www.csemag.com: Latest News http://www.csemag.com/ en www.csemag.com: Latest News http://www.csemag.com/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.csemag.com/ 18 16 TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400 Matern promotes three to SVP http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/matern-promotes-three-to-svp/536105a5cf8f0678c28239888f82a9f0.html Matern Professional Engineering has promoted Adrian Baus, Judy D'Angelo, and Ryan Strandquest to... MPE promoted Judy D'Angelo to senior vice president. D'Angelo has spent 17 years as a Controller for administration, accounting, and HR functions at MPE. Courtesy: MPEMPE promoted Ryan Strandquest to senior vice president. Strandquest is a LEED Accredited Professional and has 17 years of experience in mechanical engineering and project management. Courtesy: MPE Matern Professional Engineering (MPE) has promoted Adrian Baus, PE, Judy D'Angelo, and Ryan Strandquest to senior vice president (SVP) and as shareholders. Adrian Baus, PE, is a registered Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Protection Engineer with over 19 years experience in construction and engineering, encompassing practical field experience as well as design expertise. He specializes in technology, photovoltaic systems and other specialty projects such as the Combined Heat & Power Plant for the University of Central Florida. Adrian is the Director of Engineering for MPE. Ryan Strandquest has a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Technology from the University of Central Florida and he is a LEED Accredited Professional. Ryan brings with him over 17 years experience in Mechanical Engineering and Project Management. Ryan is currently a Vice President and the Director of the Education Division for Matern Professional Engineering, Inc. Strandquest is a 2012 40 Under 40 award winner. Judy D'Angelo earned her B.S. Accounting from the University of Central Florida in 2004. Her past experiences in the retail and service industries along with her educational achievements have served her well in her 17 years of Controllership duties at MPE. She oversees all office administration, accounting, and HR functions. In addition to serving on the Board of the Ace Mentor Program of Central Florida and her involvement in the Society for Design Administration, she is a Vice President and Controller at MPE.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Industry Roundup SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Tue, 21 May 2013 09:25:00 -0400 McGuire Engineers names new partner http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/mcguire-engineers-names-new-partner/956d501f1dcc2064120d2901547fa840.html McGuire Engineers has named David P. Callan VP and partner. He will be in charge of the... McGuire Engineers named David P. Callan as Vice President and Partner. He will be in charge of the high performance buildings practice. Courtesy: McGuire EngineersMcGuire Engineers has announced that David P. Callan, PE, CEM, LEED AP, HBDP has joined the firm as VP and partner. With more than 17 years of experience, Callan will lead the firm’s high-performance buildings practice.  Prior to joining McGuire Engineers, Callan served as senior vice president and director of technical operations for Environmental Systems Design Inc., located in Chicago. His career also includes senior positions at Syska Hennessy Group Inc. and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. Callan received a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Drexel University and a M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management from the Illinois Institute of Technology.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires Commissioning Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Green and Environmental (USGBC LEED AP Dept. of Energy Energy Information Administration EPA photovoltaic solar panels wind turbines) Thu, 16 May 2013 09:37:00 -0400 Ingredients for a quality onboarding program http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/ingredients-for-a-quality-onboarding-program/a39a3ee16bafec6871fb6ad9b3661c11.html There are a number of ways to welcome new hires that can be critical to building positive... Phase 1: Pre-work The first phase of onboarding is the pre-work phase. Because employees need to feel important and needed when they begin, several strategies can have great impact.   1. Build contact: A new employee’s direct supervisor should call her periodically prior to the first day of work. When a person is coming into a new environment, it can be overwhelming to leave her old comfort zone to begin again; even the most senior leaders are vulnerable. Calling the new person to go over what to wear on the first day, what the first day will look like, and letting her know how excited you are to have her join your team really influences her initial perceptions. 2. Include the new hire in correspondence and meetings: Supervisors are keenly aware of projects and teams to which the new person will be assigned. For group e-mails or important meetings, invite the newbie to participate or join the conversation. Building camaraderie with future co-workers prior to the start is vital to building effective teams. 3. Set up building access, network access, and workspace: You’d be amazed how many supervisors and leaders get this wrong. Have the new employee’s workspace completely set up and ready on day one. This includes the computer with network and e-mail access, phone with working voicemail, instructions for using the phone system (including transferring calls and setting up conference calls and call forwarding), and business cards. And don’t forget keys, keycards, alarm codes, and written security procedures. We’ve all heard stories about IT departments that can be unresponsive; supervisors play a key role in ironing out these smaller details.  