Harry Farchmin is a Vice President and Facilities Division Manager of Bloom Companies, LLC; an A/E/C firm based in Milwaukee, WI. Harry received his both his B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He is a registered Professional Engineer in eight states and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He is an active member of several professional and business organizations. Harry currently serves ASCE on the national level as chair of the Membership Committee and as a civil engineering program evaluator for ABET, Inc. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). Harry can be reached: Bloom Companies, LLC: 414-771-3390  

Making a Wise Investment in Associations

In perusing my daily news sources, both online and in print (call me old-fashioned but I still love reading the newspaper), the words I come across most are: cuts, setbacks, crisis, and, well, you get the idea.  It can seem pretty grim out there, particularly when you’re a student looking for a new job or a practicing engineer at the wrong end of your company’s downsizing.  But where I always see the sun shining through the clouds is in my association membership.  In fact, I would go far enough to say that it’s never been a better time to be a member of an association.  

You may be thinking that this is a time for saving; where belts tighten and moths fly out of wallets instead of green bills, but the safe investment is in your profession’s association.  

I have been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for 34 years, and in addition to working for Bloom Companies LLC, I am the Chair of ASCE’s Membership Committee.  I joined ASCE as a student and have used it to network, forge both professional and personal relationships I’ve maintained for years, fulfill my state’s annual continuing education requirements, gain leadership experience by participating on local and national committees, and stay ahead of the newest technical developments in my specialty.  These may be the things that we readily associate with associations but, quite frankly, they are only scratching the surface.  

Particularly in civil engineering, this is an industry that may get hamstrung by costs, but also can poise itself to reinvigorate the economy and, excuse the pun, pave the way toward economic recovery.  My association, ASCE, is at the forefront of this movement.  Because while we are creating and maintaining the public’s infrastructure projects, somebody has to be there to drive the profession forward and come up with answers to the questions challenging the future of our field.  Questions such as:

Who will protect and reform our nation’s infrastructure?
I always enjoy the line, “If not civil engineers, then who?”  ASCE members have worked to deliver one of the most important messages to the public in more than a century: our nation’s infrastructure is in trouble.  How much you might ask?  Earlier this year, ASCE released the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which gave 15 infrastructure areas a collective grade of “D” and $2.2 trillion price tag to fix.  Ouch!  Coupled with these grades, ASCE released five ambitious solutions to help raise the grades.  The Report Card alerts policymakers to the escalating need for infrastructure investment and helps to prioritize where that money needs to go.  ASCE encourages its members to get involved by facilitating communication with members’ local state legislature through such programs as “Click & Connect with Congress” and the “Key Contact Program.”  You can look for more information on the Report Card and these programs by going to www.asce.org/reportcard. 

Who will define the standards of the profession?
ASCE and its members develop the standards that have become the industry’s measure for excellence benefiting the profession and humanity.  Standards are a vital resource for anyone working on a project as they reflect recognized practices within the profession.  Terms like “ASCE 7,” well known in the industry to determine design loads for building, are uttered as scripture in the design and planning phases of projects.  The Codes and Standards Program of ASCE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).  The development and updating of standards is fueled by ASCE members, working together on standards committees.  Participation on one of these standards committees is a critical step to leaving a lasting impression on the field you work in.  To find out more about ASCE standards and participation on a standards committee, visit www.asce.org/instfound/codesandstandards.cfm. 

Who will be the voice of the profession and represent the needs of the public?
ASCE and its Board of Direction adopt official Policy Statements, Position Papers, and Resolutions on major technical, professional, and educational issues.  With 167 current policy documents, ASCE’s positions represent the views of its members and are formulated in the best interest of the civil engineering community and the public it serves.  ASCE Policy Statements include topics ranging from coast zones and waterways, disaster mitigation and response, to diversity, energy, and environmental issues.  For a full list of ASCE Policy Statements, visit www.asce.org/pressroom/news/policy.cfm. 

When we retire, where will the next civil engineers come from?
Generating excitement about civil engineering must start at an early age.  We remember, all too fondly I’m sure, the rigors of our time in the classroom. But it was something we were passionate about, so we stuck with it.  ASCE develops programs aimed at kids, K-12, to spark that passion early and create the wonder that goes along with turning Lego towers into super structures and dirty hands into geo-tech engineers.  ASCE pioneers programs such as Civil Engineering – It’s Everywhere! and It’s Your World as educational guides for students grades 3-8 and in high school.  Shows like Design Squad and Building Big and ASCE’s new Web site ASCEville (www.asceville.org) let kids discover how engineering works and why society is so dependent upon it.

We make daily contributions to the future of our profession each day we sit down at our desk or set foot on a job site.  And we realize that the work we do will impact the lives of millions of people everyday, whether it’s on their morning commute or simply when they turn on the water to shower.  The road to truly making a difference in our profession – outside of our employers – is by utilizing the leadership opportunities associations afford us.   

More than 47 percent of practicing civil engineers in the U.S. are members of ASCE.  That’s a network of technical experts, budding leaders, and impressionable young minds working toward the common goal of making the world a better, safer place.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this column, the mire of our country’s economic situation doesn’t mean there isn’t room for us to make good investments, particularly when the future payoff is so strong.  Making ASCE my professional home has never looked like a better investment.  

If you are ready to invest in ASCE, you may join online at www.asce.org/join or call (800) 548-ASCE (2723), Monday-Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST.  For a complete list of ASCE benefits, visit www.asce.org/mrg.