CMAdvisor
Advancing Professional Construction and Program Management Worldwide
Forecasts for 2011
What Makes CM a Profession?
BOOKMARK THIS ISSUE
November/December 2010
Volume XXIX, No. 6
Contents
6
8
November/December 2010
Volume XXIX, No. 6
What’s Ahead in 2011?
CMAdvisor canvassed a variety of industry leaders
on the eve of the midterm election to gather their
best prognostications for the year ahead. Read
some highlights of their forecasts.
CMAA Delivers “Unequivocal
Success” in San Diego
More than a thousand people...the largest Trade Show
ever...and a steady buzz of excitement marked CMAA’s
biggest and most successful National Conference.
Read about the Person of the Year, Project Achievement
Awards, and CMAA’s new leadership.
CMAA PRESENTS
“As an owner practitioner myself, I would expect every CM pursuing work
with my agency to be well versed in all areas of the Standards of Practice.”
GARY CARDAMONE, PE, DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT,
PORT OF LONG BEACH, CA, AND CHAIR, CMAA SOP COMMITTEE
5 Chairman’s Report
By David R. Conover, CCM
31 President’s Report
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
Cover photo and above photos: National Petascale
Computing Facility at the Center for Supercomputing
Applications, University of Illinois. CM by Clayco, Inc.
2010 Project Achievement Award Winner.
Matthew McFarland Photography
DEPARTMENTS
12Professional Practice Corner
14 Legal Corner
18 News
22 Foundation
Order your copy today online
through the CMAA website.
24 Certification
26Roundup
CMAdvisor November/December
The 2010 Edition includes entirely new chapters on Sustainability, BIM and
Risk Management, along with extended coverage of Program Management
and other updates. For CM/PM practitioners, the new SOP defines excellent
professional practice. It can help you market your services and guide your
staff training and development. For owners, the SOP summarizes what
to expect from your service providers. There is no better authority on
what CMs do, how we do it, and how our owner clients benefit.
COLUMNS
3
2
CMAdvisor November/December
The first new edition of Construction Management
Standards of Practice in six years.
CMAdvisor
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Continuous Improvement
Chairman of the Board
David R. Conover, CCM
HDR, Inc.
By David R. Conover, CCM, HDR, Inc.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
Editor
John McKeon
Contributing Writers
Kathleen Davenport
Martha Montague
Design
TGD Communications, Inc.
CMAA is a construction industry
association of 6,400 firms
and professionals who provide
management services to owners
who are planning, designing and
constructing capital facilities
and infrastructure projects.
Our Mission is to Promote and
Enhance Leadership, Professionalism
and Excellence in Managing the
Development and Construction
of Projects and Programs.
CMAdvisor, published bi­‑monthly
by CMAA, reports on and follows
the industry as a service to its
members. Submission of articles,
ideas and suggestions is appreciated
and encouraged.
I was honored and excited to receive the ceremonial
gavel from Gary Cardamone at CMAA’s National Confer‑
ence & Trade Show in San Diego, as I stepped into the
role of chairman of the Association for 2010–2011.
CMAA’s new leadership team takes over the reins
of an organization in great shape: Strong financially,
with sound management, quality programs, and
exciting prospects. I believe these great strengths
stem from two closely related sources: CMAA’s emphasis on meeting owner needs,
and our certification program.
We talk about CMAA being an owner-focused organization. This forces us to ask,
just what is it that we offer owners? Why would owners join CMAA? Why would
they want to work with CMAA member firms?
I believe certification is central to answering these questions. A CCM is an individual
who doesn’t just claim to be the best, but is willing to prove it. The CCM is willing to
have his or her job experience examined, references checked, and knowledge tested.
And the CCM is ready to continue to learn and grow to maintain that credential.
Supporting this commitment is CMAA’s job. I believe that the reason our membership
has continued to grow strongly even during a challenging economic period is simply
because our value proposition is so compelling.
Professionalism. Standards. Excellence. Better outcomes. As long as we can deliver
these values, people will turn to us in greater and greater numbers.
I have chaired the CMAA membership committee for the past year, which tells you,
first, that membership growth is a priority for me and second, that I have had to
think clearly about exactly what we need to offer to attract the members we want.
CMAA ©Copyright 2010,
ISSN 1084-75327
CMAA is committed to continuous improvement…to being more valuable every year.
We see this future focus in the strategic planning exercises the board of directors
undertakes every year. And we see it in our growing connection with our academic
and student constituencies.
I was involved in founding the student chapter at Colorado State University. I think
our student chapter program is lively and exciting, and I look forward to helping it
grow even more in 2011.
Reproduction or redistribution in
any form is forbidden without
written permission of the publisher.
Similarly, our Construction Manager In Training program is really catching on.
CMITs were highly visible in San Diego and brought a valuable added dimension
to a great conference.
CMAA members receive this
newsletter as a member benefit.
For advertising information, contact
Tom Egly at tom.egly@tgdcom.com.
Succeeding a successful leader like Gary is both easy and difficult. It’s easy because
so many things are already working so well. But it is also difficult because the bar
has been set so high.
But with our committed leadership, the strong support of hundreds of volunteers,
and the extraordinarily high energy now running through everything CMAA does,
I believe we can and will have another great year!
5
7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 800
McLean, Virginia 22102-3303 USA
Phone: 703.356.2622
Fax: 703.356.6388
Email: info@cmaanet.org
Web: www.cmaanet.org
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAA’s customer service is unsurpassed, and the content of our programs and
products is second to none.
Is the economic recovery going to pick up steam?
Will changes in Congress affect how the country addresses its infrastructure issues?
CMAdvisor canvassed a variety of industry leaders on the eve of the midterm election to gather
their best prognostications for the year ahead. Here are some highlights of their forecasts.
Pat Natale, PE, F.ASCE, CAE, Executive Director,
American Society of Civil Engineers
For the first time in years, the president of the United States has acknowledged the
role infrastructure investment can play in stimulating and improving the nation’s
economy, and has declared his commitment to improving the condition of our roads,
pipes, dams, and other critical support systems. Not only that, there are indicators of a
growing level of public support for infrastructure investment. When the public can see
the benefits they will reap from improving infrastructure—and the consequences of
doing nothing—it becomes an issue they can be passionate about. If we can sustain that level of support
and commitment, both from our national leaders and our neighbors, 2011 has the potential to be the
year of infrastructure….
6
CMAdvisor November/December
Currently, we are overdue on legislation for surface transportation, clean water, aviation, dam rehabilitation
and repair, and water resources, and with few exceptions, the political will to move forward on any of those
vital issues is sorely lacking… One ideal for 2011 would be that demand for infrastructure improvement
continues to grow and spread throughout all levels of government, and the public, nationwide and that
our nation’s leaders recognize this support and make a commitment to improving the critical systems
that underpin the health and welfare of our communities. A second and perhaps more important ideal
would be that the American public begins to see infrastructure improvements as an investment in their
future, not just another expensive bill to pay.
Kerry O’Hare, Vice President & Director of Policy, Building America’s Future
A Republican (election) victory does not make it any easier to resolve funding shortfalls that have stalled
action on a bill to date. The appetite for increasing the gas tax—or any other tax for that matter—will
simply not exist in a new more conservative Congress.
Listening closely to Rep. John Mica who would likely be the new Chairman of the Transportation
Committee under a Republican majority, it is reasonable to expect him to offer a smaller proposal that can
be paid for with current gas tax revenues and one that will focus on core programs, include incentives for
increased private investment, a National Infrastructure Bank, an expanded TIFIA program, and a streamlining
of the current project delivery process.
While a new Republican majority in the House (and possibly the Senate) would be wise to focus on
reviving our stalled economy which would lead to greater job creation, don’t expect to see it done
through a huge transportation bill.
NACWA is committed to making the case that the water
infrastructure funding gap itself is of crisis proportion
and demands a sustainable form of funding in the
form of a clean water trust fund, similar to those that
were created for the nation’s highways and airports…
Currently, municipalities spend approximately $80
billion per year on water and wastewater infrastructure
investment—second only to education in terms of
municipal spending. Municipalities are doing more than
their part, paying for over 95% of the cost of clean and
safe water. Many municipalities, however, are reaching
their affordability limits as they continue to raise rates
and their debt servicing loads increase. So in addition to
significant public health and environmental impacts of
a failure to act, there are also significant local economic
consequences of federal inaction.
