GBA has teamed up with Champion System to create top of the line team athletic wear which is now available to all GBA members!  You can order from a catalog of biking and running apparel (i.e. shorts, tights, singlets, jerseys, vests, and jackets) for winter or summer sporting events.

Order now by contacting Sara Menase in the GBA Office.  She will send you images of the apparel options and a price sheet.  We will be submitting a GBA group order on December 1, 2017.

BONUS:  When you order your GBA Team Gear, you will be given a coupon to support your next walk/run/bike registration fee.

MORE INFORMATION

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
“Optimizing Performance by Leading from the Heart” 

2018 Spring Conference – April 5-7, 2018
Westin Chicago River North Hotel – Chicago, IL

 GBA IS LOOKING FOR INSPIRING SPEAKERS!

 Are you a dynamic, engaging, inspiring speaker with something valuable to teach industry leaders involved in the Geoprofessional Business Association? If so, we’d love to receive an abstract submission from you for our upcoming conference in Chicago, IL. There, 150+ senior leaders of GBA-Member geoprofessional firms will gather to network, share best practices, and improve their business performance and elevate their industry.

 The Conference Theme: 

Optimizing Performance by Leading from the Heart 

As GBA convenes in Chicago, IL for our 2018 Spring Conference, we will focus on helping those in attendance to recognize that exceptional leadership requires we lead from our hearts.

Business owners who genuinely lead with their heart — not just their head — are also more equipped to connect with the emotional needs of employees. They understand that people have the need to be valued, respected, listened to and involved. By acknowledging and honoring the human element, heart-centered leaders possess the wisdom and capacity to positively transform any organization and run extremely successful and profitable businesses.

Our Conference will include presentations on subjects that will help our members to embrace a heart-centered approach to business and recognize true power means listening to and from the heart and having a commitment to humility.

 How You Will Benefit

For almost half a century, GBA’s twice-a-year conferences have been the place to engage senior business leaders of the geoprofessional industry. You will gain visibility and credibility; create important new relationships; and generate valuable awareness of your expertise in our industry.

 Download Here:  CALL FOR ABSTRACT FORM

President Charles “Charlie” Head, P.E., P.G. (Sandborn, Head & Associates)

GBA Members,

GBA is a great organization, with great people, and a great legacy.

For the entirety of GBA’s almost 50-year history, it has thrived under the tenets of openness and sharing so that all may understand the risks that face our businesses and learn from others how to mitigate them.  The founders of GBA worked to build a kind of “professional capital” that did not previously exist and has benefited the geoprofession greatly to this day.  Those that followed have added a tremendous amount to this foundation.

Now, almost 50 years later, GBA is a thriving organization with an incredibly bright future.

As we now turn to that future, the challenges that face our businesses are as great, if not greater, than those we have faced in the past.  The need for an organization that helps member firms confront risk and optimize performance, especially in a world of accelerating and disruptive technology, is more vital than ever.  The foundation we have built is strong, but there is a lot more to do.

This year we will adopt a new Strategic Plan to propel us forward to 2020.  Our Plan can be simply distilled to the following:

Strengthen Our Brand         Celebrate Success              Turbocharge Member Experience

First – Strengthen our Brand.  Our opportunity is to enhance delivery on our value proposition by doubling our efforts to focus on matters of business risk and performance.  We will strengthen our brand through impactful messaging in all that we do and with an abundance of warmth and friendliness so we can learn from each other in what really, at its heart, is a relationship organization.

Second – Celebrate Success.  Sharing our collective experiences is really at the core of GBA’s culture.  What better way to share these experiences than to celebrate member accomplishments that exemplify our values, purpose and strategy, and which continue to elevate our profession and foster pride.  In that regard, we have a great opportunity to deliver on GBA’s 50^th anniversary in FY 2019-2020 to connect with our past and create a powerful platform for a bright future.

Third – Turbocharge Member Experience.  Developing a unique member experience to further drive value and connection is paramount to our success.  We believe the member experience starts first and foremost with our conferences.  As a premier value driver for our members, we will continue to enhance the conference experience to deliver unique value to us all.  But it doesn’t stop there.  The unique member experience must also be infused in our educational materials and development programs, and be fostered by the diverse thinking of GBA’s Board. Overall, we must stay truly connected to our members, including multiple generations within member firms.

