President Elect, Laura Reinbold, PE
Remarks to Geoprofessional Business Association
2016 Winter Leadership Conference

Welcome to the GBA Winter Leadership Conference. At this annual event our senior leadership of GBA, committees, and councils come together to complete the objectives of our current fiscal year and strategically set the course for next year. Thank you all for coming, donating a part of your weekend, and supporting our association.  I especially appreciate our Council and Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs.  Thank you for your leadership.

As we bring to a close 2015/16, we reflect back on a successful year. We effectively navigated the biggest change to GBA in its 48-year history: a transition from association management to self-management. This included the search and selection of our Executive Director, Joel Carson and the transition of BCI staff to GBA.  We are happy to have Barb Nappy, Sara Menase, and Phil Pettway on our staff and I would like to recognize their enthusiastic commitment to ushering GBA into a new era.

The past year has been successful for our committees and councils. You have accomplished what we do best, producing high quality materials and programs that are the signature of GBA.

Some of these include:

• Publishing new CoMET tales and Case Histories,
• Delivering exceptional Conference Programs,
• Planning our Spring Crystal Ball Workshop
• Developing our Council identity brochures
• Creating web-based Project Management training,
• Finalizing abundant Business Briefs and Best Practices, and
• Refreshing and rebranding favorite documents, including the newly-popular “In-House Guide to Geoprofessional Report Review”.

We have seen unique local outreach as our External Relations Committee acted upon our Memorandum of Understanding with ASCE’s Geo-Institute in delivering GBA-branded business presentations to geoprofessionals in several locations around the United States.  This collaborative effort is making GBA a visible, personal experience for member-firm employees and non-members alike.  Ultimately, this is an effective and efficient effort which spotlights GBA and its benefits to all geoprofessionals.

It has been a very successful year.

In one sense, going forward will be business as usual.  Our focus on the production of materials and programs that provide high value to all member-firms remains constant.

Unique to 2016/17 is the context for this work: member growth and engagement.  As you plan together in your committees and councils, ask yourselves: “How does the work we do directly provide opportunity for member firms to more deeply and broadly engage with GBA and attract new members to our association?”

GBA’s Board of Directors is focused on growth.  We will build broader engagement of our member firms and make sure every employee of member-firms understands they are a member of GBA.  We are engaged in an aggressive campaign to attract other great geoprofessional firms to our association.  We are blessed to have an executive director with the passion and commitment to growth that began even before he assumed that role.  Joel has initiated an energetic outreach effort through personal and face-to-face contact that has produced, in a few short months, eight new member firms. It’s a strong start and a solid framework for growth that works.

And now, I’ve saved the best for last.  Our commitment to deeper engagement and growth is represented in the emergence of GBA’s third New Leaders Class. During this Winter Leadership Conference we ushered in a new class of high potential, future geoprofessional leaders under the guidance of Matt Poirier and Dan Cassidy.

I’d like to recognize these New Leaders and thank their firms for the investment in the future leadership of GBA.

• Victor Barchers (Kleinfelder, Inc.)
• Bryan Field, PE (Braun Intertec Corporation)
• Michael Hutchinson, LG, LHG (GeoEngineers, Inc.)
• EJ Barben (Gannett Fleming, Inc.)
• Christopher Clarke, PE (Schnabel Engineering, Inc.)
• Jeremy Cox (Strata, Inc.)
• Scott Young (S&ME, Inc.)
• Stephen F. Patt, PE (ECS, Ltd.)
• Marcel Scheeff, PE (TTL, Inc.)
• Paul J. Schmeisl, PE (SME)
• Jessica Klein (DOWL)

On behalf of the GBA Board of Directors, I want to thank each of you for your hard work, dedication, and service.  We look forward to working with you today as we plan the future of GBA.  Together we will grow and have a more significant impact on geoprofessionals worldwide.  The future is bright!

Don V. Roberts, P.E., Dist. M., ASCE and past President of the GBA (ASFE) and World Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development, passed away peacefully at his home in Denver, Colorado on January 31, 2016.