Tony Keane, CAE, President
& CEO, International Facility
Management Association
Aging building stock is a critical concern,
and many are waiting for money to
become available to do the needed
renovations, deferred-maintenance
and shovel-ready construction they
have planned.
We anticipate that there will also be increased
competition for funding from other pressing internal
needs when capital again becomes available. We are
seeing signs that economic recovery may be taking
hold. This tells me that facility and construction
professionals need to be able to make the business
case for timely investment.
The essential message is that facility- and infrastructurerelated initiatives must be viewed as asset enhancements
that support and further the organization’s mission.
Regardless of the outcome of the
election, a narrow Democratic or
Republican majority in the Senate will make it very
difficult to forge consensus on even essential legislation.
The regulatory landscape will continue to threaten free
enterprise as the Obama Administration tries to advance
its agenda outside of legislative action, although the
president publicly will appear to move to the center.
Infrastructure investment will be a tough sell next year:
it won’t be impossible, but very difficult. The success of
infrastructure investment legislation depends on the
ability of transportation stakeholders to change their
scripts so that the message works. Elected, civic, and
business leaders need to walk the halls of Congress as
soon as the next Congress is sworn in to emphasize the
need to prioritize infrastructure investment legislation.
It’s not going to happen if the public doesn’t speak up.
Absent action on the surface transportation side, you’ll see
the end of the federal Highway Trust Fund, less aggregate
federal investment in all forms of surface transportation,
and no more multi-year contract authority allowing for
major capital investment as the pressure to reduce the
deficit squeezes domestic discretionary spending. It’s
going to be grim.
Eric Law, Founder & CEO, EADOC
Technology adoption will continue
to increase dramatically as firms look
for ways to increase their competitive
advantages and cut costs. True
collaborative web based applications
delivered over the Internet giving
members of project teams access to
all their project information 24X7 from anywhere in the
world. As teams become more integrated and projects
increase in complexity it becomes paramount for the
team to be using a single collaborative application for
exchanging and controlling the flow of information.
You are going to see continued integration and
collaboration between vendor applications. This will
progress slowly until large numbers of users migrate
off old legacy enterprise applications that have no
integration capability. Also standardization is still very
weak in the AEC industry. I would expect to see this
area start to really take off in 2012/2013.
CMAdvisor November/December
What’s Ahead in 2011?
The current Administration will
remain highly active and focused on a
broad array of regulatory activity that
includes a new stormwater rule, more
stringent nutrient control, tougher
climate change policies, sewage sludge incineration
standards, and a new policy for sanitary sewer overflows.
In this context, I think an activist Administration will
face more careful and rigorous oversight from Congress,
especially in light of the ongoing economic downturn
the nation is experiencing.
Janet Kavinoky, Director,
Transportation Infrastructure and
Executive Director, Americans
for Transportation Mobility,
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
7
Ken Kirk, Executive Director,
National Association of Clean
Water Agencies (NACWA)
CMAA Delivers
“Unequivocal Success” in San Diego
Highlights include
Record 1,050 Attendees,
Largest Expo
New CMAA Board of Directors Elected
8
“There’s a lot of activity on the trade show floor. We’ve never seen as much traffic on the show
floor as this year,” D.J. Mason, III, PE, COO of Keville Enterprises, Inc., said. “It’s definitely meeting
our expectations. The trade floor is where we expect to do a lot of networking and tell people
about our products and services. It’s working very well.”
Attendees also benefited from two dynamic keynote addresses from New York Times best-selling
author Stan Slap and former Los Angeles transit official Roger Snoble; a panel of owners discussing
results of the 11th annual CMAA/FMI Survey of Owners; and valuable content from 36 education
sessions. Respondents to the conference satisfaction survey—48 percent—rated the educational
sessions the most important aspect of the conference.
“The sessions have been very high quality. I’m looking forward to getting the Live Learning Center
access, so I can look at all of the other presentations,” Robert Stundtner, director of project management
at Cornell University, said. The CMAA Live Learning Center online portal provides access to synched audio
content and PowerPoint™ slides from all sessions for attendees to review on demand—and even share
with co-workers. Paid access to LLC content is available to non-registrants.
Doug Hyde, PE, Jacobs Facilities, Inc. **
Rebecca Jones, SafeWork, Inc. *
Hank Koffman, PhD,
University of Southern California †
Chair-Elect:
Ron Price, CCM, PB *
George Lea, CCM,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers †
Secretary-Treasurer:
Mike Potter, CCM, PE, RK&K
D.J. Mason, III, PE, Keville Enterprises, Inc.
Vice Chairs:
Judith Kunoff, CCM, AIA,
New York City Transit *
Tiger Nigamatzyanov, CMIT †
Christopher Payne, CCM, PE,
McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc. **
Sam Sleiman, CCM, PE,
Massachusetts Port Authority
Dave Rathman, CCM, Parsons
William Heitz, CCM, Heery International *
Ray Brady, CCM, MWH Americas, Inc.
Past Chair:
Gary Cardamone, PE, Port of Long Beach
Directors:
Stephen Ayers, AIA, Architect of the Capitol †
Mark Ballard, PE, AECOM **
Robert Bennett, PE, RABCO Associates, Inc. *
Willcox Dunn, Esq., Vandeventer Black, LLP
Mike Griffin, PE, Hill International, Inc.
Chris Griffith, CCM, PE, KCI Technologies, Inc.
Charles Hardy, CCM, AIA,
U.S. General Services Administration †
* re-elected directors
Melissa Robins-Cesar, CCM,
Tishman Construction Corporation *
Milo Riverso, PhD, PE, STV
Joseph Seibold, FCMAA, PE, ARCADIS †
Mani Subramamanian, CCM, AIA,
Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
Palmina Teta-Whalen, CCM,
American Airlines
President and CEO:
Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
Legal Counsel:
Hugh Webster, Esq.,
Webster Chamberlain & Bean
** first-time directors
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAdvisor November/December
The new attendance record set the tone for more excitement at the conference, which many deemed
an unequivocal success. The largest trade show ever, with a total 83 booths, was held after selling out
exhibit space not once but twice! Ninety-seven percent of survey respondents were either satisfied
or very satisfied with the trade show, and 49 percent spent the most time on the expo floor, between
three and four hours.
Officers:
Chair:
Dave Conover, CCM, HDR, Inc.
† ex officio member
9
If the energy level at this year’s CMAA National Conference & Trade Show is any indication of the
future of the industry, it is headed in the right direction. More than 1,050 professional Construction
and Program Managers, influential owner organizations, student delegations, international visitors,
and key service providers gathered for the three-day event in early October in San Diego.
CMAA leadership for the coming year was announced at the conference.
New officers and directors were elected to the 2010–2011 Board of Directors.
Of special note was the high interest in board participation this year, with the
Nominating Committee considering 25 candidates to fill only three available
seats. Board members, including returning directors, are:
Best Projects and Programs of the Year Recognized
“I like the fact that CMAA has a way to recognize people who work hard on these projects,” Melissa
Robins-Cesar, CCM, project manager of Tishman Construction Corporation, said. “I am hoping that
one year I’ll be the one getting the award.”
Selected from 130 entries, CMAA honored 15 of the best and most innovative Construction Management
projects and programs of the year during its Industry Recognition Banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Distinguished Service Awards:
Washington-Lee High School, Arlington, VA
PHOTO BY MBP’S SAMEERA DESHPANDE
Congratulations to the 2010 CMAA Project Achievement Award recipients:
Columbia Heights Public Safety Center,
Columbia Heights, MN
Owner: City of Columbia Heights
CM: EDS Builders, Inc.
Buildings, New Construction with a
constructed value less than $30 million
Science Building at John Tyler
Community College, Midlothian, VA
Owner: Virginia Community
College System
CM: Gilbane Building Company
Infrastructure with a constructed
value less than $150 million
Winner #1
Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
Owner: Town of Gilbert and City
of Chandler, AZ
CM: ARCADIS U.S.
Owner: Richland County
CM: Dennis Corporation
Santan Vista Water Treatment Plant
Winner #2
Clarkson University Quad Dorm
Expansion Project, Potsdam, NY
Infrastructure with a constructed
value more than $150 million
Owner: Clarkson University
CM: U. W. Marx, Inc.