Thank you to our members for your support and collegiality, and for the work that you do to help make GBA strong and vital.  If you are a member and not yet immersed in the GBA experience, I encourage you to attend one of our conferences and consider active participation through one of our committees and councils; I believe you will find that you get a lot more in return.  Finally, if you are not yet a member, I invite and encourage you to consider joining us on our road to a bright future.

Thank you.

Charles “Charlie” Head, P.E., P.G.

President 2017-18

GBA has a rich history of uniting to tackle tough problems, collaborating on common issues, and working together to elevate our profession.

In a pilot program to promote growth and collaboration, interested GBA Members will independently watch the TED Talk “Leading with Greatness” then gathering together to discuss the contents in on a webinar in a facilitated “book club” format.  Together we will learn, share, and grow.

 Friday: October 27, 2017

Time:  2:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 PM Central, Noon Mountain, 11:00 AM Pacific

Duration: 1 hour

Facilitated by: Joel Carson

Space is limited: Sign Up Here

Leading with Greatness: A TEDTalk by Roselinde Torres

Regardless if you are just starting your career or an owner of your own business, you should strive to become a leader in your workplace. Roselinde Torres, a researcher in the field of leadership, spent twenty-five years observing and traveling around the world to study different leadership programs. Torres formulated three essential questions to ask oneself to be able to thrive as a leader at work. Through her TEDTalk, Roselinde proposes three crucial questions when trying to thrive as a leader.

WATCH HERE

Troutman Sanders has released the fourth edition of their popular eBook “Legal Guide to Doing Business in China.” The guide is an overview of the legal framework for making foreign investments in China and some of the complexities that may arise during the course of business.

China attracts investments from a broad spectrum of industries, and the last two decades have seen unprecedented economic growth. An understanding of China’s leadership system and corporate framework is critical to the success of any foreign investment. “China can be seductive to both newcomers and frequent visitors,” says Edward J. Epstein, managing partner of Troutman Sanders in Shanghai. “It is easy to lose your bearings in China’s radically different culture and when this happens … to lose your money as well. Therefore, it is important to have some touch points to keep yourself on track.”

This guide covers a broad range of topics including an overview of the Chinese government, market entry, capital structure and financing, labor, real estate, dispute resolution, and even helpful tips on culture, like how to conduct yourself during a business meeting. In addition, this fourth edition has been expanded to include sections on intellectual property and the free trade zones and revised to incorporate new legal developments in other areas since 2014.

At first glance, the way business is conducted in China might appear similar to their Western counterparts, causing foreign visitors to create an illusionary comfort zone and, essentially, let their guard down. It is important to have experienced advisors on your team that can counsel you throughout your investment. This guide will serve as an additional tool in understanding an increasingly sophisticated legal and regulatory system.

With offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Troutman Sanders assists clients with both their domestic and international goals, and have graciously made this valuable resource available to all GBA members.

The Troutman Sanders “Legal Guide to Doing Business in China” can be downloaded in the following formats:

• epub version(iPad, iPhone, etc.)
• mobi version(Kindle, Nook, etc.)
• pdf version

Refreshed GBA Case Histories have been downloaded almost 1,000 times since May 1, 2017 and they are being used by GBA members for loss prevention discussions in support of professional development and mentoring. Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeating mistakes of the past which is why GBA case histories are so valuable, and why GBA is updating them all, while adding new ones, too. Five more case histories have been reissued.

Case History 16: The GBA-Member Firm completed about 150 exploratory borings, excavated test pits, and conducted seismic surveys in support of design and construction of a new building and campus for a state-owned college.
Lessons Learned Include:

• Take an Active Interest in the Project
• Bedrock Contour Maps Should Include Important Advisories
• Advise the Owner about the Importance of Construction Observation

Case History 17: The Member Firm performed a geotechnical-engineering study and submitted a report of findings, including foundation-design recommendations, for an oil-sands-processing plant to be built upon oil sands.
Lessons Learned Include:

• Establish Relationships.
• Don’t Guess
• Learn About Construction Observation Up-Front
• Be Wary of Settlement Estimates

Case History 18: A GBA Member-Firm conducted a geotechnical-engineering study, provided foundation recommendations, and performed related geotechnical-engineering services, for a small flood-control pump station to be built on reclaimed marshland.
Lessons Learned Include:

• Prepare a Complete Proposal
• Recognize That If It Isn’t in Writing, It Didn’t Happen
• Educate Clients About Project Risks
• Be Wary of Project Delays.