Phase 2: First day and week The second phase of onboarding centers on those first few days of work. Here are some ideas to ensure a great first week. 1. Take her to lunch: The new person has no idea what the norms are for lunch time. Is it an hour? Do people eat at their desk or go out? Welcome a new person by taking her to lunch or setting up a group lunch for the first day. On subsequent days, you can go an extra step and have other members of the team take her out to get to know her. Don’t underestimate the impact of this small gesture. 2. Introductions: Getting to know colleagues is the first step in building positive work relationships, ones that will endure through difficult projects and deadlines. Spend time introducing the new hire to others beyond the immediate team: parallel departments or project teams, and key employees in HR, IT, and support services. And introduce her to the president and key leadership. This makes new members feel valued and welcome. 3. Build a schedule: No one wants to begin their first few days mired in HR paperwork and forms. It’s important to have concrete tasks and conversations around work that first week. During the first week, make sure some meetings and team work are on her calendar. This creates space and time for her to quickly get to know co-workers while giving a sense of belonging and contribution quickly.  Phase 3: First 90 days The third phase of onboarding is keeping in close contact with the new person for at least 90 days. Here are some suggestions that don’t require a formal onboarding process, just some effort from key leaders and supervisors. 1. Progress meetings: Have bi-weekly or monthly progress meetings to check in. Are you certain your new hire knows what is expected of her? Does she know the priorities? How clear is she on the objectives of her work? Meetings help you keep the new employee moving toward the mission, meeting all expectations, and becoming a strong team member. 2. Provide a mentor: Assigning a mentor to your new hire does not have to be a formal process. Select a team member who has the work ethic, drive, and skills that you want to see in your new hire. Help the mentor plan meetings and touch points with the new employee. With your support of both, the mentoring relationship can increase job satisfaction and productivity tremendously within the first few months of employment.
Amy Smith is an associate professor at Concordia University Chicago. She has more than 20 years of experience in management and leadership. She was a presenter at the 2012 Career Smart Engineers Conference.]]> May 40 Under 40 SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Career Smart Share on PE Share on CE Syndication: Education (CEU PDH class training) Recent Promotions and Hires Industry Roundup Wed, 15 May 2013 01:31:00 -0400 How to jump-start a new hire http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/how-to-jump-start-a-new-hire/124c0a559a4adc11bc794f0e0225d99b.html The first 45 days of a new hire’s job are the most important.
Welcome to the company. We know it’s your first day and all, but we’ve been busy with deadlines for a major project and we’re not quite ready for you. Your office will be down the hall to your right, but for now, it’s in a storage closet we cleared out next to the restroom. And your computer is on order, I think; check with Francine—that’s her in giant the office with the window. See John to order business cards, after he comes back from vacation next week. We’ll have a keycard for you after John gets back—he does those, too, plus network access! To get you started on your project, we’ve left a stack of plans and documentation on your desk. There’s also an employee handbook with a form in the back you need to sign after you’ve “read” it (wink wink). Any questions? As your new boss, I’m here to help. 
Although the concept of onboarding has evolved through the years, painful scenarios like the one above are common. So is a new hire leaving a company in short order because he or she wasn’t made to feel welcome or valued. Research tells us the average turnover, a new hire actually leaving the firm, within the first year of employment is 13% (Stein & Christiansen, 2010). For the second year, new-hire turnover more than doubles to 33%. The Wynhurst Group, an HR consulting firm in Arlington, Va., informs us that 22% of staff turnover really begins in the first 45 days of employment, when new employees start planning their exit after having a negative experience. Given the high cost of hiring a professional engineer, that amount of churn is incredibly expensive, and it can diminish the reputation of the firm. A quality onboarding program, however, significantly reduces new-hire turnover rates. Wynhurst reports, “New employees who went through a structured onboarding program were 58% more likely to be with the organization after three years.” What used to be “new-hire orientation” has evolved into a more formal process of integrating new employees into the culture and workplace of a new organization (Sette, 2009). What does a quality onboarding program look like? That’s too much to cover here, but here are three steps to developing an onboarding program or supplementing one your HR department might have.
  1. Know the goals: There are three main objectives to any onboarding effort: build confidence and enthusiasm in new employees; impart organizational mission, vision, and culture; and decrease time it takes employees to be fully engaged and productive (Giacalone, 2009).
  2. Check that HR is on the ball with all the minutiae a new hire needs, as described in the scenario starting off this column. You might ask to review HR’s onboarding program so you can ensure it has everything in order. (See the online version of this article for more information.)