Roberts received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford in 1950 with a strong minor in geological engineering. He then conducted post-graduate studies in geotechnical engineering at the Imperial College, University of London. He also completed post-graduate studies in engineering geology at the Royal School of Mines in England and at the University of Southern California.

With over 60 years’ experience as a consulting civil and environmental engineer, Roberts was responsible for major geotechnical investigations and environmental studies for 500 projects located in 20 countries. He was a pioneer in developing methods to analyze the environmental impacts of projects prior to the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). He also managed programs to investigate and clean up nuclear waste sites for the US Department of Energy.

Roberts began his career with Dames & Moore and left, as a senior partner, to become vice-president of CH2M Hill. After his retirement in 1994, Roberts held senior positions in several professional engineering societies including Engineers Without Borders, WFEO, HWAC, and FIDIC. He was president of GBA (ASFE) from 1985-1986.

Roberts received several awards for his contributions to engineering including WFEO’s Gold Medal in 2003 for “outstanding service to humanity”, the AAES Joan Hodges Queneau Palladium Medal in 2004 for “outstanding achievement in environmental conservation as one of the engineering profession’s most eloquent spokespersons for sustainable development” and the ASCE Presidents’ Award in 2005 “for his advocacy for the engineering community’s engagement in the dialog on sustainability issues internationally, his leadership in WFEO and his tireless efforts to serve civil society by incorporating the tenants of sustainable development into engineering practice.” In 2009, Roberts was elected a “Distinguished Member” of ASCE.

Roberts will be fondly remembered for his creativity, wisdom, vision, and professional and personal kindness to many engineers. Charleen, his wife of 64 years, has asked that all donations in his memory go to the ASCE Sustainability Fund.

The Geoprofessional Business Association has published a new guide for the in-house review of geotechnical, environmental, construction-materials engineering and testing (CoMET), and other geoprofessional reports. Titled GBA Guide to the In-House Review of Geoprofessional Reports, the new publication provides step-by-step instructions – as well as overarching concepts – for report writers and reviewers, with a focus on a report’s ability to satisfy the contractual obligations it was intended to fulfill; the quality of its technical and risk-management content; and the clarity of presentation. The new guide is supplemented with a report-control log, copies of GBA’s widely used report-insert sheets (geotechnical, environmental, and CoMET), and three best-practices monographs covering “taboo” words, absolutes, and “slipshod synonyms.”

According to GBA Executive Director Joel G. Carson, “Our Geotechnical Business Council developed the new guide for all geoprofessional practitioners based on a guide developed four decades ago just for geotechnical engineers. Despite its age, the original guide has remained relevant and popular over the years, but we knew we could make it better and fully applicable to environmental, CoMET, and other geoprofessional practitioners, in addition to geotechnical engineers. And that’s exactly what the GBC did, producing a publication as comprehensive and practical as it is handsome and easy to follow.”

As stated in the guide’s introduction,

“The guide is organized into three principal content areas to make it easy for reviewers to consider major issues and to give report writers a clear framework for preparing reports and considering reviewers’ comments. The nature of those comments is critically important: They should convey suggestions for improvement and positive reinforcement. They should not be focused only on deficiencies. Criticism is unnecessary and, in most cases, counter-productive. The recommended procedures encourage close communication between reviewers and report writers throughout the review process.”

As also noted, “The report-review process should be interactive, so reviewers can use it for mentoring purposes, and report writers can regard it as an opportunity to learn. The learning should not be limited to the report alone, however; it should also address the report-related professional activities that should precede report preparation, and those that should follow.”

The new guide is available to nonmembers for $150. Those employed by GBA Member Firms and GBA Associate Members may order the new guide free of charge.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive, discipline-focused business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for its innovation; it was the force behind the limitation-of-liability contract provision, alternative dispute resolution, and organizational peer review, among other concepts it developed to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

GBA has two new Practice Guides available free to anyone. These guides have been developed by the University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management (CEPM) (https://louisville.edu/cepm) and are available through GBA with CEPM’s permission.