Case History 19: Perform a geotechnical-engineering study and observe foundation installation at a multifamily-residential, rental-housing project to be constructed in four phases on the site of an abandoned, suburban railroad yard.
Lessons Learned Include:

• Be Wary of Residential Projects
• Take Aim at Shoddy Experts
• Recessionary Periods Increase Risk

Case History 20: GBA Member performed a geotechnical-engineering study, developed foundation-design recommendations, and provided construction-materials engineering and testing (CoMET) services at a marine chemical terminal
Lessons Learned Include:

• Experience Counts
• Be Clear about Risks
• If It Isn’t in Writing, It Didn’t Happen
• Cutting Corners Leads to Problems
• Don’t Accept Foolishness.

Thank you to all who contribute to GBA.   The refreshed Case Histories are a collaborative effort of GBA’s Editorial Review Committee and a team of consultants.

GBA reminds us regularly, words and phrases are critical to the success of geoprofessional consultants.  It is critically important that we are aware some words and phrases have troublesome meanings and can create costly problems. The following list comprises a few of these words and phrases. Some you should not use at all; others you should use only with deliberate care.  Keep in mind, that the best evidence is what’s in writing and the final arbiter of what words mean usually is a jury of one’s peers.

• All/every/full/complete (these absolutes bar the exceptions that usually exist)
• Certify/warrant/guarantee/ensure/assure/insure (guarantee-liability is not covered by PLI)
• Client (seldom is the client representative the client, too)
• Defend (not in contracts)
• Excavation (the hole or the process of making a hole)
• General compliance (means “We will not comply” or “We have not complied.”)
• Work (constructors perform work; geoprofessionals do not.)
• Investigate (“explore” usually is correct)
• Inspect(or)/monitor (usually, “observe” or “observer” is what’s meant)
• A number of, many, few, heavy, large, several, etc. (mean one thing to you and something different to others)
• Product (geoprofessionals do not produce products unless they welcome product-liability claims)
• Recommendations (“confirmation-dependent recommendations” excepted when the recommendations are not confirmation- dependent)
• Represent (can create a fiduciary-responsibility liability)
• Time is of the essence/a timely manner (list exactly when you want it)

For more references about “Risky Language”, “Taboo Words” and “Dirty Words” download the following:

GBA’s Lunch & Learn – Risky Language

Practice Alert – Dealing with Absolutes

Practice Alert – Taboo Words

eBrownbag Webinar – Dirty Words

Deposition Do’s & Don’ts for Fact Witnesses is Focus of Latest GBA Best Practices

 Lawsuit. Interrogation. Sworn testimony. All intimidating words that most people don’t like to hear. But as a geoprofessional, it’s possible that at some point in your career you will be asked to testify in a lawsuit as a fact witness. Typically, this will include a deposition, and it can be helpful (and far less intimidating) to know what to expect when you’re walking through the legal process. Enter the latest GBA Best Practices monograph, Deposition Do’s and Don’ts for Fact Witnesses.

Developed by GBA’s Legal Affairs Committee, the publication gives a brief overview of the deposition and its role/function in a lawsuit, a description of your job as a fact witness, and offers helpful tips like what to expect during your deposition, how to prepare beforehand, and what to do (and not do) during questioning.

“In its purest form, a fact witness is a person who testifies about what is perceived by the five senses. What do you know based on your contribution, knowledge, or presence?” It goes on to say, “Typically, depositions provide the greatest amount of information about relevant case facts, and often as importantly, as to a witness’ credibility, demeanor, and effectiveness.” Always tell the truth, avoid volunteering information and being conversational, and never make assumptions are just a few of the tips explained in the latest publication.