Owner: Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California
CM: Hatch Mott McDonald
Arrowhead Tunnels, San Bernardino, CA
Buildings, Renovation or
Modernization with a constructed
value more than $15 million
Buildings, Program Management
or Program Phase
National Petascale Computing Facility
H.D. Cooke Elementary School,
Washington, DC
Phase One of the Fort Lee BRAC Program,
Fort Lee, VA
Owner: National Center for
Supercomputing Applications
of the University of Illinois
CM: Clayco, Inc.
Owner: District of Columbia
Public Schools
CM: Gilbane Building Company/
Quinn Evans Architects joint venture
Owner: U.S. Army
PM: Army Corps of Engineers
CM: MOCA Systems, URS, and MBP
Buildings, New Construction with a
constructed value less than $100 million
Infrastructure with a constructed
value less than $15 million
Washington-Lee High School,
Arlington, VA
Pacific Coast Highway Congestion
Relief Project, Dana Point, CA
San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission Water System Improvement
Pre-Construction Planning Phase
Owner: Arlington County Public Schools
CM: MBP/AECOM joint venture
Owner: City of Dana Point
CM: The City along with PBS&J and
TWNiemann, Inc.
Owner: San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission
PM: Parsons
Infrastructure with a constructed
value less than $50 million
International Project of the Year
Buildings, New Construction with a
constructed value less than $50 million
CMAdvisor November/December
Buildings, Renovation or
Modernization with a constructed
value less than $15 million
Buildings, New Construction with a
constructed value more than $100 million
Meadowlands Stadium, NJ
Owner: New Meadowlands
Stadium Company
CM: Skanska USA Building, Inc.
Victoria Canal Conveyance Pipeline,
Holt, CA
Owner: the Contra Costa Water District
CM: Contra Costa Water District
together with HDR, Inc.
Infrastructure, Program Management
or Program Phase
Dan Fauchier,
The ReAlignment Group
Pacific Coast Highway Congestion Relief Project, Dana Point, CA
PHOTO BY PAUL SAVAGE
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Water System
Improvement Pre-Construction Planning Phase
William Ingles, CCM,
CH2M HILL
Distinguished Owner Award:
Harlan Kelly, Jr.,
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
PHOTO BY SFPUC’S KATHERINE DU TIEL
New CMAA Fellows
Three new members were inducted into the
CMAA College of Fellows:
Renovation and restoration of
the Colon Theatre
William Van Wagenen, CCM, senior vice president,
Program and Construction Management,
Transportation Business Group, CH2M HILL.
Owner: City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
CM: Grupo SYASA
Thomas W. Bishop, PE, senior vice president, URS.
Rocco Vespe, PE, director, Trauner Consulting
CMAdvisor November/December
Buildings, New Construction with a
constructed value less than $10 million
PHOTO BY ADRIAN PÉREZ
11
10
Renovation and restoration of the Colon Theatre
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CORNER
“Trends indicate that the role of construction manager eventually
could be considered simply a paraprofessional who works under
the direction of an individual with a state-regulated professional
license,” this author wrote.
This column appeared at a time when several initiatives were
moving forward simultaneously, all based on determining exactly
what “professionalism” means as applied to CM and what
education, skills, and credentials the industry should rely
on in identifying true CM pros.
A joint meeting of CMAA’s Board of Directors and the Board of
Governors of the Construction Manager Certification Institute,
held in San Diego during the recent CMAA National Conference
& Trade Show, devoted several hours to a discussion of these
topics. This installment of CMAdvisor Professional Practice
Corner draws on that discussion, along with other industry
resources, to summarize the status of the CM profession
today and the challenges it faces in the future.
12
CMAdvisor November/December
Defining a Profession
“The CM profession is largely unregulated,” noted a breakout
group at the joint Board meeting. Some participants held that
“One key to the definition of a profession is that it is licensed
by somebody. Every profession is licensed.” However, it is also
common for CM to be performed at a high level by individuals
holding licenses as engineers or architects, or holding no
government-issued license at all. Moreover, holding an engineer’s
or architect’s license doesn’t necessary reflect qualification to
perform CM well.
If a license is not crucial to the definition of a professional,
what elements are?
Andrew Abbott, in his book The System of Professions: An Essay
on the Division of Expert Labour (University of Chicago Press,
1988) defines a profession as “an occupational group with
some special skill.” Among the keys to a profession’s success
are its ability to claim jurisdiction over particular tasks and
determine who is entitled to perform those tasks.
The rise of university education has reinforced this power.
Abbott held that universities have served as “legitimators
of professional knowledge and expertise.” In the same spirit,
the joint Board meeting found that “CMs today are better
educated than in the past, and their scope of work is larger
than before, including more social issues. The academic
course of study is much more recognized today, and there
are more programs than ever before.”
Indeed, CM-specific university programs are becoming both
more numerous and more accepted. One reflection of this
trend is CMCI’s recent decision to recognize, in reviewing
applications for the Certified Construction Manager program,
relevant undergraduate degrees granted by any institution
accredited under the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
In the past, this recognition has been extended only to degrees
granted by programs accredited by the Accreditation Council
for Construction Education (ACCE) or the Accreditation Board in
Engineering Technologies (ABET).
Similarly, today’s CM is often called upon to advise owners
about many aspects of a project that fall outside of the
traditional construction stages. As important as technical
and soft skills is the CM’s adherence to an established code
of ethics that is recognized by all practitioners.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management makes the same
point in different words in its Job Family Series descriptions:
Credentialing Professionalism
“Professional work involves exercising discretion, analytical
skill, judgment, personal accountability, and responsibility for
creating, developing, integrating, applying, and sharing an
organized body of knowledge:
• Uniquely acquired through extensive education or training
at an accredited college or university;
• Equivalent to the curriculum requirements for a bachelor’s
or higher degree with major study in, or pertinent to, the
specialized field; and
Although educational resources continue to grow, a critical
element of true professionalism, according to Abbott, is the fact
that the profession itself determines what skills and knowledge
it requires of newcomers. To be successful, a profession must
be able to control who can claim membership. In this regard,
Abbott says, “a single, identifiable national association is
clearly a prerequisite.”
• Continuously studied to explore, extend, and use additional
discoveries, interpretations, and applications to improve data
quality, materials, equipment, applications, and methods.”
The Professional Process
Performance Standards and Increasing Scope
One key factor is that professionals bring a special body of
knowledge to the service of their client and have a duty to
operate in their client’s interest. That body of knowledge,
embracing wisdom, experience, creativity, and technical
proficiency, is hard to specify and it is hard to measure its
delivery. Therefore professionals (doctors, lawyers, architects,
engineers and now Construction Managers) are selected
based on their qualifications more than price.
Critically, a professional has a duty to serve a client’s interest,
which a vendor of a specified product does not have.
Another consideration is the standard to which a practitioner
is held in assessing the outcome of his or her work. The CMAA
College of Fellows addressed this topic in its 2010 White Paper
on Managing Integrated Project Delivery. The basic question,
the Fellows noted, is whether the CM is expected to deliver a
product or to manage a process.
If, by doing a job in a workmanlike way, a practitioner can be
expected to deliver the same product to the same specs every
time, then the standard by which the work is judged is the
creation of a “defect-free” product.
These two descriptions show that definitions of professionalism
tend to focus on three elements: Discretion or judgment in
executing the work, based on specialized education and an
organized, broadly accepted body of knowledge.
Because of the prominence of individual judgment in delivering
professional services, and the high variability of job conditions,
professionals are measured by a metric different from that of
“defect-free” products, name, a “standard of care.”
Under this doctrine, each professional is expected to deliver
“the same level of care employed by reasonably prudent
professionals practicing in the same field in the same area.”
The professional’s ability to adapt to changing and unpredictable
circumstances is becoming more critical, the combined Boards
noted. “Often the technical part of a project is a slam dunk, but
a large part of the job is on the social side.”
Increasingly, CMs today are called upon to manage stakeholder
relations, sustainability issues, and a whole gamut of other
tasks calling for mastery of so-called “soft skills.” The combined
Boards noted that business acumen is often as critical to
CM today as technical ability, and effectiveness in financial
management, communication, and leadership often makes
a decisive contribution to project success.
Professional credentials like the CCM administered by the
Construction Manager Certification Institute—as long as they
are recognized as being fairly earned through demonstrated
mastery of an accepted Body of Knowledge—can serve many of
the same purposes as a license. Continuous improvement and
enlargement of the Body of Knowledge through research and
practical experience are essential to gaining this recognition.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard
17024 provides the means by which personnel certification
programs can assure their transparency, consistency, and equity.