Practice Guide 33: Communities, Trains, and Trainyards: Exploring Policy Options for Affected Municipalities

The first one, Practice Guide 33: Communities, Trains, and Trainyards: Exploring Policy Options for Affected Municipalities, addresses how communities can work with rail carriers and regulators to improve community well-being and enact appropriate regulations to preemptively protect community health and well-being. State and federal regulations, idling, whistles and train noise, chemical leaks, trans load facilities, and rail safety are discussed in a problem-solution format.

Practice Guide 34: Using Principles of Environmental Sustainability to Improve Student Health

The second one is Practice Guide 34: Using Principles of Environmental Sustainability to Improve Student Health. The rising obesity rate among children under 18 is a critical public health issue and has led to illnesses normally associated with adults being detected among school-age children. Poor eating habits and lack of exercise are the two biggest contributors to this epidemic. This practice guide offers suggestions on how principles of environmental sustainability—such as walk able streets, civic agriculture, and environmental justice—can also help improve the health of our nation’s children by increasing access to healthy food and opportunities for exercise in both our schools and communities.

Download your copies today!

Gordon M. Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., D.GE (Schnabel Engineering, Inc.) delivered his six-month report to the membership at GBA’s 2015 Fall Conference in Dana Point, CA. In just six months, GBA has hired a new Executive Director, set in place a physical move, and prepared for a transition to self-management, all to provide you more value for your membership dues. Read the full report for all the details!

PRESIDENT’S SIX-MONTH REPORT

Delivered by GBA President Gordon M. Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., D.GE
at the 2015 Fall Conference in Dana Point, CA, Saturday, October 10, 2015

It is with great pleasure that we are here today at the beautiful St. Regis Monarch Beach for the fall GBA Conference. We appreciate everyone who has made this trip, and we have had an excellent program. We want to again recognize the conference committee of Charlie Head and Kim Morrison who developed this program. We also want to recognize the BCI staff, including Barb Nappy, Sarah Lanning, and Sara Menase, for their organizational skills and hard work to make the program a great success.

We have been in a time of transition for GBA. This process started years ago when the Board of Directors with John Bachner recognized that an Executive Director leadership transition would eventually have to occur. We set various target dates and conducted evaluations, and we are nearing the end of that process. As many of you know, after the end of October we will be a self-managed organization with Joel Carson as our new Executive Director.

Joel was selected through an exhaustive process of searching and screening potential new Executive Director candidates. A subcommittee of the Board was appointed to work with Vetted Solutions, our executive search firm, to identify, interview, vet, re-interview, deliberate, and eventually select the best candidate for the position. We are confident that we selected by-far the best candidate for this position. Joel brings in-depth knowledge of GBA and unbridled enthusiasm to the job. We are fully confident he will make an excellent Executive Director for many years to come. I want to recognize again Charlie Head, Woody Vogt, Steve Thorne, and Kim Morrison for their work with me on this committee.

So, what is this self-managed organization going to look like? Several of the BCI staff are going to carry over into the self-managed organization. This will provide continuity to GBA and allow you, our clients, to experience the same great service you received from BCI. Second, the contact telephone number and e-mail address will stay the same; however, the office location is moving. During the next 6 to 12 months, the GBA offices will be co-located in the Schnabel Engineering, Inc. Rockville, MD office space. This provides many advantages to GBA in that local support, equipment, supplies, and other office services will be available at little cost to help get the organization off on the right foot. Over the next 6 to 12 months, GBA will be looking for a permanent location. This period will allow us to identify and prepare for the move to the permanent facilities while completing the transition to being self-managed. We are excited about this opportunity and are grateful to Schnabel for offering to sponsor this space to help GBA move forward.

The Board and Joel are also looking at all opportunities to improve the service we provide our member-firms. We are moving forward with a major update of the website; evaluating meeting formats; developing a local-chapter initiative; adding to the reference materials; and looking for other ways to enhance the value of your membership. Over the coming months, we will keep you updated through our NewsLogs, during winter leadership meetings, and through e-mail blasts.

As we know, John provided tremendous service to GBA for more than 4 decades. John will continue to work with GBA and take on a different role. We are working with John to continue his “creative services” on several fronts. For example, he will continue to write our articles for GeoStrata, he will work with our committees on polishing many of the membership publication materials, he will work on many of the older materials that need refreshing, and finally he will be available to provide advice and guidance to Joel in his Executive Director role.

