CMAdvisor Volume XXVII, No. 3 May/June 2008 The Official Publication of the Construction Management Association of America Transport Summit Will Focus on Trends, Best Practices With hundreds of billions of dollars worth of repair, expansion and improvement work looming in the near future, America’s transportation infrastructure is a critical arena for professional CM and PM. CMAA’s Transportation Best Practices Summit in Los Angeles on July 20-21 will give participants a practical look at the key trends shaping this environment, as well as how some of the nation’s best CM/owner teams have addressed specific challenges in executing their most successful projects. Contents 2Chairman’s Report 3 CMAA News 10CMAA Foundation 11 Professional Practice Corner 14 Professional Development 15 Legal Corner 16 Member News 18 Chapter News 19President’s Report 20Professional Development Calendar The summit will be held at the Sheraton Gateway hotel at Los Angeles International Airport. It is co-hosted by CMAA National and the three regional chapters in California, with the support of the Society of American Military Engineers, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association and the Women’s Transportation Seminar. Speaker and session details, along with online registration, are now available at the CMAA website. The program will open with a panel discussion on Sunday afternoon, July 20, featuring economic futurist Cliff Brewis, senior director of editorial operations at McGraw-Hill Construction, joined by subject area experts in the four transportation areas. The program explores two tracks, “Emerging Trends,” and “Best Practices.” Within each track, speakers will explore four major categories of transportation infrastructure: Airways, Highways, Rail/Transit and Harbors/Ports/Waterways. In addition, high level panel discussions on Sunday and Monday afternoons, July 20 and 21, will give participants a prospective view of issues and events impacting transportation Construction Management, locally and nationally. The panel on Sunday will be followed by a welcoming reception. Among the topics and projects to be addressed by speakers at the Summit are: • Public Private Partnerships • Trends in commuter rail systems • Use of BIM in a successful airport expansion program • Web-based Program Management • Risk management for major highway/bridge projects • All-electronic highway tolling The Summit will conclude with a “town hall session,” featuring Angelina Galiteva, chair of the World Council for Renewable Energy. Throughout the summit, presenters and participants will engage in dialogues which will shed light on both the major national trends and how specific projects reflect those trends and suggest effective approaches for others in similar settings. Chairman’s Report Chairman of the Board William Van Wagenen, Jr, Esq., CCM CH2M HILL President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce D’Agostino, CAE Editor John McKeon Contributing Writers Maggie Beckwith Martha Montague CMAA is a 25-year-old construction industry association of more than 4,800 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. CM Advisor, published bi­‑monthly by the Construction Management Association of America, reports on and follows the industry as a service to its members. Submission of articles, ideas and suggestions is appreciated and encouraged. 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 CMAA ©Copyright 2008, ISSN 1084-75327 Reproduction or redistribution in any form is forbidden without written permission of the publisher. CMAA members receive this newsletter as a member benefit. Others are invited to subscribe and receive six bi-monthly issues for $49.95 (domestic) or $59.95 (international). Advertising opportunities are available for each issue. For subscription or advertising information, please contact John McKeon at jmckeon@cmaanet.org. 2 CMAdvisor Bringing CM/PM to the World William Van Wagenen, Jr., Esq., CCM, CH2M HILL CMAA has extraordinary opportunities internationally because of the significant growth in the global construction market. I recently spoke at a McGrawHill global construction summit in China and heard that China is building, every year, the equivalent of one-third of the entire U.S. stock of office space! South Korea, where I am currently working, is now the 11th largest construction market in the world. Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America are all forecast to enjoy construction growth rates many times larger than North America in the coming years. However, (and this is a big but) the markets with the highest potential growth also tend to have the highest risks associated with that growth. Owners all over the world are concerned with such issues as low production, corruption, high demand and shrinking supplies of raw materials, increase prices for steel and other necessities… …and always, everywhere, workforce. One urgent worldwide need is for clear, consistently and generally accepted definitions, Standards of Practice and Best Practices. All of these concerns create solid opportunities for professional CM and Program Management. Many of our CMAA members are already in the international market providing program and construction management. The international market is becoming more familiar with sophisticated project and construction management, with developing countries looking to those countries that have robust PM/ CM sectors to help them grow their own. I recently spoke at a PM/CM conference in Kazakhstan and met with an energetic group of CM professionals eager to get CMAA’s help. Several key international trends will strengthen the CM’s role significantly. We see growing reliance on Program Management among sophisticated international owners, for example, along with growing adoption of BIM. Moreover, major owners all over the world today are saying they want full collaboration project delivery models. All perfect parameters for the professional CM, one might say. But to realize this promise we must act vigorously on several fronts. One urgent worldwide need is for clear, consistently and generally accepted definitions, Standards of Practice and Best Practices. Another need is for a simpler, clearer, and stronger certification system. In Korea, for example, no fewer than six different certifications in Construction Management are available, from diverse organizations and other sources. What good does that do the owner? How does such a proliferation of credentials help the owner be sure of the qualifications and experience of prospective consultants? At CMAA, we have a number of efforts underway to extend our organization outside of the US. First, our