President's Message by Greg Thiebaut

Recently released is the 2013 America’s Infrastructure Report Card. This year the report card has improved functionality with tablets and phones, so you will have the ability to bring up issues and have a tangible resource to utilize in your discussions. Each state has a specific area of discussion, and there are also successes stories related to infrastructure programs that have paved the way for others to follow. All press is good press as they say—and whether you think Stephen Colbert is a genuine journalist or a mere joker, his discussion of the report card is sure to make you chuckle: Hulu Video: http://ow.ly/klAbn . So please be aware of this valuable tool to discuss the needs of our Nation in regards to infrastructure with anyone, and direct them to the link for the report card: www.infrastructurereportcard.org .

Several leaders within the SF Section will descend on Sacramento May 14th to discuss Infrastructure with our elected officials. Legislature Day, which is organized by Region 9 leadership, is a direct avenue for us as Civil Engineers to discuss the needs of our areas with those who are making decisions on funding. Many thanks to Joe Kaplan, Kent Sasaki, Steve Sherman, Kwame Agyare, Matt Kennedy and Alex Geyer for volunteering their time to participate in this extremely important event.

Outreach to non-civil engineers is essential, yet we are constantly challenged to find ways to squeeze more and more work into each day. Please try to be active in developing leaders within the profession and spreading the word about Civil Engineering throughout the community. There are many ways to participate, and the YMF and Branches within our Section are great ways to start or volunteer in a group that focuses on mentoring, outreach and leadership.

Thank you for your continued support for the Section—please take a look at the recently posted Section Awards and nominate your recently completed project!!!!

A panel of leading industry practitioners and regulators highlighted the importance of taking a long-term approach to infrastructure planning, explored lessons learned, and reviewed the benefits of Asset Management through case studies and implementation examples. 

Paul A. Parker Retired Air Force SES Former Director - Air Force Center for Engineering and Environment (AFCEE)	Bruce A. Macler, PhD USEPA Region 9 National Expert, Drinking Water Office
David Guhin City of Santa Rosa Director of Utilities	Colin Chung, PhD    GHD Director of Asset Management

Section Recipients Honored at Region 9 Awards Program

The ASCE San Francisco Section is happy to announce that two or Section Award winners were honored recently at the Region 9 Awards Banquet on March 6 at Los Angeles Union Station.

Congratulation to the City of Belmont for their project, US 101/Ralston Avenue Pedestrian Bike Bridge, that was honored with the ASCE Region 9 Outstanding Pedestrian Bridge Project Award.

On the individual side, congratulation to Patrick Frawley of Central Concrete Supply Co on being named the ASCE Region 9 Outstanding YMF Officer.

Both winners had been previously honored by the SF Section at our Annual Meeting in September.  This years Submittals for the SF Section Awards are due July 31, 2013.  For more information and to download applications, visit our 2013 Section Awards page

By Josh Wolf, P.E., President, North Coast Branch

It’s been a great year for the North Coast Branch ASCE. So far this year we’ve had a number of activities including pizza dinners, a site tour, lunch presentations, tours of local engineering firms, and our annual crab feed. And there’s still much more to come before the season ends. All activities this year have been planned with a couple of goals in mind. The first goal has been to offer more activities to ASCE members; with the benefit of increasing participation. The second goal has been to encourage Humboldt State University (HSU) engineering students, through the Environmental Resources Engineering Student Association (ERESA), to become acquainted with local professionals and to become familiar with possible engineering careers after graduation.

Fulfilling these goals has required steady effort from the North Coast Branch officers; and as usual, this season’s officers have been more than up for the challenge. This season’s group of Branch officers includes six officers from last season and one new officer. The six officers from last season include Netra Khatri (Director), Yoash Tilles (Vice President), Becky Dower (Treasurer), Kendra Mires (Secretary), Matt Love (Multimedia Coordinator), and myself (President). I would like to welcome Jordan King (Student Liaison) as our newest Branch officer. All of these officers consistently provide leadership, contribute to the various activities, and make coordinating the season’s events enjoyable.

By Janet Kan, San Jose Branch President

The San Jose Branch serves its members in the counties of Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz—an area simmering with activity and a growing need for robust infrastructure. Construction and civil projects in the spotlight include the 49ers Stadium, High-tech campuses (Apple, Juniper networks and Samsung), San Clemente Dam removal and Calaveras Dam replacement as well as widening of Highways 880 and 101. Recent market forecasts from various economists and research groups in the South Bay all project an active development trend for the area. Unemployment rates have been consistently dropping since the beginning of 2012 and firms are hiring in 2013. Demand for civil infrastructure will continue this year. San Jose Branch is excited to represent civil engineering community in this dynamic part of the country.