Leadership and the Civil Engineer – State Government Relations

1. Leadership and the Civil Engineer – State Government Relations Maria Lehman, P.E., F.ASCE Business Sector Director Transportation Bergmann Associates

2. Topics of Discussion • Why Civil Engineers in Leadership? • Why Lawyers Lead • Leadership Basics • ASCE Resources

3. Why Civil Engineers in Leadership? • Engineers are gifted problem solvers • Formal training includes: • Critical thinking skills to recognize the facts • Weigh the pros and cons • Make a decision based on long terms impacts • Does this sound like a back seat driver or one of a leader??? If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves” Thomas Edison

4. Why Civil Engineers in Leadership? ”Engineers, because of their talent and training in systems thinking are natural advocates for the truth of the bigger picture, not the single-issues silver bullet solution… The very idea of practicing a profession is to learn from experience. Engineers are training to see a new future through the lens of past problems and to seek the hidden flaw, the weak link.” Samuel Bonasso, P.E., F.ASCE Sixth Secretary of Transportation State of West Virginia, “ Engineering, Leadership, and Integral Philosophy,” ASCE Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, January 2001

5. Why Lawyers Lead? David Hardesty, President of West Virginia University, a successful lawyer, wrote an essay entitled “Leading Lawyers” which offers some reasons why lawyers lead. In addition to attracting people with natural leadership ability, a legal education and practice provides and fosters the following skills:

6. Why Lawyers Lead? • Clear thinking skills • Unique written and oral communication skills • Knowledge of leadership institutions and a special position established by law • A convergence of public and private interests • Problem-solving skills and a thinking methodology that generates multiple perspectives on issues • Skills at managing large amounts of diverse information simultaneously • Advocacy

7. Why Lawyers Lead? • Clear thinking skills • Unique written and oral communication skills • Knowledge of leadership institutions and a special position established by law • A convergence of public and private interests • Problem-solving skills and a thinking methodology that generates multiple perspectives on issues • Skills at managing large amounts of diverse information simultaneously • Advocacy

8. Leadership Basics for Engineers • The only constant today is change… “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” Albert Einstein “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic”

9. Leadership Basics for Engineers Technical Expertise Communication Leadership Risk Assessment Educational Advocacy

10. Technical Expertise • Public respect for engineers Use P.E. and professional affiliation on all documents • Evaluate issues to have adequate facts to provide an opinion, but don’t be hamstrung by “analysis paralysis” “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory” Friedrich Engels Philosopher and economist • Continue professional development to maintain technical edge “If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians” Warren Buffet

11. Risk Assessment • Engineers need to “get out of their box” • Evaluate situation at hand and learn to take risks “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” Rush 2112 • Seize the opportunities, be a member of the team, there a only lessons, as failures teach success

12. Risk Assessment “Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out .” James Bryant Conant, American chemist, diplomat and educator  “It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life”Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse “When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.” Leo Burnett, American advertising executive and writer

13. Communications • Networking • People Skills • Presentation of Facts • Gain people’s trust in the accuracy of information • Command Presence

14. Educational Advocacy • Learn the issues facing policy makers and provide pro-active input • Use technical knowledge to advance policy that benefits public health and safety • Provide opinions on societal issues • Learn to be seen as the bearing of facts and information as opposed to a “spin doctor”

15. Three Focus Areas for Engineers • Develop better written and oral communication skills • Gain an “analytical” knowledge of leadership institutions and a special position established by law as related to the engineering profession • Develop positions of advocacy with local, state and federal government relative to expertise

16. ASCE Resources - Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

17. ASCE Resources - Postcards from the edge

18. ASCE Resources - Postcards from the edge

19. ASCE Resources - Postcards from the edge

20. ASCE Resources -Current Web Information

21. ASCE Resources – RegionalReport Cards

22. ASCE Resources – State Government Relations • In 1993, a Task Force was formed to discuss SGR patterned after National Success • Chair, then Director Bill Henry • Members: then Past Director Jerry Rodgers, then President Elect Stafford Thornton, and then Director Maria Lehman • Lead contributor and reviewer, then Texas Section President Wayne Klotz. • In 1995 program was established • In 1997 SPAG grants were established to help Sections fund activities

23. ASCE Resources – State Government Relations Manual • “How to guide” • Making an Impact • Why involvement is necessary • How to get started • Tools of the trade • Measuring success

24. ASCE Resources – Policies and Procedures • Why does ASCE make policies? • Who oversees the policy development process? • What is a policy document? • Who develops the policies? • How are policies approved? • Who uses the policies?

25. ASCE State Priority Issues 2007 • Infrastructure Financing • Licensing • Math & Science Education (K-12) • Procurement of Professional Services • Smart Growth • Building Codes • Transportation Infrastructure Financing

26. Lobbying State and Local Officials • Statistically improbable that State and local elected officials have background in CE issues • Need to provide education and advocacy with technical facts and local examples • Provide professional opinions • Direct contact with an elected official – importance of constituency • Staff is also very important • Importance of coalitions • Write a letter to the editor • Consider a statewide key alert

27. Lobbying State and Local OfficialsRe-election focus -A three-legged stool Campaign staff Intellectual property Campaign contributions

28. Lobbying State and Local Officials • The most important part is the individual • Constitutional and professional duty as a citizen professional engineer • Expert in subject matter • Leader in Society – ASCE • SGR ASCE Resources • Top Ten Myths about 50(c)(3) Lobbying and Political Activity

29. Bill to Law complexity

30. Bill to Law complexity

31. Closing Thoughts “As a rule, engineers are considered irrelevant in our society because of the profession’s inability and indifference toward sharing what they do with people around them. Hence there is a significant void in the public’s perception of engineers.  The time has come for the engineering profession to redesign itself and design its own future. Only when we define engineering in a broader context will we attract the type of students that are needed to assume leadership roles. We must look for students who are innovative, creative, risk-taking, entrepreneurial and exciting.

32. Closing Thoughts …The world trade center bombing was a crisis, but no more so than the challenge to rebuild our country. The time has come for a call to action to redefine the true role of engineering- and then live our professional lives consistent with that new vision. It has been said that you can not be a leader by riding in the back of the train.” Eugene Fasullo, Director of Engineering Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. ASCE News letter to the editor (1994)