The American National Standards Institute is authorized by ISO
to accredit certification programs that comply with ISO 17024,
and has granted this accreditation to the CCM program.
The industry also benefits from the availability of several other
credentials. Notably, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB),
based in the United Kingdom, certifies practitioners on an
international basis, and the American Institute of Constructors
(AIC) offers a Certified Professional Constructor credential for
contractors and others who focus on the construction process
and related tasks.
The possible arrival of specialized endorsements to well
established licenses (such as the PE-C, for Professional Engineer—
Construction) also may have a significant impact on the
professional practice of Construction Management.
Yardsticks of Professionalism
In summary, a profession can be identified by these qualities:
Its practitioners exercise independent judgment in response to
conditions that vary and are not easily predicted or controlled.
This judgment is shaped by rigorous and specialized education,
coupled with a broadly accepted system of Standards of Practice.
The Standards of Practice and related Body of Knowledge
undergo continuous review and improvement.
The professional practice is governed by a Code of Ethics and
represented by a single nationwide association.
Join the discussion of what makes CM a profession and
where the profession stands today. Post your views online
at http://www.cmaanet.org/what-makes-cm-a-profession.
CMAdvisor November/December
Many CM practitioners would recoil from hearing their work
described as “paraprofessional.” Yet that’s exactly the word used
by an academic author recently in a recent guest column in ENR:
On the other hand, in some cases every job is different and
conditions may be difficult to predict, let alone control. In
such cases, the Fellows paper says, “professionals…are in the
business of exercising learned judgment, based on experience
with a body of knowledge and on situations and decisions not
totally knowable or under their exclusive control.”
13
What Makes CM a Profession?
LEGAL CORNER
In the present economy, performance bonds are
often important for construction projects, for
several reasons:
14
CMAdvisor November/December
1)Although Construction Manager/contractor
defaults have always been of concern (public
agencies routinely require bonds), such
defaults have increased recently with the
worsening economy;
1)fund the principal to completion;
2)perform the work itself by retaining a completion
contractor and overseeing that contractor’s work;
3)tender a completion contractor and then
walking away;
4)tender payment to the owner up to the penal
sum of the bond, less amounts previously paid, or
2)Owners, developers, sureties, Construction
Managers, and contractors need to protect
their interests; and
5)do nothing and interpose all defenses against
the owner’s default.
3)Such bonds enhance the viability of construction
projects generally. It is always important to
make sureties as secure as possible, or else they
won’t issue bonds, thereby drying up what little
construction is in—or about to enter—the pipeline.
Surety’s Defenses to Owners’
Claims on the Bond
There are several basic concepts in the performance
bond context. First, the relationship here is tripartite,
not the normal one-on-one contractual relationship.
The three parties are (i) the Construction Manager
or contractor (in many forms referred to as the
“Principal”), (ii) the surety, and (iii) the project owner
(in many forms referred to as the “Obligee”). Each
side’s rights are interdependent, but the surety is a
powerless bystander for most of a project. The latter
is injected into the process only when the project
owner has formally declared a default.
Declaration of Default—
the Surety’s Options
Prior to the owner’s formal declaration of default,
there is no legal basis for the surety to take any action
vis-à-vis the owner or the Construction Manager/
contractor. Once the owner has formally issued its
declaration holding the Construction Manager/
contractor in default, the surety has five options:
Once an owner has declared the Construction
Manager/contractor to be in default, several
defenses are available to the surety, including those
that the Construction Manager/contractor may
have had, unless waived, vis-à-vis the owner, e.g.,
non-payment, obstruction of construction activities,
or other such claims.
In essence, the surety will argue that the owner
had no right to default the Construction Manager/
contractor. In addition, the surety may have its own
defenses, separate and apart from those of the
Construction Manager/contractor, bases on which it
can claim that it was discharged from its obligations
under the bond by virtue of improper conduct on the
part of the owner vis-à-vis the Construction Manager.
Whether to pursue the Construction Manager/
contractor’s defenses can be an unenviable choice
for the surety. If the surety sides with its principal
(i.e., the Construction Manager/contractor), it risks
a claim from the owner of bad faith disclaimer of
liability or breach of its obligations under the bond.
On the other hand, if the surety sides with the owner
and admits that the owner’s default determination
The surety has a duty to investigate the owner’s demand on the
bond, both in order to decide how best to pursue its defenses
and to meet its good faith obligations under the bond. It should
employ consultants or otherwise learn of problems; not just
problems related to the actual construction but also other
issues such as unpaid taxes, payroll taxes, etc.—in short, all
of the possible claims that might be made against the bond.
collateral valued at 40 percent of the GMP/lump sum. This
is not a theoretical concern, as owners often advance funds
to their Construction Managers/contractors. Therefore, it is
important for the owner and Construction Manager/contractor
to obtain consent of surety for each such advance. Whether an
advance is in fact a violation of the bond sufficient to discharge
the surety is a fact-specific determination, where the legal
standard is whether the owner has used reasonable prudence
and has a good faith reasonable basis for making the payment.
The surety must also affirmatively demonstrate that the
owner’s payment created actual harm to the surety.
In addition, the contractor’s should also investigate the
Construction Manager/contractor’s claims against parties
other than the owner, e.g., subcontractors or other prime
contractors, claims that the surety could pursue by way of
subrogation. After investigation, the surety must then decide
which side to support, owner or Construction Manager/
contractor, or whether to complete its principal’s work
under a reservation of rights.
Distinct Defenses Available to the Surety
There are also several defenses unique to the surety. The surety
could argue that certain owner acts have relieved or discharged
the surety from its obligations under the bond. Among the
bases for such a discharge are any of the following:
1)owner’s relinquishment of its security, including
overpayment to the Construction Manager/contractor;
“The surety has a duty to investigate the owner’s
demand on the bond, both in order to decide how
best to pursue its defenses and to meet its good
faith obligations under the bond.”
2)material alteration of bonded contract;
3)misrepresentation, concealment or fraud; and
4)owner’s release of the Construction Manager/contractor.
The overpayment defense is perhaps the most common. The
concept is that the surety has relied on the owner compliance
with contract terms, including the requirement that the
owner make timely payments to the Construction Manager/
contractor, but not overpay. That is, the contract balance/
retainage acts as security for the surety, not just for the
owner. For example, if the owner were to pay its Construction
Manager/contractor 80 percent of the GMP or lump sum for
only 40 percent completed work, the surety will have lost
The barriers to a complete discharge are many. The burden is
on the surety to demonstrate both the fact of overpayment and
the harm created thereby. But even where the surety is able to
meet both of these criteria regarding an overpayment, it will
only gain a so-called pro tanto discharge, that is, a discharge
limited to the extent of the overpayment.
Another defense is that there were material alterations to
the bonded agreement, both in terms of contract terms,
e.g., extensions of time, failure to give notice, and drastically
changing the scope of the work to be performed. According
to the case law, examples of material alterations include
CMAdvisor November/December
By Brian G. Lustbader, Esq., Mazur Carp Rubin & Schulman, P.C.
was justified, then the Construction Manager/contractor may
claim that that determination was unjustified. The CM or
contractor can then use that claim to avoid its indemnification
obligations under the general agreement of indemnity it would
have executed to obtain the bond in the first place, arguing that
the surety was acting as a “volunteer.” One possible solution
to this difficult choice is for the surety to apply to a court for a
declaratory judgment adjudicating the rights and obligations
of the respective parties.
15
Performance Bonds:
Default, Defenses & Discharge
LEGAL CORNER
Among the examples of non-material alterations are changing
a building’s height, changing the location of the building,
adding an additional floor, adding a basement, and failure of
the owner to obtain builder’s risk insurance from the contractor.
In analyzing each situation, the court will not permit ex post
facto perspective—that is, the situation must be viewed from
perspective of the time when the bond was issued.
16
CMAdvisor November/December
Owner’s Claims Against the Surety
Just as the surety may maintain its principal’s claims against
the owner, the owner may likewise maintain against the surety
its (the owner’s) claims against the principal, the Construction
Manager/contractor. Among the claims that the owner may
assert are those for incomplete or defective work (but the
owner has a duty to mitigate these claims), unexcused delays,
including liquidated damages (which the surety may in turn
pursue against its principal’s lower tier trade contractors/
subcontractors). If the agreement does not provide for
liquidated damages, the owner may pursue a claim against the
surety for its actual delay damages, assuming the terms of the
bond permit direct plus consequential damages. The owner may
also pursue other claims it might have against its Construction
Manager/contractor, such as breach of warranty or latent
defects, even if the bond form does not explicitly so permit.