International Committee with the CMCI Board of Governors has begun exploring the best way of extending the value of the CCM® credential overseas. This is a complex question. We have a lot of effort invested in creating a rigorous, high quality program, and this is reflected in our ANSI accreditation. We need to find the right path to bring CCM to markets that need it, while not diluting or compromising its value. Continued on page 3 CMAA News Continued from page 2 Another effort is to build and strengthen our alliances with the best international PM/CM organizations. Two significant alliances now are with the Chartered Institute of Building in the UK and the International Construction Project Management Association (ICPMA) which is an organization dedicated to defining and sharing best global practices in project construction management. It’s also vital that we become more visible, and vocal, in communicating the value of CM and CMAA. CMAA leaders are speaking at more international conferences about the values of CM and CMAA. We are also supporting conferences in the US on international CM, such as the upcoming FHWA International Transportation Construction Management Conference. We are also developing some research projects with international organizations on the benefits of Agency CM. We need to do this, consistently and clearly, both in North America and abroad. The global marketplace offers some major challenges, but it also presents growth and innovation opportunities. As CMAA’s own Fellows pointedly told the Board last year, international is vital to the long-term prosperity of CMAA. CCM® Momentum Building 1,000th CCM Milestone Spurs New Initiatives of Vanir Construction Management, appears in this issue of CM Advisor. Recognizing the 1,000th Certified Construction Manager in April was a big step, both CMAA and CMCI have taken this milestone as the occasion for a significantly expanded effort to attract more applicants, enhance the support available to CCM candidates, and make it easier for qualified candidates to sit for the CCM written examination. Additional articles are posted on the CMAA website. CMCI Chair Rick Rye, CCM notes that the milestone “means that CCM has really gained presence and prestige in the construction industry. We believe many more individuals can qualify for the CCM, and that this is a good time to become more proactive in attracting these applicants and helping them through the process.” As part of this initiative, CMAA has solicited a series of articles from senior CCMs on creating a “culture of certification,” and how both organizations and individuals stand to benefit from broader reliance on the CCM. The first in this series, by Mani Subramanian CMAA Radio Library Growing Budgets, Collaboration Are Among Latest Topics “If the budget was prepared more than a couple of years ago with a target of today, it’s likely to be inadequate by 10 or even 25 percent. If it was more recent, the question would be what escalation factors were used. If these factors were not at least six to eight percent per year, then the budget is probably low by 10 or 15 percent.” That advice, from Michael Dell’Isola, senior vice president of Faithful+Gould, are drawn from his recent interview on “Balancing Bids and Budgets,” part of the CMAA Radio series. The entire series, which now includes about a dozen programs, can be accessed via a link from CMAA’s home page on the Web. Surveying Attitudes Toward CCM CMAA has also conducted three surveys to gauge the attitudes of different groups toward certification. The surveyed groups were all CMAA members, recently certified CCMs, and CCM candidates “in the pipeline,” who have not yet taken the examination. Among the 310 CMAA member respondents, 172 indicated that they planned to become certified in the near future with 146 saying they planned to pursue the credential in the next year. The majority of respondents, 70 percent, work for companies/organizations that encourage individuals to earn their CCM. Company/organizational support took the form of pay raises, advancement and more interesting work among the majority of respondents. Another recently published CMAA Radio interview is with Chris Reseigh of Parsons Brinckerhoff, who discusses “Becoming a Collaboration Leader.” Reseigh discusses the impediments to collaboration that CMs/PMs must work to remove, and notes that “the concept of living and working with less stress and conflict is very appealing to all of us.” Two additional CMAA Radio interviews are scheduled to appear on the website in the near future. Chuck Thomsen, FAIA FCMAA, author of the new book Program Management: Concepts and Strategies for Managing Capital Building Programs, addresses how Program Management can meet the needs of owners with ongoing building efforts. And Bob Hixon, FCMAA, describes how he has worked to promote a “Culture of Certification” in the organizations in which he has served. Continued on page 4 May/June 3 CMAA News Continued from page 3 Two-thirds of respondents agree that managing the CCM program is a critical function of CMAA. Newly-certified CCMs were polled on their experience with the application process. The majority found the application easy to understand and the guidelines clear and helpful. Nearly all of the newly-certified CCMs’ organizations/firms supported or encouraged them in the process with reimbursement of costs, time off for study, and assistance from in-house CCMs among other measures. Support for Applicants An updated and consolidated applicants’ package has been posted online, and CMCI has added some new tools to help candidates complete their applications and prepare for the exam. The CMCI webpage also hosts an Applicants’ Resource page where interested parties can find information and downloads in one convenient place. A new “CCM Candidates” group on Facebook has attracted several dozen participants in its first few weeks of operation. At this site, interested practitioners can find the latest information on Standards of Practice courses, webinars, and other events; they can also download important documents, post questions and comments, and participate in ongoing discussions with their peers and with CCMs. CMAA also presented a free online webinar in May, describing the entire CCM application process. At press time, more than 140 people were actively pursuing the CCM. 4 CMAdvisor Call for Nominations to the Institute’s Board of Governors Carson Webinar Attracts Most Registrant Sites to Date The CMCI Board of Governors is accepting nominations for terms ranging from 1-3 years beginning in October 2008. Governors set policies and procedures for the Certified Construction Manager program, as well as