While there is no substitute for extensive discussion with your lawyer about how to approach your deposition, the concepts discussed in the newest GBA Best Practices can be used as a guide for both understanding the legal process and your role in it, as well as providing a brief overview of what to expect during your deposition.

Download Now

Testing Water…and Ethics, A GBA Supported Ethics Education Program:

 Testing Water…and Ethics depicts a realistic ethical problem in engineering within an organizational setting. Porter/Rodman Engineering Co. has been retained to drill water test wells on a property that will be sold for development. State regulations require three wells to be drilled near a leaking gasoline storage tank and their results reported. The owner of the property has asked for two additional wells whose results do not have to be reported.  All test results are under state limits, but the two additional wells show a significantly higher level of contamination. One engineer, Jim Duffy, believes that the company has a professional ethical obligation to report the results from the two additional wells, and the video addresses the complete set of ethical and business issues this raises. The resolution of the problem is not obvious and must be reached through analysis, judgment, and negotiation. Near the end of the story viewers are invited to discuss four alternative solutions Porter/Rodman is considering. An epilogue shows an acceptable solution and how it was reached.

Testing Water…and Ethics was created to:

1. foster awareness of ethical problems in engineering,
2. increase sensitivity to the complexity and ambiguity of ethical problems in engineering, and
3. model the successful handling of ethical problems in engineering.

This 28‑minute production instantly engages technical professionals of all ages, prompting lively discussion of issues that involve telling the truth, protecting the public, employee loyalty, and professionalism.

ORDER HERE

Two Important Legal Resources Updated

The Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) has published new editions of two important legal references, both prepared for design professionals without use of “legalese”; both available free of charge. Limitation-of-Liability Case Index and Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index were prepared for GBA’s Legal Affairs Committee by Seattle (WA) law firm Skellenger Bender, P.S.

GBA introduced the 400-year-old limitation-of-liability (LOL) concept to the design and environmental professions in 1969. By applying the concept, now upheld in most states, a client agrees to limit a design professional’s liability to a given amount, most commonly $50,000 or the fee, whichever is higher. The Index describes each case in terms of its background and the points or holdings involved, and – to support additional research – identifies the case by name, jurisdiction, and citation. The cases span the period 1956 to 2016.

The economic loss doctrine (ELD), another important protection for design professionals, bars use of tort claims (e.g., professional-negligence and negligent-misrepresentation claims) to recover purely economic losses, such as those stemming from property damage or construction delays. In states that uphold the ELD in full, claimants against design professionals may recover purely economic damages only via breach-of-contract suits, limiting claimants to design professionals’ clients. In other states, third parties, like constructors, can sue design professionals directly. Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index provides a state-by-state status report on the economic-loss doctrine, describing the cases involved and providing the additional information required for more research.

Download Limitation-of-Liability Case Index

Download Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index

The word is out: GBA’s redevelopment of its case histories is a smashing success!

Possibly the most important of all GBA loss-prevention/risk-confrontation resources is its unique series of case histories; over 100 examples of how projects begun with optimism can unexpectedly end in dispute. Each provides details of the project, its background, the role of the GBA-Member Firm, the problems encountered, and lessons learned. They’re sometimes painful lessons, but better to learn from others’ lessons than your own.

GBA has overhauled the first ten case histories.  Each has been refreshed and updated to reflect contemporary methods and dollars. The format of the case histories has been changed to make it easier to read and to emphasis the lessons learned.

Consider using GBA Case Histories to support lunch-and-learn sessions, one-on-one mentoring meetings, or self-study.  Download them now and share them with your associates.

Case History #6 – Perform geologic studies, emphasizing landslide concerns. Conduct subsurface exploration and follow up with full-time grading observation.

Case History #7 – Perform borings (at 400- to 600-foot intervals) and backhoe excavations, then develop a preliminary geotechnical-engineering report.

Case History #8 – Conduct a geotechnical-engineering study and provide a report including confirmation-dependent recommendations with respect to the building only. The client did not want to invest in pavement-design recommendations.

Case History #9 – Perform a geotechnical-engineering study for the structure; provide confirmation-dependent recommendations for foundation design, fill placement, fill compaction; and observe construction operations, including fill placement and compaction.

Case History #10 – Advise the county about geotechnical-engineering issues.