While in many instances, certain technical defenses might
appear to let a surety disclaim coverage or be discharged, such
a result will not always obtain. Key to any such determination
will be whether the surety can sustain its burden of proof both
as to the defense itself and also that the event giving rise to
that defense caused actual prejudice to the surety, something
that usually cannot be shown.
Where the surety’s defenses are not permitted and liability
is assessed against it, however, the ultimate liability will
likely rest not with the surety but with the principals of the
Construction Manager/contractor for which it has issued
the bond, as they will have issued the general agreement of
indemnity for the bond, which usually includes a personal
guarantee. In that sense liability will come full circle and
ultimately fall on the defaulted Construction Manager/
contractor, or at least its principals. As a result, corporate
insolvency/bankruptcy will not help the Construction
Manager/contractor.
Your Foundation for Success
Jewish Reconstruc�onist Congrega�on
New Synagogue, LEED Pla�num
The key factor in seeing that the performance bond process is
handled properly, as is often the case for construction projects,
is close project monitoring—of claims, change orders, time
requests and extensions, and like matters—together with
providing proper notice thereof, and especially obtaining
consent of surety for these various items. Such monitoring
and notice will help all parties see that the inevitable project
difficulties and obstructions are handled as effectively and
painlessly as possible.
Brian G. Lustbader, Esq., Mazur Carp Rubin & Schulman, P.C.,
New York City, has spent the last 30-plus years specializing
in construction law and litigation representing Construction
Managers, contractors, trade contractors, owners, and
developers. He can be reached at blustbader@MazurCarp.com.
Co�er Consulting
provides
comprehensive
services for
planning and
implementing
projects in the built
environment.
Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
University of Chicago
Joe & Rika Mansueto Library
Cotter Vice President Jan
Turner congratulates her
fellow Chicago Chapter
members on receiving the
CMAA Chapter of the
Year Award.
Learn how Co�er can make your projects successful,
Contact: Jan Turner
100 South Wacker Drive, Suite 920 Chicago, Illinois 60606 P) 312.696.1200
www.co�erconsul�ng.com
CMAdvisor November/December
“The key factor in seeing that the performance bond
process is handled properly, as is often the case for
construction projects, is close project monitoring.”
Conclusion
17
changing the project from building a warehouse to building
a hospital, imposing an inordinate number of change orders
(although there is no absolute standard as to the number or
even the dollar amount of change orders necessary to qualify),
a material change in allocation of revenues, and failure to
obtain lien waivers.
NEWS
2011 Owners Forum Offers “Summit” View of Key Areas
Last spring in Atlanta, CMAA rolled out an innovation in its
national gatherings, a conference that put owners front and
center, as speakers, panelists and attendees, and kept the
spotlight on owner needs and priorities.
CMAA is sponsoring and helping to organize the
second International Transportation Construction
Management Conference, which will be held
February 7–10, 2011 in Orlando, Fla.
The conference is presented by the U.S. Federal
Highway Administration, together with the
Transportation Research Board and the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO). Attendees will include executives
from state departments of transportation and other
agencies worldwide, along with a large number
of Construction Management practitioners. The
conference manager is the American Road and
Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).
CMAdvisor November/December
Roughly 50 conference sessions will address such
topics as innovative financing, alternative project
delivery methods, risk management, performance
measurement, quality, emerging technologies,
and international trends.
As part of the conference, CMAA is organizing
two presentations:
• Measuring the Impact of Effective Construction
and Program Management on Large-Scale
Capital Infrastructure Projects, and
For 2011, the Association will combine these two proven
strategies into an extraordinary Owners Forum in San Antonio
on May 15–17.
The forum will address a central theme of “Sustainable
Building Strategies,” offering a full program of sessions
addressing this comprehensive theme, together with two
more specialized, concurrent summit-style programs:
• Innovative Procurement, Funding and Incentives
Facilitate Two Mega-Projects in Virginia.
• Water and Wastewater Summit—continuing the exploration
of issues surrounding the world’s most valuable resource,
which began at 2010’s successful Water Summit in Kansas City.
The first edition of this conference, also held
in Orlando, drew more than 300 people in
February 2010.
• Transportation and Transit Summit—delving into trends
and prospects for roads, bridges, ports, transit, airports, and
other transportation modes.
Full conference information is available at
www.tcm-2.org.
All of these programs will focus on the needs and priorities
of owners trying to secure the future of their organizations.
Speakers will be invited owners or speakers recommended by
owners, keeping true to the model of last year’s Owners Forum.
Each summit will combine high-level panels, breakout sessions,
and other content into an efficient, value-packed agenda.
Each summit will include four pairs of breakout sessions,
plus plenary session panels of owners and service providers.
The entire combined forum attendance will come together
for the opening keynote session, two breakfasts, networking
opportunities, and the closing “town hall” meeting with
owners from all sectors.
Additional information about the 2011 CMAA Owners
Infrastructure Forum will be published soon at
www.cmaanet.org/owners-forum-2011.
CMAA Publishes First Sustainability Guidelines
CMAA has released its first guide to implementing sustainable Construction
Management tools and processes. The 62-page Sustainability Guidelines
covers key objectives of the CM in integrating successful sustainable
practices throughout pre-design, design, procurement, construction, and
post-construction project phases. Developed as an expansion of section 9.0
of the Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, the new CMAA guide presents
valuable information on such topics as BIM, the owner’s sustainability goals,
project delivery strategies, cost control, and change management.
A dedicated group of sustainable construction experts contributed to the
publication’s content. CMAA appreciates the efforts from: Lonnie Coplen, LEED AP, Jacobs Engineering;
Jennifer Creighton, LEED AP, McKinstry | Energy & Facility Solutions; Joyce Dawson, CCM, LEED AP, Anne
Arundel Community College; Juan Giron, PE, LEED, City of Phoenix; Lourdes Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP,
Primera; Don Green, CCM, CCC, LEED AP, Heery International, Inc.; Judith Kunoff, CCM, AIA, LEED AP, MTA
NYCT; Don Laford, CCM, PE, URS Corporation; Christopher Magent, PhD, LEED AP, Alexander Building
Construction; Mickey Rosenblum, CCM; and Ron Whisker, CCM, LEED AP.
CMAA Creates Academic Advisory Panel
CMAA has established a new academic advisory committee of leading faculty members at
CM programs nationwide.
The new group’s charge will be to work with CMAA—and particularly with the College of Fellows—
on strategies to enhance the Association’s relationships with the academic world and improve the
education available to young aspiring CMs.
The Fellows have focused on academia recently, hosting a session at the National Conference &
Trade Show in which industry and university representatives shared views on what prospective
CMs need to learn and how best to deliver this knowledge. The new committee will both help
faculty members integrate the CM Standards of Practice into their curricula and help CMAA
understand what teachers need to shape the next generation of CMs.
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAA Sponsors International Transportation Construction Management Conference
Members Will Present in Key Sessions
Several times in recent years, CMAA has staged highly focused
best practices summits that explored a single market area in
depth, whether it was transportation, schools or water and
wastewater infrastructure.
19
18
Visit the CMAA Bookstore to purchase the Sustainability Guidelines.
NEWS
More than half of owners reported dramatically
cutting their headcount in the last two years,
including 18 percent who said their staffs were down
by more than 20 percent. Twenty percent of owners
planned to hire in 2010, and 22 percent planned to
hire in 2011. Even when staffing begins to pick up
again, survey respondents said they expect to try to
meet their workforce needs by hiring less expensive
staff, hiring retirees, or recruiting current staff to
stay on the job past their expected retirement dates.
20
CMAdvisor November/December
“The trends described in this report will profoundly
affect owners’ ability to manage projects effec‑
tively,” the survey report said. “As a result, owners
will increasingly be faced with a choice: Scale back
their capital design and construction activities (at
the risk of compromising mission), risk suboptimal
outcomes as a result of staff overwork, or find
additional resources outside of their organization.”