The transition to a self-managed organization brings a new beginning and new directions to GBA that we know will enhance your experience and make us even more relevant in the ever-changing marketplace.

We appreciate your support in this transition and look forward to a highly successful self-managed organization that meets and exceeds membership expectations!

Again, thank you for coming to Dana Point, and we wish you every success in your professional and personal life.

Expectations management is something that all too many geoprofessionals have not yet mastered. They need to. According to Expectations Management – the newest addition to the Geoprofessional Business Association’s (GBA’s) series of GBA Best Practices monographs – “All too many geoprofessionals manage expectations poorly….The problem occurs when a client representative asks how much a service will cost and/or by when it will be completed. Possibly because they fear a forthright response may cause a client representative to find an alternative provider, all too many geoprofessional project managers respond to such queries by citing a range. They’ll say ‘$12,000 to $15,000’ knowing that the client representative hears ‘$12,000,’ when – in fact – the $15,000 figure is far more likely, and – even then – only if everything works out well. And the same applies to ‘12 to 15 weeks.’ In other words, in order to secure an engagement, some project managers get into the unfortunate habit of setting expectations they are not likely to meet; i.e., they overpromise and then underdeliver.”

So, how should a geoprofessional project manager proceed? According to the new GBA Best Practices, experienced geoprofessional project managers “know about how long it will take to perform a given service, having performed it dozens – if not hundreds – of times before. They’re also aware of the other projects they’re working on and how much time will have to pass before they can start on the new one. In other words, they’re in a position to quote realistic budget and schedule ranges. In many cases, however, those ranges do not consider the unexpected, like an illness or accident that suddenly slows things down. As such, a truly realistic range that accounts for the potential for the unexpected…geoprofessionals the ability to delight, or at least satisfy, client representatives. If client representatives decide to rely on a different geoprofessional because they regard a realistic fee range as too high or a realistic delivery-date range as too long, so be it: The firm that commits to realistic ranges would likely get another chance to prove its mettle at some future time, especially so if the ranges cited by the alternative provider prove to be aspirational.” As the new publication also points out, “How much better it would be to let a client representative know that a commission will cost as much as $20,000 to fulfill, and/or that it will take as many as 20 weeks…and then deliver in 18 weeks and/or for $18,000.”

GBA Best Practices monographs are available only to GBA members, without charge. Members can order Expectations Management from the GBA website.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for its innovation; it was the force behind the limitation of liability contract provision, alternative dispute resolution, and organizational peer review, among other concepts it developed to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301/565-2733.

“Safety Is Priority One” – That’s the key message of a new employee-pocket safety card developed by the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) Safety Committee for use by its member firms. “Firms can print it ‘as-is,’ or they can easily customize it, to add their own logos or special messages,” said Safety Committee Chair Randy A. Knott, P.E.

The front of the card poses a series of brief instructions and questions employees should address before moving forward with a task; e.g., “Identify what could go wrong.” and “Do you have written procedures to follow to ensure safe performance?” In large bold letters the card advises, “IF YOU DON’T KNOW IF IT’S SAFE, DO NOT PROCEED.”

The card’s reverse asks, “Which of these six hazard categories apply?” The six categories are contact, exposure, fall, caught/crushed, ergonomics, and energy source, with each being subcategorized; e.g., for “energy source,” electricity, pressure, compression/tension, or rotating equipment.

GBA members can print the card in its GBA PDF format, using the GBA logo. The card also the card in a Microsoft Word format and an InDesign format. The Word format makes logo substitution easy. The InDesign version provides a higher-quality result, but special software is needed to use it.

According to Mr. Knott, “For a firm to achieve safety, it must make safety awareness part of its culture. It cannot treat safety as some kind of program that people can turn on or off at will. A pocket safety card of itself can do little. However, when it is regarded as part and parcel of an organization’s culture, it can provide specific guidance and a reminder of all other aspects of an organization’s safety-mindedness.”