serving as application reviewers. They meet at the Association’s Annual Conference and the Leadership Forum, as well as in regular conference calls. Nearly 90 site registrants took part in Chris Carson’s Webinar on “Properly Reviewing a Schedule,” with some sites accommodating up to 15 participants. Over 300 transcripts were requested after the presentation. Governors are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and acknowledge that they have no conflict of interest that would preclude their participation on the Board of Governors. CCMs interested in serving as Governors should send an e-mail outlining their qualifications as well as a current resume to Jan paul Miller, vice president/ Certification at jpmiller@cmaanet.org by July 1. His presentation, given on March 20, provided a complete program for CMs handling the review of Baseline schedules or full Updates of project schedules. Carson, PSP, a project controls manager for Alpha Corporation, has over 35 years’ experience in scheduling and CM services. The presentation can be purchased on CD through CMAA’s online bookstore. Carson will present another Webinar on June 19 on scheduling. CMs TalkLive! Webinars are presented on Thursdays, usually twice a month. For a listing of upcoming Webinars, please visit the CMAA University page. Dates for Future CMAA National Events CMAA has firmed up its long-term calendar of Leadership Forums and National Conferences. The following events are on (or just over) the CMAA horizon: Year Leadership Forum National Conference & Trade Show 2008 Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards 5/18 – 5/20 Hyatt Regency San Francisco at Embarcadero 10/12 – 10/14 2009 Phoenix – Westin Kierland Resort & Spa 5/16 – 5/21 Orlando – Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress 10/22 – 10/28 2010 Atlanta – May Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego 10/1 – 10/5 2011 San Antonio – The Westin Riverwalk 5/13 – 5/17 Washington DC – Grand Hyatt 11/4 – 11/9 2012 Long Beach, CA – Hyatt Regency 5/4 – 5/8 Chicago – Fall Commitment + Discipline = Celebration Mani Subramanian Vanir Construction Management, Inc. has been the organization with the most certified construction managers for many years now. While we would like to hang on to this exalted position, we think it is important to share our approach with all of you. Our hope is that this information will be of use to some, resulting in many more construction managers getting certified, which is essential for the continued success of our industry. There are two words to keep in mind to achieve success: commitment and discipline. Commitment starts at the top. In our case, Mansour Aliabadi, our president, decided in 2001 to get as many of our people certified as feasible. One of the first decisions we made was to get certified ourselves. Both of us successfully became certified in 2002. As you demand (yes, you must demand) that your employees get certified, we think it is critical that the company leaders, top down, get certified first. The second part of our commitment is that being certified is one of the key criteria for promotions to positions as senior project manager, senior construction manager, or above. Everyone clearly understands that this is expected in order to advance in their career path. Those who are not certified make the commitment to accomplish it within one year of their promotion. The third part of our commitment is keeping our focus on it continuously. Employees who become certified are recognized in all company functions. Every year, we develop a ‘class’ that is guided through the certification process. Our passing rate is higher than the overall national average. The discipline begins with the formation of a group of employees who sign up to become certified each year, after our annual company conference in November. Besides volunteers, those at the senior level positions who are not yet certified are also solicited to ‘sign up.’ The group facilitator is one of our vice presidents and last year’s winner of the Distinguished Service Award from the CMAA National Board of Directors and the President’s Special Service Award from the Southern California Chapter, Mehdi Heydari. Mehdi establishes a schedule for everyone to get certified that includes a deadline for getting the application completed, a timeline for group study sessions, and the date the exam will be taken. Everyone is expected to provide an update of their progress every week. Guidelines are provided to assist with getting the application completed. Once the application process is complete, the group study sessions will begin, with the intent to help everyone cover the study material for the exam, to foster discussions, and to answer any questions that will assist with the progress of everyone. In the first year of our push towards certification (2002), we offered a reward of $1,000 for the first 20 people to get certified. The reward was $500 for the second year. We have always reimbursed the application fees upon acceptance and the exam fee upon successful completion. We provide all study materials and a paid day off from work for studying or taking the exam, and the group study hours are mostly on company time. To summarize what it takes to achieve this success with your organization, you need to stay committed to a certification program and use a disciplined process (with set timelines) to guide the groups to work together and accomplish this goal each year. Finally, you need to celebrate their success every chance you get. Being certified is one of the key criteria for promotions to positions as senior project manager, senior construction manager, or above. OK… now that our secret is out, and given the size of our organization when compared to many others, we hope it is just a matter of time before we are passed for the total number of certified construction managers. So, everyone, hurry up and try to be the first to pass us! But we intend to always have the highest percentage of employees who are certified construction managers. You are most welcome to call me, Mansour or Mehdi, if we can help you in any way. Vanir encourages you to commit to it. Your industry needs it. You deserve it. PLAN TO ATTEND: CMAA Transportation Summit: Emerging Trends and Best Practices! July 20 & 21, 2008 Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, California For more information visit cmaanet.org May/June 5 CMAA News AIA Adds Logo to Thomsen Book Chuck Thomsen was the first professional to become a Fellow of both CMAA and the American Institute of Architects, so when he donated his new book on Program Management to the CMAA Foundation, it was only natural to invite