In addition to staffing changes and hiring restric‑
tions, the survey breaks down the impacts that
the recent economic stress has had on document
and service quality; collaboration and degree of
integration; lean construction techniques; and
project delivery systems.
Encouraging news came in the form of rising
program management use and improved service
provider quality. Owner respondents have doubled
their use of program management services
since 2007, accounting for 10 percent of capital
construction spending. It also is the opinion
of owners—44 percent—that the quality of
construction execution has improved.
The complete report is available online.
Coming Soon—CMpat™
CMAA’s new CM Practitioner Assessment Tool—CMpat—is slated
for rollout early in 2011 and should provide a powerful new vehicle
for both individual CMs and their organizations to record and assess
professional experience and plot pathways to further education.
CMpat received a high-impact introduction at the recent National
Conference & Trade Show, with continuous demonstrations in the
exhibit hall. A special demo video has been produced to show how
the system will look, feel, and work.
Individuals will use CMpat to keep track of their experience and build
the record of Responsible-In-Charge experience they will need to seek
the Certified Construction Manager credential.
WATCH NOW to learn
more about CMpat
For companies, CMpat will be a vehicle to convey strong messages about
the qualifications of their staff, and owners will rely on it as a consistent
way to evaluate the work experience of CMs seeking their business.
Construction Management sole proprietors
and firms with annual fee revenues up
to $10 million now have a new insurance
option—one that, for the first time, is
designed expressly for CM professionals
and recognizes the value of the Certified
Construction Manager (CCM) credential.
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies,
together with broker Ames & Gough,
now offers Errors & Omissions Liability
Insurance specifically for CMs.
In addition, individual practitioners who
are CCMs, and firms committing to have
CCMs in key positions in their management
and on their projects, will be eligible for a
10 percent discount on premiums.
“We are pleased to make this new benefit
available to our members who, by adhering
to our standards, already are reducing
their projects’ risk exposure,” said Bruce
D’Agostino, president and CEO of CMAA.
“It is a big milestone to have a leading
national insurance company, after careful
consideration, formally declare that
professionalism and certification make
a difference in project performance.”
Michael Phillips, vice president and
miscellaneous professional liability product
manager for Chubb Specialty Insurance,
added: “We are thrilled to receive this
recommendation of Chubb’s capabilities
from the preeminent construction
managers industry association. CMAA
members represent among the most
professional construction managers
in the industry. We look forward to
serving their needs through customized
insurance and loss prevention programs.”
Mike Herlihy, executive vice president of
Ames & Gough, said, “We are delighted
to provide coverage to construction
managers who provide the highest level
of professionalism and performance
and are committed to controlling
and minimizing risks associated with
construction projects.”
COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Program Management - Constructibility Review - Construction Inspection
Cost Estimating - Commissioning - CPM Scheduling - Risk Management - Training
WWW.MBPCE.COM
800-898-9088
Expertise. Technology. Results.
CAPITAL BUDGETING
AND PROGRAMMING
SUSTAINABLE PLANNING
AND DESIGN
PROGRAM AND
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT
www.mocasystems.com
CMAdvisor November/December
America’s construction owners have significantly
reduced their in-house design, engineering,
and Construction Management staffs during the
recession, according to one of the key findings of
the CMAA/FMI 2010 Survey of Owners. The new
15-page report, Rising from the Ashes of Recent
Economic Woes, provides insight from more than 300
owners across a wide range of markets and regions.
New Insurance Policy
Affirms CM Professionalism,
Offers Discounts to CCMs
21
Owners Report Significant Staff Reduction a Permanent Condition
FOUNDATION
22
It was more than just a positive coincidence that I
became chair of the CMAA Foundation at the same
National Conference that awarded CMAA’s Person
of the Year distinction to Charlie Thornton.
site will stress career promotion and recruitment,
along with providing easier access to all of our
basics—information about scholarships, useful
publications, and ways to give to the Foundation.
Charlie’s work in launching and building the ACE
Mentor program has had a profound impact on our
industry and clearly merited the honor. In addition,
during our awards luncheon we offered a special
recognition to ACE Program graduate Francisco
Ruiz-Torres, who now works for Clark Construction
and spoke to the large audience about how
much the experience has helped him in both
his education and his budding career.
• Christine Flaherty, CCM, LEED® AP and her
company, STV, Inc., have also taken the lead in
designing a new pocket-size brochure about
careers in CM. STV has donated the graphic design
and a committee of the Foundation Board has been
refining the text and “road-testing” the message
among groups of high school and college students.
You’ll hear more soon about how you and/or your
CMAA chapter can obtain and use the brochure.
We also showed an exciting video describing ACE.
There is a natural community of interest between
ACE and the CMAA Foundation, and as we move
forward, I hope we will be able to build a very
strong relationship. In the broadest terms, it will be
critical for our industry to interact effectively with
educators and reach out to students, both college
age and younger, to help meet our long-term needs.
• AECOM has come on board as the latest Visionary
level supporter of the Foundation’s Capital
Campaign. Thanks so much for both your check
and your example to the rest of the industry!
This goal also drives several other current
Foundation activities:
And we’re glad to welcome Atul Apte, CCM, LEED® AP
of APRI Construction Management, Irvine, Calif., who
has joined the board to fill out Steve’s unexpired term.
• We are preparing to launch a renovation of the
Foundation’s website. The goal is to have a new
site in operation by spring, and to provide a high
degree of interactivity and visitor engagement. The
As we progress into 2011, the CMAA Foundation
will continue to bring value to the industry and
improve our prospects for the future.
Finally, we are sad to say goodbye to Steve Routon,
PE of HNTB, who has resigned from the Foundation
Board after giving us impressive and valuable service.
Ross Shafer
Greg Gumbel
David Wyss
Labor-Management Conference
Terry McAuliffe
Ed Gillespie
www.ironworkers.org
Buena Vista Palace Hotel, Lake Buena Vista, FL
FEBRUARY 20 – 24, 2011
1-800-545-4921
IMPACT_PC.indd 1
10/22/10 11:20 AM
The best CM/PM education in the business.
CMAA is your partner for high value professional education
for every member of your team at every level.
For new hires, our Construction Manager In Training (CMIT)
program supports the transition into the workplace. At the
high end, the Certified Construction Manager (CCM®) credential
identifies the best in the business.
REMINDER: The CMAA Foundation has a library of exciting
www.impact-net.org
Deliver SOP-based training to your entire team for as little
as $35 per hour of expert instruction with flexible licensing
of our online SOP modules. Or select from a broad menu of
events, interactive webinars, and other programs.
career videos available for use by your company or chapter.
View the videos today at www.cmaanet.org/career-videos.
To learn more, visit www.cmaanet.org/pd-home.
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAdvisor November/December
Randy Larson, PE, CCM, FCMAA
President, PBS&J/Atkins – Infrastructure, Water, & Environment, CMAA Foundation Chair
23
Reaching Out to ACE
Nor th American
Iron Workers /
IMPACT
CERTIFICATION
In October, LinkedIn enabled a new feature called “sections” for its individual user
profile pages. This includes the option to add certifications along with other elements
of languages, patents, publications, and skills.
Alfred Baniowski
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Scott Daniel Johnson
Hill International, Inc.
David Roach
Barnhart, Inc.
These new sections add another rich layer of profile information that will make
LinkedIn an even more powerful networking tool than it already is.
Gil Batin
Vanir Construction
Management
Rodney Leard
AECOM
Mohammad Saeid
Construction Controls
Group, Inc.
CMCI encourages all CCM and CMIT holders to include this information on their
professional profiles. This will help to raise awareness of our certification programs
and designations, and their importance in identifying professionals in the industry.
Frederick Bravo
GKK Works
How does it work?
At the bottom of your LinkedIn profile page in the “Edit Profile” mode you will see
the new “Add sections” option:
Michael Brenner
PBS&J
Jonathan Brunelle
Tishman Construction
Corporation
Christopher Bush
Parsons
Elizabeth Davis
MOCA Systems, Inc.
Donald Ellis
Shaw Environmental, Inc.
Robert Joe Ervin
Sound Transit
24
CMAdvisor November/December
At the next prompt, you have the ability to add sections (certifications, etc.) as well
as other LinkedIn enabled applications.
Peter Espinosa
Vanir Construction
Management, Inc.
Michael Froelich
Construction Services
Unlimited, Inc.
Ryan Johnson
Project Control, Inc.
Daniel Mason
McDonough Bolyard
Peck, Inc.
