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President's Message:
A Note from Jeff Earhart, P.E., F. A.S.C.E.

Thanks to everyone that helped ASCE East Central Branch celebrate its 50 th birthday at the Icebreaker Networking Event last month. Over 200 people congregated at the Farmer’s Market in Winter Park. We hope you enjoyed finding more information about the various professional societies and catching up with old and new friends alike. With any luck this will become an annual event with more and more societies, firms and individuals participating. See the Icebreaker article for more news!

Let’s keep the fun going with the ASCE ECB Annual Awards and Officer Installation Luncheon. September 9 at 11:45 AM we will be gathering at the Citrus Club to thank the many great leaders that make our society successful and to pass the baton to next years leaders. Mayor Buddy Dyer from the City of Orlando has agreed to be the Key Note Speaker at the event. He will be discussing “ Update on Orlando: The Next Great American City”. The menu will include steak, shrimp and dessert. Sign up today! Registration information is included in this newsletter.

If you need your laws and rules or technical hours for licensure be sure to attend the ASCE Florida Section Conference that is being held in Orlando this year at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, August 21 to 23. The conference is open to both ASCE members and non-members and is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge, meet new people and receive PDH credits in both technical subject areas and Florida laws and rules. If you would like to attend, the registration form and additional information are attached.

The Florida Board of Professional Engineers has proposed an overhaul of the “Disciplinary Guidelines” that could have an impact on every practicing engineer. In general, the proposed penalties are more severe than the current rules. As an example, the penalty for “Failure to sign, seal or date documents” will increase from a reprimand to a possible 1-year probation for the first offense and possible license revocation for a second offense.

The proposed rule change is documented at:

Notice of Proposed Rule
Department:  Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Division:  Board of Professional Engineers
Rule No.:   61G15-19.004
Purpose:   Purpose and effect is to amend the rule to include disciplinary guidelines for all the violations.
https://www.FLRules.org/gateway/View_Notice.asp?id=5973180

If you would like to comments on the changes select “Communicate with the Agency with saved comments and agency replies” and then clicking the “Make Comment” button. If interested, make your comments soon as the comment period ends August 29, 2008.

As school starts again remember, “t he object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” Robert Maynard Hutchins

Hope you are having a great summer and looking forward to seeing you at the Awards and Installation Lunch September 9.

Sincerely,
Jeff Earhart
ASCE East Central Florida Branch President