  3. As a leader, realize that you know the culture, working norms, deadlines, deliverables, customers, and personalities of your own team better than anyone (Allen, 2006). So, be an organizational mentor to your new hire, or set one up and check that that the relationship is working out daily and then weekly for the first two months.
Keeping good people is hard; blowing it in a new hire’s first 45 days is easy.
Amy Smith is an associate professor at Concordia University Chicago. She has more than 20 years of experience in management and leadership. She was a presenter at the 2012 Career Smart Engineers Conference.
References Allen, D.G. (2006). Do organizational socialization tactics influence newcomer embeddedness and turnover? Journal of Management, 32(2), pp. 237-256. Giacalone, K. (June 2009). Making new employees successful in any economy. ASTD. American Society for Training and Development. Sette, S. (July-Sept. 2009). Is your onboarding process optimal or AWOL? Healthcare Financial Management Association. Snow, S. (April 27, 2012). You’re Hired. Now Figure Things Out (With the Help of This Whimsical Handbook). Fastcompany.com Stein, M. and Christiansen, L. (2010). Successful onboarding: Strategies to unlock hidden value within your organization. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.]]> May 40 Under 40 SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Recent Promotions and Hires Industry Roundup Career Smart Syndication: Education (CEU PDH class training) Share on PE Share on CE Wed, 15 May 2013 01:29:00 -0400 Primary Integration Solutions names business development director http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/primary-integration-solutions-names-business-development-director/3bfbda7eb2b28334fd3700833d43a15c.html Primary Integration Solutions has named Christopher Ludeman the Director of Business Development;... Christopher Ludeman has been named director of business development at Primary Integration Solutions, a commissioning and energy services organization with a concentrated focus on the commissioning and operational sustainability of mission critical facilities.  Ludeman has more than 15 years of experience in the mission critical industry. Prior to joining Primary Integration Solutions, he was manager of business development at a national battery monitoring systems company. He previously served as manager of business development at a full-service mission critical design-build firm and was vice president of marketing and business development for a major construction company in the New York City Metro area, serving clients in the mission critical sector nationwide.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires Commissioning SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm Syndication: Consulting-specifying engineer Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:57:00 -0400 WSP Flack + Kurtz names senior vice president http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/wsp-flack-kurtz-names-senior-vice-president/0d1720f5a0a8987eed370987c31111de.html WSP Flack + Kurtz has named Larry Beam senior vice president. Beam has 35 years of experience in... WSP Flack + Kurtz has appointed Larry Beam, PE, LEED AP, as senior vice president in the firm’s Washington, D.C. area off,ice. Beam has nearly 35 years of experience in architectural engineering design and project management. In his new role, he will assist in the management of the Arlington office, provide senior project management and electrical engineering expertise, and expand the office client base. Previously, Beam served as president of Girard Engineering, a 45-person consulting engineering firm in Falls Church, VA. He first joined Girard in 1983 as a project electrical engineer, becoming a principal in 1991, and president in 2005.  Beam received a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Syndication: Architectural Engineering Firm Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm Electrical SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Electrical (distribution generation protection) Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:15:00 -0400 TLC Engineering for Architecture names three principals http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/tlc-engineering-for-architecture-names-three-principals/7698b97453a06397d09e31cf44c3d34c.html TLC Engineering for Architecture named Aimee Weiner, Mark Murphy, and Cheryl A. Maze, three... TLC Engineering for Architecture promoted Mark Murphy, a senior electrical engineer and project manager in TLC's Dallas office, to Principal. Courtesy: TLC EngineeringTLC Engineering for Architecture promoted Cheryl A. Maze, a Corporate Marketing and Branding Manager, to Principal. Courtesy: TLC Engineering TLC Engineering for Architecture Inc. has announced three long-term staff members have become shareholders in the firm, recognizing their commitment and contributions to the success of the firm to date and in the future. The new principals in the firm are:  Aimee Weiner, Human Resources Manager, joined TLC in 1993 and has had increasing responsibilities in TLC's human resources department, which she has managed since 2003. Weiner's business degree from the University of Central Florida focuses on human resources management. Weiner is active in SHRM and CFHRA, both human resources networking groups in Central Florida. Mark Murphy, PE, LEED AP BD+C, LC, is a senior electrical engineer and project manager in TLC's Dallas office.  