AIA to join in presenting the book to the industry. AIA provided a special prefatory note for the book, which is entitled Program Management: Concepts and Strategies for Managing Capital Building Programs. In the note, AIA observes that “The ideas expressed in the book can serve as a catalyst for considering (a) new way of approaching the work that architects do.” The statement continues, “Program Management involves taking the broad view, rather than a project-byproject view. Thomsen points out that this approach allows the Program Manager to identify the common aspects of multiple projects—processes, products, and people—and to learn from them to improve the cost, schedule, and quality of future projects in the program.” Thomsen’s book is now available through the CMAA online bookstore. All net proceeds from its sales will benefit the CMAA Foundation and its educational and research initiatives. Congratulations, New CCMs! Congratulations to these CM professionals who have earned their Certified Construction Manager distinction: Daniel Adams Heery International, Inc., Los Angeles, CA Lawrence Bacher Gilbane Building Company, Providence, RI Stephen Berglund Hill International, Inc., Washington, DC Larry Blackford Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA Brian L. Clapp, CEC, USN, PE, PMP White House Military Office, Chesapeake Beach, MD Joseph Graf DMJM Management, Detroit, MI Kevin Hitchcock Jacobs, Houston, TX Joseph Huggins Southern Management Group, Columbia, SC Edward Ransom, AIA, LEED, AP, NOMA PMA Consultants, LLC, Braintree, MA Jeffery Johnson Richard Brady & Associates, Charlotte, NC Maria Cristina Sabolcik Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson, Timonium, MD Craig E. Kulas Heery International, Washington, DC Richard Sage Sound Transit, Seattle, WA Michael Lopez Jacobs Engineering, Golden, CO Jamil Soucar Turner Construction Company, Los Angeles, CA Sanford Carlos Loy Constructibility Plus, Inc., Knoxville, TN Robert Nash, PE RK&K, LLP, Baltimore, MD James Peace The Morganti Group, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL Philips Vallakalil DeMaria Building Company, Inc., Farmington Hills, MI Robert Vargo Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., White Plains, NY Rebecca Yasky TJNAF, Newport News, VA MOCA Systems is a nationally recognized program and construction management firm with proven project controls based on the innovative MOCABuild technology. TM Planning Program Management Construction Management Cost & Schedule Control Green Building Technology www.mocasystems.com Boston 6 CMAdvisor San Antonio Honolulu CMAA Launches College Outreach Campaign Recognizing the importance of promoting professionalism to future Construction Managers, CMAA is making an effort to introduce students to the Association by reaching out to the ACCE accredited CM programs. Faculty members were sent detailed information about student scholarships, membership, Career Headquarters and the Construction Manager in Training program, which is geared toward college and entry level candidates. They were asked to pass the information along to students and hang fliers up on bulletin boards. Since the effort began, CMAA has seen an increase of at least 10 percent to its college related sites. The Association also has a presence on Facebook – a social networking site popular with the college community – that keeps students abreast of the latest programs for students. Student chapter participation is also growing. At least two new student chapters have been officially sanctioned, with three more anticipated in the fall. Starting in the fall, CMAA will create a student chapter Web page. Current student chapters include: California State University-Northridge, Drexel University, Eastern Washington University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Polytechnic University, Pratt Institute, Temple University, University of Florida, University of Illinois-Champaign, University of Southern California, Virginia Tech and Wentworth Institute of Technology. CMAA Vice President/Professional Development George Gehringer, PhD, will also be a keynote speaker this summer at the American Council for Construction Education annual conference in Schaumburg, IL. Young, Heil to Keynote National Conference Norbert W. Young, FAIA, president of McGraw-Hill Construction will be one of two keynote speakers at CMAA’s National Conference in San Francisco this October, sharing the keynote duties with noted business futurist and consultant Gary Heil. The National Conference takes place on October 12-14 at the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Young heads up a publishing enterprise that includes the Dodge Reports, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, GreenSource, 11 regional publications and construction.com. He is a registered architect who had extensive construction industry experience before joining McGraw-Hill in 1997. He will update CMAA attendees on the findings of the most recent McGraw-Hill Construction “Trends and Implications” research. Heil, who was well received when he first spoke to a CMAA gathering eight years ago, is an internationally recognized expert on service quality, leadership and change management. Heil is author or co-author of The Leader’s New Clothes, One Size Fits One, Leadership and the Customer Revolution, and other books. In addition to the keynoters, the National Conference will feature a full program of Professional Development sessions, a new edition of the CMAA Exhibit Hall, and the annual Industry Recognition Banquet, at which Project Achievement Awards and individual honors will be presented. The National Conference theme for 2008 is “Ahead of the Curve…On Top of the Trends.” New from best-selling author Rick Fria: A personalized and comprehensive seminar that will get results today! $ONTMISSTHISOPPORTUNITY TOLEARNFROMANEXPERT Professionals agree: “Rick knows what he is talking about! He literally wrote the book on the subject. I now am prepared to negotiate fairly and with complete confidence. Probably the best seminar I’ve ever attended.” – Gerry Gerron, architect “This seminar taught our development company how to get optimum results from both our architect AND contractor. We have improved both the process and the product, thanks to Rick.” – Jonathan Vento, developer Rick Fria has been at the forefront of construction methodologies and processes for over 38 years. His is the only book on the subject and he knows how to communicate the careful lessons in an honest and easily understood manner. (ALF$AY3EMINARs'ROUP#OMPANY$ISCOUNTS 3UPPLEMENTALMATERIALSPROVIDEDFOREACHPARTICIPANT #ALL2ICK OREMAILRICK FRIA#-COM 