The new GBA employee-pocket safety card is available only to GBA members, without charge. Members can order it from the GBA website.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive business guidance. Geoprofessionals include geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, many civil engineers, and construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, among others. GBA is well known for creating innovative programs, services, and materials to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Laura R. Reinbold, P.E. ( President-Elect )

Laura R. Reinbold, P.E. (Terracon) is the new president-elect of the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), succeeding Joel G. Carson, who resigned the position after being chosen to serve as GBA’s executive director. Charles L. “Charlie” Head, P.E., P.G. (Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc.) has been named GBA’s new secretary/treasurer, filling the position Ms. Reinbold vacated.

Ms. Reinbold is a director of client development for Terracon, a consulting-engineering firm providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services from 150 offices nationwide. Located in Nashville, TN, Ms. Reinbold has been in the engineering profession for more than 30 years. She chaired GBA’s Education Committee before being elected to the group’s board of directors, and continues to serve on committees of the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Urban Land Institute, and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, Governor Bill Haslam appointed Ms. Reinbold to the Tennessee Architects and Engineering Licensing Board. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University.

Charles L. Head, P.E., P.G. ( Secretary/Treasurer )

Mr. Head is CEO of Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc., a multidisciplinary, New Hampshire-based firm serving industry, development, solid-waste, and energy clients nationally and internationally. Licensed as both a professional engineer and a professional geologist, Mr. Head has 30 years of practice experience. He has been active in GBA for more than a decade, chairing its Emerging Issues and Trends Committee before joining the GBA board last year. Mr. Head holds Bachelor of Science degrees in geology (from St. Lawrence University) and civil engineering (from the University of New Hampshire) and a Master of Science degree in civil engineering (from Colorado State University)

Conceived in 1968, and formally established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ most-relied-on source of comprehensive business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing practitioners, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for creating innovative programs, services, and materials to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

“Can’t You Come up with a Cheaper Alternative?” is the candidly descriptive title of a new publication developed by the Geotechnical Business Council of the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA).

In his introduction to the new guide, Geotechnical Business Council Chair Richard D. “Rick” Heckel, P.E., D.GE (Ardent Geotechnical Consultants) points out that geotechnical engineers are more likely to hear “Can’t you come up with a cheaper alternative?” than other members of the design team. He also states, “‘Can’t you come up with a cheaper alternative?’ is not an unreasonable question….Nonetheless, in an effort to accommodate client representatives’ preferences, [geotechnical engineers of record or] GERs will all too often acquiesce to changes (often suggested by other project participants) that create new and sometimes-severe risks. Later, after those risks materialize into full-fledged problems, GERs get blamed and ultimately have to deal with professional-negligence, breach-of-contract, and similar claims, commonly because they failed to issue a written warning about the new risks pursuing the alternative would entail.”

The booklet’s six chapters provide guidance geotechnical engineers can apply to help deal with the risks responses to “Can’t you come up with a cheaper alternative?” can create. Chapter titles are:

•  “Using a Group-By-Group Approach, Educate Client Representatives, Prospective-Client Representatives, and   Those Who Influence Them”;
•  “Educate Clients and Their Intermediaries on a Case-by-Case Basis”;
•  “Develop a Contract Provision”;
• “Do What Professionals Are Supposed To Do”;
• “Recommend Value Engineering”; and “Be Prepared.”

Authored by John Philip Bachner, the guide points out that, “with few exceptions, GERs have already considered the ‘cheaper alternatives,’ and have rejected them, because the risk they entail makes it extremely difficult to achieve risk/reward balance [for the client].” As Bachner also notes, “More construction problems arise from subsurface issues than any other source.” In the chapter titled “Do What Professionals Are Supposed To Do,” Bachner writes, “If the client insists on applying an alternative that would create unacceptable risks…the GER would be forced to object in writing and, possibly, withdraw from the project. True: Doing ‘the professional thing’ might cause you to lose a client, but – were the risk to materialize – you’d probably lose the client and a lot of money ‘to boot,’ not to mention the two or three years (or more) of frustration and aggravation you’d experience.”