Brad Melton
Fairfax County
Department of
Public Works
Victor Millan-Simpkins
URS Corporation
Heidi Obie
Bovis Lend Lease
Gerald O’Neill
Urban Engineers, Inc.
Michael Petri
KOLBE Construction
Philip Poladian
GKK Works
David Pye
The Whiting-Turner
Contracting Company
Moustafa Rezk
Haks Engineering
Carl Rizzo
Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc.
CMCI Board of Governors 2010–2011
Leroy Schmidt
Black & Veatch
Paul Casey Sheldon
Hill International, Inc.
Russell Smith
AECOM
J. Parke Smith
Parsons
Richard Sperandio
Tetra Tech
Eric Sweet
Cannon Design
Chair:
Lou Couture, CCM, LEED®AP
URS Corporation
Vice Chair:
Larry Smith, PE, CCM
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Secretary:
Steven DiBartolo, CCM, LEED®AP
Hill International, Inc.
CMAA Board Liaison:
Ray Brady, CCM
MWH Global
Governors:
Roy Beeson, PE, CCM
McDonough, Bolyard Peck
Tom Haid, PE, CCM
Parsons
Mehdi Heydari, PE, CCM
Vanir Construction Management
Canh Tran
Kitchell CEM
Joe Lawton, AIA, CCM
AECOM
Traci Williams
Volkert & Associates
Josh Rowan, PE, CCM, LEED®AP
PBS&J
Michael Paul Wischnewski
Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Washington
James Ruddell, PE, CCM
PB
Peter Yee
Pacifica Services, Inc.
Carl Sciple, PE, CCM
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Ann Marie Sweet-Abshire, AIA, CCM
U.S. GSA
Brian Stover, PE, CCM
Urban Engineers
Douglas Titzer, CCM
Jacobs
Adding your CCM or CMIT certification to your LinkedIn profile is a great way to
familiarize your colleagues and friends with the high level of professionalism
and accomplishment you bring to your career.
Ken Vogel, PE, CCM
Metropolitan Washington
Airports Authority
CMAdvisor November/December
Congratulations to Our Newest CCMs!
25
Add CCM to Your LinkedIn Profile
ROUNDUP
26
CMAdvisor November/December
Parsons has been awarded a seven-year Program
Management contract by the U.S. General Services
Administration to coordinate construction and
infrastructure development for the Department
of Homeland Security’s St. Elizabeth Campus in
Washington, DC—the largest federal construction
project in the DC metro area since construction
of the Pentagon and the most complex project in
GSA’s history.
Smoot Construction Seeking
Subcontractors for CityCenter
DC Complex
A building team of Smoot Construction and
Clark Construction Group has begun seeking
subcontractors for the 10-acre CityCenter DC
development on the site of Washington, DC’s
former convention center. The mixed-use project
will include 520,000 square feet of office space, 458
apartments, 216 condominiums, 185,000 square
feet of retail and 1,570 underground parking spaces.
Parsons will assist GSA in overseeing all phases of
the design, commissioning, information technology,
energy management, community outreach, and
the relocation of DHS headquarters personnel.
Construction is expected to begin in April 2011
and will cost between $750-$950 million, making
it one of the largest active developments on the
East Coast.
Tishman to Oversee Construction of
Vietnam Veterans’ Education Center
Hill International to Manage Hospital
Expansion Program in Kuwait
Tishman Construction Corporation has been
selected Construction Manager by the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Fund for the education center
at The Wall. Designed as a learning facility, the
new center will feature a wall of larger-than-life
photographs of those whose names are on the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial and showcase of more
than 100,000 items that have been left in tribute
at The Wall. A timeline of key military events of
the Vietnam War and a history of the Memorial
are other highlights of the facility.
Hill International will provide project and
Construction Management services, in association
with System Development Project Management, for
the Kuwait Ministry of Health’s nationwide hospital
expansion program. The three-year, $6.2 million
contract is part of a $513 million program involving
eight hospitals. Hill International and SDPM will
serve on all phases of the program, which includes
new construction and expansion and renovation of
existing facilities.
The courtyard design reflects the National Park
Service’s desire to minimize the center’s visual
impact on the site and preserve the historic vistas
of the National Mall. The project team is pursuing
LEED® silver certification.
“This program is extremely important to the Kuwait
government. We are proud of the fact that the
Ministry is relying on our team to help improve their
healthcare infrastructure,” Raouf S. Ghali, president
of Hill’s international project management group.
Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. will serve
as Program Management consultant for
the Regional Transportation Commission
of Southern Nevada. The contract, to last
four years with two one-year options,
calls for Jacobs to provide technical
capacity, coordination and oversight
of professional service, design, and
construction contracts to support
development of RTC’s capital projects.
Turner to Provide CM for
University of Pennsylvania’s
Penn Park
Turner Construction Company will serve
as Construction Manager of a 24-acre
recreation development for the Univer‑
sity of Pennsylvania. Intended as a space
for students and residents to connect
the City of Philadelphia together with
Penn’s campus, the $30 million Penn
Park will feature two artificial turf fields,
one of which enclosed for all-weather
use; a natural turf field; an artificial turf
softball field; two volleyball courts; and
a 12-court tennis facility.
Penn Park’s design and construction will
exceed the city’s water management
requirements by including stormwater and flood-water management.
The project will be completed by fall
semester 2011.
Heery International to Serve as
CM of Exotic Animal Training
Facility at Moorpark College
Heery International is providing
Construction Management services
for the new 13,000-square-foot facility
for Moorpark College’s renowned exotic
animal training and management
program. The $12.7 million training
facility will prepare students for careers
working with animals in television,
film, zoos, theme parks, and more.
The unique structure, built to serve
EATMP staff, students and 150-plus
animal inhabitants, includes a 150-seat
multi-purpose outdoor auditorium, two
50-seat classrooms, veterinary medicine
lab, bookstore, ticket booth, faculty
offices, and support space.
The project has been challenged by
the Ventura County, Calif. campus site
conditions, involving stabilizing the
building and ensuring its strength
against soil pressure. Completion is
slated for April 2011.
MOCA Selected for Nationwide
PMIS Contract with U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers
MOCA Systems, Inc. has been awarded
a contract to improve P2 Program
Management Information System
adoption and data quality for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The P2
system is used for every USACE project
and provides the link from the Corps’
Primavera budgeting/scheduling system
to its financial system. The contract calls
for MOCA to help USACE headquarters
improve overall functionality of the P2
system, as well as provide support in
the design, implementation and use
of P2 version 3, which is to roll out in
December 2010.
Cotter Consulting Opens
First Out-of-State Office
Chicago-based Cotter Consulting, Inc.
has opened its first out-of-state office
in Milwaukee, establishing roots in a
market that it’s done business in for many
years. The new office will be a center
for business development for the metro
region and southeastern Wisconsin. The
Construction Management and commis‑
sioning services firm has selected Nahid
Keltner, a former project manager at M.A.
Mortenson, to lead the new location.
URS Expands International
Presence by Acquiring
Scott Wilson Group
URS Corporation has completed its
acquisition of design and engineering
consultancy Scott Wilson Group, adding
a network of 80 offices and more than
5,500 employees from around the world.
The deal expands URS’ presence in such
key infrastructure markets as London,
Warsaw, Hong Kong, New Delhi, and
Dubai. Scott Wilson’s operations will
be incorporated into the infrastructure
and environment business segment of
URS, and Hugh Blackwood, former Scott
Wilson Group chief executive, has joined
URS as a vice president and senior vice
president of international operations.
The total equity value paid by URS
for all outstanding shares equals
approximately $336 million.
Balfour Beatty Acquires
Toronto-based Halsall Group
Balfour Beatty’s recent acquisition
of Halsall Group provides a platform
for Parsons Brinckerhoff to develop a
successful Canadian professional services
business. The deal adds seven offices in
Canada and more than 300 employees
to PB’s market reach.
“The joining of Halsall’s strength in
buildings with Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
strength in transportation infrastructure
allows us both to offer enhanced services
to existing and new clients throughout
Canada,” George Pierson, president and
CEO of Parsons Brinckerhoff, said.