4HE3UCCESSFUL2&0S3EMINAR Participants will learn to: s 0REPAREDETAILED'#2&0SAND evaluate the responses both quantitatively and qualitatively s 'ATHERCRITICALPROJECTSPECIlCCOST schedule information from local databases of multiple contractors s !DDVALUETOTHE2&0EFFORTBY including key consultants in the process, creating a true collaboration s 3ELECTACONSTRUCTIONTEAMINTHE early steps of design to assist in “guiding design to meet budget” s -ITIGATEADVERSARIALCOSTAND schedule claims s %NHANCEMATERIALSSELECTIONAND OVERALLENDQUALITYOFPROJECT May/June 7 CMAA News National Conference’s Exhibit Hall Two-Thirds Sold Out CMAA Backs New Federal Job Classification Only about one-third of the booths in the National Conference & Trade Show in San Francisco on Oct. 12-14 are still available. CMAA has written to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to strongly endorse a proposed new occupation series for federal employees, with the classification 0820 Construction Manager. The strong early interest reflects the success exhibitors have achieved at previous CMAA Trade Shows, as well as the steady growth of the audience for the annual event. Speaking of the 2007 exhibit in Chicago, Robert Rizzo of Rizzo Associates noted, “I met owners, clients, and competitors. My goal was to get our name out into the world and to learn about the CCM certification. I achieved both goals. The people who had booths had a real reason to be there.” Two lunch receptions – one on Sunday and one on Monday – are scheduled to take place in the exhibit hall, along with three “networking breaks.” A complete list of exhibitors who have already reserved space is available at http://cmaanet.org/Exhibitors_2008.php. Interested exhibitors should contact Martha Montague at mmontague@cmaanet.org or visit http://cmaanet.org/exhibit_info_2008.php for more information. Career Headquarters: 15 Percent Traffic Increase to Site Since March, CMAA’s Career Headquarters has seen a significant jump in unique visitors coming to the site. Traffic has increased about 15 percent. This means more visitors checking to see what jobs are available and posting their resumes in a database that employers can search for qualified candidates. CMAA has also partnered with two industry organizations to allow CMAA job postings to be seen on their sites – making it visible to some 5,000 additional qualified candidates. In return, allied organizations will also post their CM positions on the CMAA site – giving job seekers a wider variety of jobs to search. For posting rates or to view jobs, please visit http://cmaanet.org/career_hq.php. Look Who’s Joined CMAA Lately! A list of companies and individuals who have joined CMAA recently can be found online at www.cmaanet.org/newmembers.php. 8 CMAdvisor This new classification of job titles has also been strongly advocated by the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal employers. CMAA pointed out that the proposed classification is fully consistent with a long standing CMAA tenet: “Since our founding in 1982, we have stressed the distinct role of the professional Construction Manager,” said President & CEO Bruce D’Agostino in his letter to OPM. He also cited the growing embrace of the Certified Construction Manager credential by owners both public and private as evidence that the industry clearly recognizes CM as a distinct and important professional practice. Online “Foundation” Course Available CMAA announced at its Leadership Forum in Baltimore the release of its Foundation course. The online course provides participants with a blended learning solution where they download portions of text that compliment the 20 hours of narration that guides them through the basics of CM principles. Tommy Thomas, CCM of Turner Construction Company, provides the narration. “The course has periodic assessments which the student must complete correctly before moving on,” said George Gehringer, VP of Professional Development. “This forces the individual to go back to the material and find the correct answer which reinforcing the learning objectives.” CMAA also announced the release of its Professional Practice module, the second online certificate course available. Entries for 2008 Project Achievements Due June 27 Construction Manager practitioners can submit projects they feel deserve recognition to CMAA’s 2008 Project Achievement Awards. Since 1999, CMAA has been presenting its Project Achievement Awards to recognize instances in which professional Construction or Program Management has made a significant contribution to the successful completion of a challenging project or program. Last year’s honorees included a library, a national museum, a university student union, a trial court complex, an office center and renovations to bridge structures, highways and sewer facilities. McDONOUGH BOLYARD PECK Construction Engineering Services: Construction Management Program Management Risk Management Constructibility Review CPM Scheduling/Analysis Cost Estimating Commissioning Construction Inspection Contract Admin/Closeout Dispute Resolution Training McDonough Bolyard Peck. Inc. (MBP) is a multi�disciplined consulting engineering firm experienced in assisting clients in managing the construction process from initial budget, through design & construction, to successful project closeout. Engineering News Record ranks MBP one of the top 100 construction management firms in the country. www.mbpce.com | 800�898�9088 The variety in these projects demonstrates how central Construction and Program Management have become to our industry. It also proves that there’s room for your project among the coming year’s honorees. CMAA encourages you to submit your best and be part of this celebration of excellence. Details can be found at http://cmaanet. org/CMAA_Project_Achievement_ Awards.php CMAA Exhibits at GSA Conference in Chicago CMAA exhibited at the recent U.S. General Service Administration’s Technical Conference in Chicago. The March conference attracted an estimated 400 participants to the exhibit hall where Professional Development Associate Meghan Johnson staffed a table to provide information about CMAA. “There was a lot of interest in certification and membership,” she said. “People wanted to hear about all our Professional Development offerings.” May/June 9 CMAA Foundation Donors Visionary – $5,000/year Arcadis/PinnacleOne CH2M HILL Keville Enterprises Parsons Brinckerhoff PBS&J Champion – $2,000/year CMAA New England Regional Chapter HNTB Inc. McDonough Bolyard Peck Summit Associates Vanir Construction Management Leader – $1,000/year Analytical Planning Services Brookwood Program Management Hazen and Sawyer Hill International Hoar Program Management