“Can’t You Come up with a Cheaper Alternative?” is available at $175 per copy; members receive it free, as part of their membership. Order it from the GBA website.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for creating innovative programs, services, and materials to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Safety has become a top priority for many design and environmental firms, and not just because they are concerned for the welfare of their employees. As explained in Safety and Your Geoprofessional Practice, the most recent entry in the Geoprofessional Business Association’s (GBA’s) series of GBA Best Practices monographs, “For many major clients, safety performance is a key criterion when it comes to the procurement of professional services, directly or by subcontract. They are committed to avoiding on their property work-related injuries or illnesses caused by any outside entity that fails to follow established safety regulations or best industry practices.” Many of these major clients “use comprehensive prequalification questionnaires that inquire about a firm’s safety program and request electronic copies of documents that support the answers,” the new publication explains.

The new monograph provides important information essential to the development of an effective safety program. Part of this information focuses on the direct and indirect costs of an inadequate safety program, ranging from higher insurance premiums and legal exposures to lost business and lower productivity. Also covered: Some of the key safety metrics being used, known by acronyms such as EMR, TRIR, DART, LCWR, and IPMMD; benchmarks firms can use as targeted objectives; and an array of techniques for developing a “robust, proactive safety program that seeks to eliminate hazards and prevent injuries.”

According to the GBA Safety Committee, which is responsible for the new GBA Best Practices monograph, “The effectiveness of any safety program is tied directly to the demonstrated commitment of top management. For that reason, the CEOs of safety-conscious firms demonstrate their commitment to safety by making it part of their organization’s pre-employment screening, including motor-vehicle reports (MVRs). Also recommended: A drug- and alcohol-testing program that includes pre-hire/post-offer, random, and post-accident testing.”

GBA Best Practices monographs are available only to GBA members, without charge. Members can order Safety and Your Geoprofessional Practice from the GBA website.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for creating innovative programs, services, and materials to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Joel G. Carson has been selected to serve as executive director of the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), succeeding John P. Bachner. Bachner’s firm – Bachner Communications, Inc. – has managed GBA since May 1973; Bachner has served as GBA’s chief of staff during that span. GBA will become a fully self-managed entity in November 2015. Carson will be tasked with assembling the new management team that he will lead to achieve GBA’s long-term strategic vision.

According to GBA President Gordon M. Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., D.GE (Schnabel Engineering), “The GBA Board of Directors conducted an extensive search to find the right individual. Joel has the executive leadership capability we need, a deep understanding of management, and an intimate knowledge of GBA and the people who comprise it.”

Mr. Carson began his career in 1988 after majoring in civil engineering at the University of Utah. In 1993, he joined the staff of Kleinfelder, a multi discipline technical-services firm that today employs some 2,000 staff members worldwide.

Carson quickly initiated a 20-year focus on environmental engineering, hydro logical and hydro geological site characterization, and remediation. At the same time, he began a steady progression through the firm’s management hierarchy, now retiring there as manager of the commercial segment of its private-sector market, responsible for the segment’s strategic leadership and marketing direction.

Conceived in 1968, and formally established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of comprehensive business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers engaged in a variety of specialties, and construction-materials engineering and testing practitioners, among other geoprofessionals. GBA is well known for creating innovative programs, services, and materials to help its member firms thrive by confronting risk and optimizing performance.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

According to GBA President Gordon M. Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G. (Schnabel Engineering, Inc.),
“For many years efforts to collect a bill have been a principal trigger to negligence claims. For that reason, GBA has counseled consistently that it is better to write off a fee than it is to contest it with an unscrupulous client. A key preventive, discussed in the guide, is performing a thorough background check before accepting a new client, to help ensure the organization involved pays on time and doesn’t resort to a claim as a discount mechanism. It’s also why design and environmental professionals’ contracts should include a dispute-resolution mechanism that makes litigation a last resort or not an alternative at all.”

The author of the guide is John Philip Bachner, an independent consultant and long-time editor of GBA’s newsletter, NewsLog, an every-other-week publication that’s available free of charge. For many years, Bachner penned a NewsLog column titled “Getting Paid.” Content of the new guide is based on those columns, with updates through April 2015.