CMAdvisor November/December
Parsons Is PM on Dept. Homeland
Security’s St. Elizabeth Campus
Jacobs Awarded PM
Contract from Nevada
Transportation Group
27
Member News
ROUNDUP
Population Division II: CMAA Baltimore Chapter
With 18.4 percent growth and 99.2 percent retention, the
CMAA Baltimore Chapter received the Chapter of the Year
Award for chapters with 100–200 members. CCMs comprise
30 percent of the membership of the Baltimore Chapter,
which has only been in operation two years. Some of its
key accomplishments during the year include: conducting a
Standards of Practice course; making a $3,000 donation to the
CMAA Foundation for student scholarships while it develops
a chapter scholarship program; creating a transition plan for
incoming officers; and generating $23,000 in revenue.
28
CMAdvisor November/December
Population Division III: CMAA Chicago Chapter
The CMAA Chapter of the Year Award in the 200–300 member
category was presented to the Chicago Chapter, which boasts
owner firms representing a third of its membership. During the
year, the Chicago Chapter held 17 events and took in $25,000 in
revenue with $30,000 in the bank. A past award recipient, the
chapter was active bringing a new student chapter online—
increasing the total that it hosts to three—and maintaining solid
retention amidst the formation of a new regional chapter.
Mid-Atlantic Chapter
Rocco Vespe, PE, FCMAA, took over as president of the chapter again, having
served in that position 20 years ago when the chapter had only 30 members.
Now it has more than 250 members. Along with the other officers (Joni Powell; Bruce Betz, CCM; and Donna Rapone),
the chapter plans another year of exciting events including the annual “Toys
for Tots” meeting, a tour of a prominent local construction project, a golf outing,
and an awards banquet. In addition, a combination instructional workshop and
meeting on construction changes and delays is being planned.
The officers and the board of directors of the chapter have established the chapter
goals and objectives for the upcoming year including promoting the chapter on
a local level, developing the chapter as technical resource for owners, increasing
owner participation, increasing membership and members participation, and being
chosen by National as the Chapter of the Year.
Chicago Left to right: Harrison
Staley, CCM, Chapter Secretary;
Jan Turner, Cotter Consulting,
Inc.; Mike Potter, PE, CCM,
CMAA Vice President & Vice
Chair, Regional Chapter
Committee; Lourdes Gonzalez,
AIA, LEED AP, Primera
Engineers, Ltd.
CMAA Adds Oregon Chapter
The Oregon Chapter formed this summer and now has 49 members from varying
backgrounds in facilities, water and waste water, transportation, and energy.
According to Jim Ruddell, CCM, PE, PB Americas and president of the chapter,
containing the chapter’s enthusiasm to pursue a limited number of initiatives
in the first year was important. He says: “To optimize our likelihood for success,
we agreed to do a few things well and to build on successes over subsequent
years. Our focus this year is on building no more than four committees:
membership, programs, student liaison, and awards.”
Ruddell notes that there are plenty of opportunities to spread the word about
CMAA, including the chapter’s monthly meetings with a featured speaker. In
September, members toured the Tri-City Waste Water Plant.
Population Division IV: CMAA Southern California Chapter
The CMAA Southern California Chapter was honored with
the Chapter of the Year Award, Population Division IV for
membership above 400. The Southern California Chapter kept
a busy schedule over the year, including four CCM application
workshops which helped the chapter attain the second highest
number of CCMs in the country with 105. The chapter held a
total of 43 meeting and events on topics appealing to a wide
range of members and attracted an average of 172 attendees
to its dinner events. Aside from $500,000 going through its
treasury during the year, another highlight was raising and
distributing $45,000 in scholarships to four students, as well
as donating $3,000 to ACE Mentor program.
CMAA Awards of Excellence
Student Chapter of the Year:
Illinois Institute of Technology Chapter
Student Focus:
Metropolitan New York/New Jersey Chapter
CCM Involvement:
New England Chapter
Professional Development:
San Diego Chapter
Southern California Left to right: Immediate Past President Atul Apte, CCM, LEED AP, APSI
Construction Management; Secretary Brett Barnett, PE, CCM, Harris & Associates; CMAA
National Chapters Committee Member D. J. Mason, PE, Keville Enterprises; Treasurer
Michael Baker, Esq., AALRR; President-Elect Lisa C. Sachs, AIA, CCM, CUMMING; and
President Michael McAlpine, CCM, STV, Inc.
Left to right: Jerome Duletzke, PE, Jeff Graham (guest speaker), Phil Gagnier, CCM
(vice president), Eric Forsyth, PE, Jim Ruddell, CCM, PE (president), Dan McIntier, Ed Trotter,
Dan Dowell, CCM, PE (treasurer), Bill Hawkins, Stanley Kirk, and Doug Garland, CMIT
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAA Chapters of the Year Honored
Baltimore Left to right:
President Jonathan J. Ryan,
PE, CCM, LEED AP, Johnson,
Mirmiran & Thompson,
Inc.; Mike Potter, PE, CCM,
CMAA Vice President & Vice
Chair, Regional Chapter
Committee; President-Elect
Vance Tsiamis, CCM, RK&K
29
Chapter News
ROUNDUP
Professional Development Calendar
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Owners, and Only Owners,
Define the Profession
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
2nd International Conference on Transportation
Construction Management
February 7–10, 2011
DoubleTree Hotel, Universal Orlando
Orlando, FL
Webinars
Independent Oversight and Control of Complex Capital Projects
Thursday, Dec. 9
30
CMAdvisor November/December
Visit www.cmaanet.org/courses-and-events for updates on
the 2011 webinar schedule.
National Meetings
CMAA Owners Forum
May 15–17, 2011
The Westin River Walk
San Antonio, TX
Refer a Friend to CMAA!
Do you have a colleague or client who
would benefit from CMAA membership?
Visit this link to send them a concise
message about CMAA.
Just before our National
Conference & Trade Show in
San Diego I was invited to take
part in a “Construction and
Education Summit” organized
by the Associated Schools of
Construction and attended
by 15 other national organizations. Then, in San Diego, I
attended the CMAA College of Fellows’ panel presentation on
the relationship between industry and the academic world.
Designers want to design, and that’s what owners need them
to do. Likewise, constructors want to build, and they serve
owners best in that role. CMs create value by managing the
entire process, according to recognized Standards of Practice.
These two experiences reinforced for me the gap between
what industry needs and what is being taught in our
universities. This gap, in turn, reflects a fundamental
misunderstanding of what the profession of Construction
Management really is.
We need to engage more effectively with faculty members
and do a better job of defining the Construction Manage‑
ment profession. We need to establish a clear career path
for students, industry newcomers, and more seasoned
practitioners so that everyone, including owners, will
know what to expect of professionals at different levels.
As a result of the ASC Summit, CMAA was asked to lead an
effort to unite the many players in our industry behind a
single vision of what the profession means, what education
it requires, and what role the Certified Construction Manager
(CCM) and other credentials should play in it.
A useful starting place for both industry and academia would
be to recognize that owners will shape the future of the
profession. We can’t worry about sorting through the com‑
peting definitions and claims of organizations representing
architects, engineers, general contractors or others. They—
and we—don’t get to say what services owners need and
what levels of knowledge, skills, and experience they require.
Owners do get to say those things, and it’s our job to listen.
In a recent guest column in Engineering News-Record, an
academic author commented, “Trends indicate that the role
of construction manager eventually could be considered
simply a paraprofessional who works under the direction of
an individual with a state-regulated professional license.”
Everything CMAA has heard over the years from owners,
and everything owners are telling us today, contradicts this.
Owners most emphatically do not want management of their
projects and programs to be in the hands of a practitioner
who is subordinate to their designer or general contractor.
The CMAA Fellows session in San Diego revealed that a
striking number of educators, at major institutions, are
unfamiliar with our SOP. One speaker even referred to the
SOP as newly published, despite the fact that we’ve been
publishing this document for more than 20 years!
“Owners get to say what services they need and
what levels of knowledge, skills, and experience
they require. It’s our job to listen.”
We have a strong beginning with our CMIT program, and
we will add the CM Practitioner Assessment Tool (CMpat™)
early in 2011, which will also help measure and verify the
experience of individual practitioners. Of course, the CCM
remains the industry’s “gold standard.”
CMAA embraces the job of leading the industry toward a
unified, coherent vision of the profession. But we must
remember along the way that we’ll never “sell” this vision
unless we listen closely and responsively to what owners
are telling us.
CMAdvisor November/December
December 8–9, 2010
Houston, TX
31
CII Project Management Course: Front End Planning and PDRI