Joseph P. McAtee, FCMAA Mansour Aliabadi, FCMAA, CCM Parsons PSOMAS SGI Construction Management STV Urban Engineers Mentor – $500/year Bond Brothers D.J. Mason, P.E. DeMatteis International Group Dick Corporation GREYHAWK HDR Jacobs Engineering Group Quintessential LLC Rockmore Contracting Corporation One-time Donors Christopher Reseigh, FCMAA URS Chuck Kluenker, FCMAA Donald Russell, CCM, FCMAA Fred Kreitzberg, P.E. Ken Rice Michael Baker, Jr. Inc. Project Mediation, Inc. Rummel Klepper & Kahl Swinerton Management & Consulting 10 CMAdvisor Capital Campaign Halfway to Reaching Goal Christine Keville, FCMAA, Foundation Chair, Keville Enterprises, Inc. The CMAA Foundation is looking for “YOU” to become a part of our Capital Campaign “CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE.” We are extremely delighted that we have surpassed the halfway point, but we still have a great deal of work ahead of us. Once again, I extend a very big thank you to our Capital Campaign Pledge Donors who have generously committed to five year pledges. In each issue, we vowed to focus in on members who have gone “above and beyond” in their support of the campaign and made commitments at the Visionary level. I am delighted to feature CH2M HILL this month. CH2M HILL must be applauded for stepping up to the plate and pledging at our highest Capital Campaign level, as well as contributing the wonderful leadership provided by CMAA’s Chairman of the Board, Bill Van Wagenen, Jr, Esq., CCM. Bud Ahearn, senior vice president of CH2M HILL Ltd., explains his company’s commitment to the Foundation this way: “We salute CMAA for stepping up to promote our CM, engineering and construction profession to the youth of America. Our nation faces a technology brain drain driven by our demographics and by the significant decline in the number of students (preschool through university) studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “Our industry needs the leadership and technical talent,” Ahearn continues, “to shape national and regional policy and technical solutions for compelling issues like energy security and pricing, global warming/carbon footprint reduction, water scarcity, infrastructure renewal/new build, etc. Participating in the CMAA Foundation’s Scholarship Program is an endorsement of CMAA’s leadership and the global significance of our Profession.” The CMAA New England Chapter also sees the value of the Foundation’s Capital Campaign and has very generously pledged at the Champion level. We are thrilled that they have joined our crusade and we are hoping that other CMAA Chapters will follow suit. We understand that Regional Chapters allocate funds to scholarships and numerous other worthy causes, but the Foundation wants to work in collaboration with the Regional Chapters to reach out to many different age groups. This Endowment Fund will provide the financial resources necessary to: continue our annual national scholarship program; provide meaningful research and development; and produce a number of meaningful CM recruitment tools tailored to students which describe the importance of CM/PM and the rewarding career paths offered by our industry. The Foundation Board is very passionate about recruiting the next generation leaders to our industry. Foundation Board members will be reaching out to all the Regional Chapters over the next few months in hopes that we will have 100 percent of CMAA Chapters pledging to our Capital Campaign. “If you can imagine it, have passion for it, you can achieve it.” Won’t you help us achieve our goal! Donors will be recognized on the association’s website, in newsletters and at conferences. Donor gifts will be distributed at various levels. To donate, please contact Laura Odom at lodom@cmaanet.org or visit the Foundation website at cmaanet.org. Professional Practice Corner Maintaining Good Community Relations During Construction Jessica Berlin, Katz & Associates Goodwill gained during a project’s approval process can evaporate quickly once the nuisances of construction set in. Here’s some guidance to help smooth the way. You are soundly sleeping in your home, and all of a sudden your peaceful early-morning slumber is shattered by the sound of loud equipment, back-up beepers and jack hammers. A major pipeline is being constructed right down your street and you didn’t know about it. And you’re mad. At 8 a.m., you begin calling the office of city council members and county commissioners representing your area. Your frustration grows as staff members claim they know nothing and bounce you to the public works department “black hole.” When you open your garage door, your driveway is blocked. Surprised, mad, and now late for work. Someone will hear about this and it won’t be pretty. When community members have a say in project decisions, they are more likely to support the project. As you can see from this hypothetical situation, it’s easy for public works projects to get off on the wrong foot in the public’s view. Goodwill gained during a project’s approval process can evaporate quickly once the nuisances of construction set in. If community frustrations are not addressed promptly during all stages of a construction project, complaints from nearby residents and businesses will filter up to elected officials or the media, creating a negative perception of the owner and the project. progress meetings and ongoing discussions. Make the point up front with contractors that you need their help to be a good neighbor throughout the project, and it’s in their best interest to make sure we keep the community happy. You may even want to include guidelines in the contract specifications detailing your community relations expectations of the contactor. Projects often last for several months or years, so it is important to work effectively together. Be Accessible Be an ambassador for the community, acting quickly to address community inquiries and complaints. Establish a central phone number community members can call to express concerns and ask questions about the project. Staff answering phones should be empathetic, familiar with the project and return calls quickly with the information needed. Keep a record of who called and the plan of action. Make sure to follow up! Be Open to Accommodation Offering free car washes, pool cleaning or window cleaning to residents might seem extravagant. However, compared to the total project budget, these small gestures are a small Nurturing relationships with the community during construction will minimize complaints and may even prevent lawsuits, which have the potential to cause schedule delays and cost overruns. The following tips are designed to help smooth the way for