David P. Sauls P.E. Inducted into LSU Civil Engineering Department’s Hall of Distinction

GBA would like to congratulate Mr. David P. Sauls, P.E. (GeoEngineers) for his induction into the Louisiana State University Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Hall of Distinction. An LSU alumni and only one of two who were honored by CEE this year, David has held numerous leadership roles in GBA, including most recently, Chairman of the External Relations Committee, and regularly serves as an ambassador for GBA. He has more than 30 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer and has served as the Chairman of the Board at GeoEngineers, Inc. since 2011.

The LSU CEE Hall of Distinction was established in 2001 and recognizes individuals who have made stalwart contributions to the civil and environmental engineering profession. Candidates are carefully selected based on distinguished professional achievement and service to the field.

Inductees share the distinct honor of being recognized as having made a substantial impact in their field and to LSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Engineering and cycling may not seem to have a lot in common, but for Andrew Murray of Murray Engineers Inc., the two were a perfect combination.  His passion for both sparked the idea for a unique and witty comic book series involving a new super heroine, GeoGirl.  A story about  the epic battles between Mother Nature’s geohazards and humankind’s ingenuity to suppress them, GeoGirl uses her uncanny ability to sense unstable earth conditions to combat geologic hazards and save the world from catastrophic disaster.

The comic book’s title was born from the fact that Murray, an avid cyclist himself, sponsors a group of female mountain bikers who ride all over northern California.  Their team name – you guessed it – Team GeoGirls.  In Issue No. 1, GeoGirl battles an all-too-common foe of hillside property owners, the landslide.  Cleverly titled GeoGirl vs. Lance Lied!, Murray notes that any resemblance to former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong is purely coincidental.

Murray has graciously offered complimentary copies of GeoGirl to all GBA members.  A creative and valuable tool, the comic book’s focus is to generate an interest with elementary-aged students in the geoprofession.

Murray Engineers Inc.’s GeoGirl vs. Lance Lied! is available to members now!

Sneak Peak: Issue No. 2 involves GeoGirl battling it out with villain, Big Fat Clay!

ORDER YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF GEOGIRL HERE

Those that attended GBA’s 2017 Spring Conference in Washington D.C. agreed that the speakers were among the best . Now you can watch, listen to, and learn from these speakers, too, on your own schedule, and without leaving your office or easy chair.

The presentations that are available are:

4-3-2-1 Leadership: Tools You Can Use Now!
Major General Vincent E. “Vinny” Boles, USA, Retired

DC Clean Rivers Project – An Extraordinary Multi-Faceted CSO Project
Carlton M. Ray, P.E. (DC Water)

Business Practices Committee Business Snapshot Survey
Matt Moler, P.E. (S&ME, Inc.)

Employee Retention: How to Keep Your Rising Stars
Victor S. Barchers, P.E. (Kleinfelder, Inc.) & Edward J. “E.J.” Barben, P.E. (Gannett Fleming, Inc.)

Affordable Care Act’s Impact: Past, Present, & Future
David Lewis (OperationsInc)

Why I Hired an Executive Coach and Why You Should Too
Gary W. Raba, D.Eng., P.E. (Raba Kistner) and Linda Strom Petchenik, (GrowthLines, Inc.)

Passing the Baton: CEO Succession from Both Points of View
Kurt R. Fraese, L.G. (GeoEngineers, Inc.), David Gaboury, P.E. (Terracon), Michael “Mike” Hutchinson, L.G., LHG (GeoEngineers, Inc.), and Swaminathan “Vasan” Srinivasan, P.E. (Terracon)

The Power of 1% – The Magic of Small and Incremental Improvements
Kevin J. McMahon (McMahon | Siegel Group)

Leading Organizational Change to Increase Profitability
June R. Jewell, CPA, (AEC Business Solutions) and Michael S. Rolband, P.E., P.S.W., P.W.D., Leed®AP (Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.)

Minimizing the Impact of Organizational Silos; Tear Down the Silos!
Nigel Miller, P.E. (Stantec Consulting)

You on Your Best Day – Act II
Michael T. Allosso

All videos from GBA’s Spring 2017 Conference are available, on-demand to members.
WATCH NOW