Just a few of the new guide’s chapter titles include:

• Rely on Effective Billing and Payment Language in Your Contract,
• Consider Carrots and Sticks,
• Be Mindful of the Client’s Payment Language,
• Obtain a “Creditworthiness Guarantee,”
• Use Lump-Sum Pricing More,
• Post Bills to a Client-Accessible Extranet,
• Use a Well-Designed Invoice,
• Restrict Use of Deliverables,
• Obtain Cash on Delivery, and
• Require Collectors to Abide by the Ten Commandments of Effective Collectors.

Getting Paid is available to nonmembers at $125 per copy; members receive it as part of their membership. Order it from the GBA website.

Established in 1969, the Geoprofessional Business Association is widely regarded as geoprofessionals’ best source of practice business guidance. GBA serves geotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, civil engineers in a variety of specialties, construction-materials engineering and testing professionals, and other geoprofessionals by giving them effective tools to help them achieve business success by confronting risk and optimizing performance. GBA creates those tools by promoting an environment of trust where members share their collective talent, energy, expertise, and experience to help one another succeed as firms and individuals.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Many geoprofessional reports include recommendations whose efficacy is dependent upon findings in the field. If the subsurface conditions observed during excavation are the same as those inferred to exist based on the results of sampling and testing, and the geoprofessional’s knowledge, experience, and judgment, then – and only then – the recommendations can be “green lighted”; i.e., they become final and can be applied.

If observed conditions differ from inferred conditions, however, the recommendations must be modified before they can become final and used. This important information – that the recommendations included in a final report are not final recommendations – is covered in GBA’s unique series of “Important Information” report- and proposal-insert sheets; e.g., “Do not overrely on the construction recommendations included in your report. Those recommendations are not final….”

But how should you label these recommendations in your report? Should you simply write RECOMMENDATIONS and rely on the “Important Information” insert sheet? No! Because a user may assume the recommendations are “good to go” as written and, as a professional, you are obligated to warn users they are not. PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS is also incorrect, it seems because the recommendations are not preliminary. Dr. English suggests that you consider using CONFIRMATION-DEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS, to make clear exactly what the recommendations are; i.e., recommendations that can be applied only when conditions inferred to exist are confirmed to exist.

You may also want to consider using a lead-in paragraph such as the sample below:

CONFIRMATION-DEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS :
We have developed the following recommendations under the tenuous assumption that the sampling and testing we performed on a relatively tiny portion of the site accurately portrays conditions that are otherwise concealed by earth, rock, water, and time. RESPONSIBLE GEOPROFESSIONALS CANNOT FINALIZE SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS UNTIL THEY CONFIRM THAT THE CONDITIONS THEY INFERRED TO EXIST ACTUALLY DO EXIST, a process they perform in the field, through observation of excavation. We are responsible geoprofessionals. Accordingly, if we do not observe excavation to see what actually exists, we cannot accept responsibility for these recommendations, given that – if we observe conditions we did not expect to see – we would modify the recommendations.

If another party performs field observation and confirms they are what we expected, that other party must take full responsibility for the recommendations. Please note, however, that another party would lack our project-specific knowledge and resources. DO NOT RELY ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS UNLESS A QUALIFIED GEOPROFESSIONAL OBSERVES ACTUAL CONDITIONS AND TAKES APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-UP ACTION.

Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) is the new name of the organization formerly known as ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association. According to GBA President Steven D. Thorne, P.E., D.GE (Terracon),

“The time had come. Continually fewer of our most active members knew what GBA originally stood for or how we’ve evolved over the years. Geoprofessional Business Association identifies who we are today.”

ASFE was an acronym for Associated Soil and Foundation Engineers, the name the organization began with in 1969. Several years later it changed its name to Association of Soil and Foundation Engineers and, a few years after that, it dispensed with the name entirely.

“GBA Member Firms were the first to become active in the environmental-remediation field,”  Mr. Thorne said, “and those members of staff who focused on the environment, rather than soil and foundation engineering, felt like second-class citizens. That’s when we changed our name to ASFE – adopting the acronym as our name in full – and added a tag line explaining who we were; for example, ‘The Association of Professional Firms Practicing in the Geosciences.’ Taking that approach, we were able to recognize our geotechnical heritage while also explaining what we had evolved into. But answering the question ‘What’s ASFE stand for?’ was becoming a steadily more cumbersome process.”