construction projects in populated areas: Plan Ahead The time to plan for community relations is before construction begins. Look at the entire work schedule and anticipate potential community impacts, such as traffic detouring, road closures, impacts to bus routes, school crossings, emergency vehicles, dust, bright lights at night and noise. If these impacts cannot be avoided, give the community plenty of notice so they can better prepare for a temporary change in routine. The owner and construction management team should also use this time to build a relationship with the contractors through pre-construction meetings, partnering sessions, Nationwide Construction Site Monitoring Dallas Austin 866-701-2020 May/June 11 Professional Practice Corner Down in the Trenches: A Case Study San Diego County Water Authority, Emergency Storage Project – Olivenhain Dam The bottom line goal of any construction relations effort is to prevent community issues from impacting the project schedule and cost. Usually construction relations is not simply a task order given to a contractor. Good community outreach during construction of a project requires the experience of a skilled communications professional, someone with empathy, good written and verbal skills, patience and common sense. Followthrough, attention to detail and the ability to “wear many hats” are important ingredients of a successful outreach effort. When the San Diego County Water Authority set out to build San Diego’s first new dam in 50 years, the project team knew good relationships with the local community were critical. The small, rural community of Olivenhain in north San Diego had concerns about noise, dust, lights, traffic, fire hazards and security. A 24-hour, seven day a week construction schedule lasted 12 months. Blasting and more than 70 trucks a day traveling on a narrow, winding road to access the site further concerned local residents. With Katz & Associates, the Authority executed an effective community outreach program. The team informed stakeholders and concerned residents regarding the construction of the Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir and related pipeline projects so they understood the schedule, impacts and major milestones. Through regular community briefings they established strong two-way communication between the Water Authority and key stakeholders, providing detailed, timely information to residents regarding construction impacts and status, and encouraging community feedback and inquiries about the project. The project received positive community and media support, and construction was completed on time and under budget. price to pay for a smooth construction process. Be creative and put yourself in the shoes of local residents. Going to make a lot of noise into the evening? Offer gift certificates to the local movie theater so residents can take a break. Or, buy white noise machines and air filters for nearby houses. These thoughtful acts will more than pay for themselves in the end. Explain the Project Too often, this important step is skipped when communicating about a construction project. Tell the public what the project is, why it is important and how it will benefit the public. Let residents know when the project has advanced to a new stage of construction and what type of impacts they should expect. This will minimize inquiries and complaints. Determine the best way to get these messages to the affected communities, such as e-mail, direct mail, signage, door hangers, telephone calls, open house meetings or a combination of these approaches, but remember to let them know in advance, during and even after the project is completed. Saying “thank you” to those that have been inconvenienced can go a long way. Get the Community Involved When community members have a say in project decisions, they are more likely to support the project. Seek feedback from the community before the construction begins, during construction and soon after construction has been completed. Project opponents have been known to become project supporters as a result of their participation in outreach efforts. Even vocal opponents near the construction area may end up praising the project team for its efforts to communicate openly and work with the community to minimize impacts. Taking a community into consideration from start to finish will help to establish trust and maintain positive perceptions of the owner, construction management team, contractor and the project. The result will be a project completed on time and within budget and the project team can feel proud of its accomplishments. Jessica Berlin is a senior account executive at Katz & Associates, a public affairs and community relations firm. She can be reached at jberlin@katzandassociates.com. We welcome submissions for the Professional Practice Corner. Please send your ideas to John McKeon at jmckeon@cmaanet.org. Community concerns during the construction of the Olivenhain Dam, San Diego’s first new dam in 50 years, included noise, dust, lights, traffic and security. 12 CMAdvisor Leadership: Guiding Organizations to Success Larry J. Smith, P.E, CCM, Director CMAA Owners’ Committee, Northern California Chapter We have a great opportunity for our members to cultivate personal leadership qualities and serve the needs of our profession for years ahead by becoming involved with CMAA as a leader or as an active member. You’ll have a chance to meet new colleagues and to continue your education without attending a formal classroom or hearing another lecture. You will develop professionally with hands on experience in a volunteer organization. Imagine a dream position of unlimited upward mobility, flexible work hours, travel and networking opportunities. “Help make our community, and our world, a better place” by getting involved. For many of us the question of “how to land this dream position” is a very perplexing issue. We encourage each member to review two features of our Web site: The Calendar of Events and the Officers pages. Each feature helps answer the question of who to contact for more information and when to plan to attend any event. No previous experience is required and there are no special skills or experience required. CMAA leaders and members understand that not everyone wants to get involved in an officer or leadership position. We do want to better understand your needs and we would like to hear to what extent you want to participate or what you hope to gain from your membership. We encourage you to get involved on committees, help plan meetings, events or conferences, write technical articles for your local post or the CM Advisor. Our profession faces new