Representative Roundtable
Speaker: State of Texas Representative Panel Members
Thursday, October 13, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Tarrant County (ACEC Tarrant) and the Fort Worth Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (Fort Worth TSPE) would like to invite you to a pre-legislative session panel to discuss infrastructure issues and insights prior to the 85th Legislative Session. The format will follow that of two years ago - one moderator and 3-4 questions about infrastructure initiatives in the state (ongoing funding, implementation of projects, oversight of agencies, etc.) and the thoughts about those from the following elected leaders.
We are excited to announce that have confirmed our Panel Members! They are:
September 8, 2016
Program: Future Power Systems
Speaker: Ken Donohoo, Oncor
Thursday, Septmber, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
August 11, 2016
Program: Radial Tainter Gate Measurement Controller
Speaker: Brian Lund, Norse Technologies
Thursday, August 11, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Norse Technologies is a manufacturer’s representative, distributor and solutions provider for Industrial Instrumentation and Controls. Items such as flow, pressure, actuated control and on/off valves, relative humidity/temperature, temperature, displacement, etc. First day of business, February 14th, 1997.
Brian Lund is the president and owner of Norse Technologies, Inc. with 30 years of experience. Brian is a graduate of Texas A&M’s college of engineering and also holds a master of science degree in engineering from the University of Texas Arlington.
July 14, 2016
Program: Legislative & Governmental Affairs Update
Speaker: Trish Smith, CAE, Executive Director - Texas Society of Professional Engineers,
Executive Director - Texas Engineering Foundation
Thursday, July 14, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Trish has been associated with TSPE for over 18 years overseeing the programs and staff of the organization. Her responsibilities include oversight of the legislative, education, membership, finance and human resource areas. She is also the Executive Director and a Trustee of the Texas Engineering Foundation and manages the TSPE Political Action Committee for Engineers (PACE) Board.
Prior to joining TSPE she served as the Coordinator and Program Manager at the Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism at Texas Tech Unviersity where she assisted in the delivery of engineering ethics seminars to engineering faculty, private firms, TxDOT and engineering students. She was also Program Manager for the team that developed the NAFTA Code of Conduct which is part of the NAFTA Mutual Recognition Document that was adopted by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the US.
In her earlier career she spent over fifteen years involved in the legal field working in positions from secretary, assistant to the Dean of the Texas Tech School of Law and administrator of a 55-person law firm.
She is married to Thorne Smith and they are proud of his son Tyler who recently graduated from the University of Chicago with degrees in Physics and Computer Science and is employed at National Instruments where he was recently selected as the Rookie of the Year.
June 9, 2016
Program: FAA and Officer Installations
Speaker: Kevin Solco, ASW FAA Regional Administrator
Officer Installations: John Ho, P.E., Vice President, Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
Thursday, June 9, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
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Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
May 12, 2016
Program: TCU Senior Design Project Presentations
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Download Calendar Appointment
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
April 14, 2016
Program: BNSF Railway Network Operations Center Tour
Thursday, April 14, 2016, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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BNSF Railway Co
2650 Lou Menk Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76131
Directions (Google Maps)
Parking: After turning north from Western Center Blvd onto Lou Menk Drive, take the first right towards the East Office Building and park in the first lot on the right. Proceed to the Visitor Center entrance in the Marketing Office Building (MOB) for ID check and badging.
Note: Please bring a photo ID for check in. Pictures are prohibited while on campus. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for the tour.
March 10, 2016
Program: Ethics
Speaker: John Ho, P.E., Vice President, Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
Thursday, March 10, 2016, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Download Calendar Appointment
Fort Worth Petroleum Club
777 Main St. #4000 (top floor)
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Directions (Google Maps)
Reduced rate valet parking is available in the adjacent parking garage ($2.50). Carpooling encouraged!
Bio:
John Ho, P.E., has over 30 years of civil engineering experience in the private and public sectors. As a Vice President with Huitt-Zollars, John’s responsibilities include business development and project management for public works clients in the DFW area.
John is a graduate of SMU and a Past President of the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE). He is currently serving as the State TSPE Executive Vice President. John is a frequent speaker at engineering schools in the area, presenting on the importance of licensure and internship. In 2012, John received a Certificate of Recognition from National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) for his energetic support, and excellence in membership recruitment and retention.
John and his wife, Becky have three children and four grandchildren. He has traveled overseas on mission trips to Peru, Taiwan and Panama. Locally, he enjoys refereeing youth soccer games.
February 24, 2016
Program: “E-Week Banquet”
Keynote Speaker: Mayor of Arlington, Jeff Williams, PE
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
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Ridglea Country Club
3700 Bernie Anderson Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
Complimentary valet parking will be available.
Directions (Google Maps)
Help us honor the Fort Worth Chapter of TSPE Young Engineer of the Year, Engineer of the Year, and Richard Van Trump award, the DFW Mid-Cities Chapter of TSPE Young Engineer of the Year and Engineer of the Year, and the ASCE Fort Worth Branch Young Engineer of the Year! This will be a wonderful event at a prestigious venue full of socializing, wonderful food, and awards. The keynote speaker this year will be the Mayor of Arlington, Jeff Williams, PE.
Tickets are $50 per person or $500 for a reserved table of ten. Reservation is REQUIRED for the Banquet. Reservations for the Banquet must be made no later than close of business Thursday, February 18, 2015. You may reserve by clicking the button above or by contacting Scott Scherer, P.E. at (817) 688-3488 or sscherer@hkseng.com. When your reservation is made, please be sure to provide names (with spelling) and affiliations for all guests. Please provide contact information (email or phone number) in case we have questions.
Also, sponsorships are still available. Last year’s sponsors enabled the Fort Worth Chapter to provide $10,000 in direct scholarships in 2015 and we hope to provide that same amount this year. We want you to be a part of this wonderful opportunity to support the future of the engineering profession. The Engineers Week sponsorships are the PRIMARY source of funding for these scholarships and without your generous support we would not be able to protect to the future of the engineering profession by providing these scholarships to our high school seniors. Click here for more information about sponsorships.
January 13, 2016
Speaker: Dan Kessler, NCTCOG Assistant Director of Transportation
Wednesday, January 13, 2016, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
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TxDOT Regional Training Center (RTC) in Fort Worth
2501 SW Loop 820
Fort Worth, Texas 76133
Directions (Google Maps)