Mr. Thorne noted that the geoprofessions, as defined in Wikipedia, consist principally of geotechnical engineering; geology and engineering geology; geological engineering geophysics; environmental science and environmental engineering; and construction-materials engineering and testing. He said,

“GBA is the source of programs, services, and materials geoprofessionals apply every day to help themselves and their clients confront risk and optimize performance.”

He added that, to the best of his knowledge, GBA is unique in that it provides all its materials – more than 700 items – to member-firm personnel free of charge.

Now that GBA has renamed itself, subsequent steps include establishing a new logo, securing a new website address and creating an entirely new Internet presence, and revising graphics on its 700 case histories, best-practices monographs, manuals and guides, model documents, and so on. “It’s a daunting task,” Mr. Thorne observed, “but we’ve already made some excellent progress.”

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Forty-two organizations now endorse Recommended Practices for Design Professionals Engaged as Experts in the Resolution of Construction Industry Disputes, an annotated list of 13 “shoulds and should-nots” originally developed by the Interprofessional Council on Environmental Design (ICED).

The Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) recognized the need for the document and spearheaded its development through ICED, an “umbrella organization” also including, among others:

• the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE),
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC),
• and The American Institute of Architects (AIA),

all of which are endorsers. GBA accepted responsibility for the document’s publication and management, as well as gathering additional endorsers. The 37 additional endorsers comprise a “who’s-who” of construction-industry organizations.

According to GBA President Steven D. Thorne, P.E., D.GE (Terracon), Recommended Practices for Design Professionals Engaged as Experts in the Resolution of Construction Industry Disputes is believed to have received more construction-industry-organization endorsements than any similar document or position statement ever developed. Created in 1988, “Recommended Practices…” has been used extensively – and very successfully – in legal proceedings, especially in matters involving the standard of care.

According to GBA Executive Vice President John P. Bachner,

“To find a design professional negligent, a trier of fact – a judge or a jury – has to believe that the design professional failed to uphold the standard of care. But first the trier of fact has to decide what the standard of care actually was at the time of the incident in question. As it so happens, the standard of care is a moving target. It’s what’s commonly done by peer professionals operating in a given area at a given time. Practices evolve, however. What is common today may have been unheard of just five years ago.”

Bachner explained that courts almost always require an expert witness to explain the standard of care in terms the trier of fact – usually a jury – can readily understand. He went on to say,

“All too often, however, experts testify about the standard of care based on what they would have done or what a book says to do, and either or both of these measures may be seriously out of sync with reality. Forty-two prestigious organizations concur unanimously that experts need to conduct research to know what the standard of care was at the time it allegedly was violated. Experts who are cross-examined need to be able to explain how they reached their opinion about the standard of care.”

Some of the other issues addressed in the document include conflicts of interest, expert qualifications, research methods and integrity, illustrative devices, and confidentiality.

Because the document has been used extensively to impeach the testimony of “hired-gun experts,” GBA advises that leaders of “every engineering, environmental, and architectural firm in the nation should be familiar with ‘Recommended Practices.’ Their lawyers and insurance agents need to be aware of it, too.”

Recommended Practices for Design Professionals Engaged as Experts in the Resolution of Construction Industry Disputes is available at GBA’s website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting GBA staff at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.

Established in 1969, GBA “helps its members – geoprofessional firms – and their clients confront risk and optimize performance.” Geoprofessional firms provide geotechnical, geologic, environmental, construction-materials engineering and testing, and related professional services.

All GBA Member Firms’ technical activities are under the full-time control of an individual who is legally and/or ethically bound to hold paramount public health, safety, and welfare. GBA’s associate membership comprises geoprofessional constructors; geoprofessional educators; geoprofessionals employed by government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and industry; and attorneys and other consultants to GBA Member Firms.

Obtain more information about GBA at its website (www.geoprofessional.org) or by contacting the organization at info@geoprofessional.org or 301-565-2733.