A native of Guyton, Georgia, he graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000 and joined TLC's Jacksonville office. Murphy worked in the Jacksonville office for nine years before transitioning to the Dallas office 2011 after a brief stop at another firm in San Antonio. Murphy works closely with architects, end-users and contractors focused on sustainable design projects in healthcare, commercial development and for the federal government. Cheryl A. Maze is a Corporate Marketing and Branding Manager brought several years of prior business development and marketing experience in the A/E/C industry to TLC in 2008. A graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, Maze and her team support TLC's offices across Florida, Tennessee and Texas in the pursuit of new projects and teaming opportunities anywhere in the universe. Maze is a native of Beaver, Pennsylvania, serves as the program chair of the South Florida Post of SAME and is involved in Home at Last, a program in West Orange County providing mortgage free homes for severely wounded veterans. She is a member of SMPS and USGBC.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires Industry Roundup SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Consulting-specifying engineer Mon, 08 Apr 2013 01:56:00 -0400 Dewberry hires automation manager http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/dewberry-hires-automation-manager/58f8ce9d0f3972c70cc922422bf69d49.html Dewberry hires Troy Windom, a mechanical engineer with more than 25 years of experience with... Dewberry hired Troy Windom as automation manager based in the firm’s Raleigh, N.C., office. Windom’s duties will include growing Dewberry’s presence in building automation systems (BAS) and integrating them into enterprise-level business systems.  Windom has more than 25 years of direct experience with BAS and has managed multiple large scale, multi-task projects, including a complete controls upgrade of the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Windom has extensive field experience testing and troubleshooting HVAC, fire alarm, and building automation systems. He was responsible for overseeing the installation of a building automation system at the Environmental Protection Agency’s two million-square-foot lab and office space in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.  Windom earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires Automation & Controls SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Syndication: Automation & Controls (building automation system building automation controls BACnet energy dashboards energy simulators) SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm Syndication: Consulting-specifying engineer Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0400 ESD names senior vice president http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/esd-names-senior-vice-president/16b95132a73b1e81902e3f6a55fd8797.html Addam Friedl was named senior vice president and mission critical facilities practice leader at... Addam Friedl, the former chief technology officer for HP Critical Facilities Services (HPCFS), has been named senior vice president and mission critical facilities practice leader at ESD (Environmental Systems Design Inc.).  As CTO at HPCFS, Friedl was responsible for driving technical innovation within the CFS business and its projects, as well as proactive collaboration with other HP service lines and third-party entities. Previously, Friedl served as a Principal at EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Inc., which was acquired by HP in 2008. Friedl, a registered Professional Engineer in 32 states, received a B.S in electrical engineering, from the University of South Florida. He is an Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer and is National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) registered.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm Syndication: Mission Critical Facility Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:44:00 -0500 WRL names Roger Chang mechanical engineering director http://www.csemag.com/industry-news/codes-and-standards-updates/single-article/wrl-names-roger-chang-mechanical-engineering-director/682a14cdea9d58cc61caafdd1a9256dd.html Roger Chang, a specialist in sustainability and integrated design, has been named as Westlake Reed... Roger Chang, PE, Assoc. AIA, ASHRAE BEMP, LEED AP, has been named Westlake Reed Leskosky's Director of Mechanical Engineering. He was the Principal and Director of Sustainability for WRL before this. Mr. Chang is an associate member of AIA and an ASHRAE Building Energy Modeling Professional. He is a frequent speaker on integrated design and building simulation and published author in various building related publications and blogs, including ASHRAE Journal and Eco-Structure magazine. He is currently an adjunct professor in the Catholic University of America Master’s Degree Program in Sustainable Design, and serves as president of the International Building Performance Simulation Association National Capital Chapter, and sustainability co-chair for the ASHRAE National Capitol chapter. Mr. Chang formerly was co-chair of the committee on sustainability for the architecture program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where he also served as a curriculum coordinator and visiting lecturer in building systems design.  Mr. Chang recently initiated and launched www.recool.com, a public web site for sustainability, designed as a platform for the discussion of high-performance engineering solutions for the built environment. recool was named among the “10 Architecture Firm Blogs to Watch in 2013” by Architectural Record magazine. Mr. Chang received his Master and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he first became interested in building energy use and indoor air quality, including research work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and study in low-energy buildings under the Kann-Rasmussen Foundation.]]> Recent Promotions and Hires SyndicationType: Article SyndicationSource: CFE Media (in-house) Syndication: Design Build Engineering Firm SyndicationType: Press Release - Non-Commercial Syndication: Consulting and Specifying Engineering Firm Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:32:00 -0500