challenges with deteriorating infrastructure, natural and manmade disasters. New faces in engineering are recognized and needed. We are ready to mentor and give way to new leaders that will shape our tomorrow and lead the next generation of construction managers. May/June 13 Professional Development CMIT Program Helps Professionals Earn the CCM Unimpressed with short-term classes or certificate programs that claimed to produce “construction managers,” Aimee Hazuda wanted a program that stood apart from the others and actually reinforced the skills and standards of practice of the CM profession. When she learned that the Construction Manager Certificate Institute’s Certified Construction Manager was accredited by ANSI, she made it her top priority to gain her certification as a CCM®. Still, she couldn’t quite meet all the experience criteria for the CCM. Hazuda found the next best thing: The Construction Manager in Training (CMIT) program, offered by the Construction Management Association of America. Since its launch in December, the CMIT program has attracted more than 70 candidates. CMIT aims to introduce and reinforce the basic principles of construction management to entry level or new employees. It also helps professionals craft career goals that lead them in the right direction towards earning their CCM. To apply for the CMIT program, a candidate must meet education and work experience requirements. Once accepted, a CMIT candidate must take an online Foundation course that covers the basic concepts of CM work. To date, seven candidates including Hazuda have passed the Foundation course becoming the first class of CMITs. For Hazuda, managing member and president of Touchstone Construction Services, LLC, she sees the CMIT program as a fast track in obtaining her CCM certification. “I’m really looking forward to working with a CMAA mentor to develop a work plan to fill the gaps in my CM experience so that I can meet the qualifications for my CCM,” she said. 14 CMAdvisor Fellow members of the first CMIT class agree that this program will help to fulfill the requirements for CCM. “I haven’t had the opportunity yet in my career to do any CM work in predesign or design and this was making it difficult for me to meet all the CCM requirements,” said Chris Okerstrom of PinnacleOne. “When I learned of the new CMIT program, it was a great way for me to obtain some designation of professionalism in my chosen field.” CMIT aims to introduce and reinforce the basic principles of construction management to entry level or new employees. Taking note of the trend in RFP’s requiring certification, John Squillace, senior project manager at Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc., decided to become a CMIT. The designation, he said, will show employers that he is working towards becoming a CCM and will ultimately make him more marketable to owners looking for CM services. The mentorship of a CCM is also a strong advantage of the program. Aaron J. Sweeney, PMP, WSI project lead at CH2MHILL, plans to take the CCM exam eventually, but first wants to focus on a few areas where he thinks he could improve. “What better way to prepare for the CCM exam than to be assigned a mentor that has gone through the process already to advise you and help prepare you?” he said. Each CMIT and mentor can review the candidate’s performance on the Foundation course. This assessment, provided by CMAA, breaks down the test by subject area so that candidates can identify weaker areas. “We ask all the CMIT’s to consider an individual from within their own organization as their mentor,” said George Gehringer, vice president, Professional Development at CMAA. “It’s very important for each CMIT candidate to pick their own mentor. The protégé needs to be able to trust and respect their mentor.” Larry Smith, PE, CCM, FASCE of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is a volunteer CMAA mentor. He said it is rewarding to help someone understand the duty and responsibility of the profession. “This process begins by listening to and developing the protégé’s career goals,” he said. “Once goals are set you show individuals the path for their new career. A mentor shows their excitement and encouragement of the protégé’s progress through continuing education and appropriate work experiences.” As candidates work with their mentors, they can also show the industry they are serious about the CM profession. “I’m changing career fields and industries, and see the CMIT as an opportunity to show that I am committed to the profession,” said Stuart Johnson, a graduate student at New York University majoring in Construction Management. “Having a professional certification will show co-workers, subcontractors, clients and other parties that I am professionally competent and know what is expected of me professionally.” For more information about CMIT including details on becoming a mentor, please visit http://cmaanet. org/cmit.php. Legal Corner The ADR Provisions in the New AIA A201 and the New ConsensusDOCS 200 Brian G. Lustbader, Esq. Mazur Carp & Rubin, P.C., New York, NY The prior installment of this article provided an overview of the new AIA A201-2007 form, focusing on several of the new requirements that that form imposes on the GC/CM. This installment analyzes possible problems resulting from the AIA’s addition of a new concept to the dispute resolution process – the “Independent Decision Maker” – and then compares the provisions of the new A201 with those contained in the ConsensusDOCS 200 form, a new competitor to the A201 form. Possible Problems with the A201’s “Independent Decision Maker” In adding an “Independent Decision Maker” (IDM) to the ADR process, the AIA appears to be responding to criticism that having the architect as the decision maker in the first instance tended to favor the Owner, its client. In addition, the IDM concept appears to be part of an overall trend in the new AIA form documents generally to shield the architect from liability. In the prior A201-1997, the architect was in essence the IDM. In the new A201-2007, the parties must choose an IDM at the time of executing their agreement, although they may choose the architect for that role. Assuming the parties select someone else, the questions that will arise from that selection are many (and none is addressed in the form): To whom does the IDM report – the owner or the CM/GC? Who pays for the IDM’s services? Is the IDM required to interpret the drawings? Is the IDM qualified to do so, and doesn’t that impinge on the architect’s administration of the contract? What immunity will the IDM have from suit? What insurance will the IDM carry, if any insurance can be obtained? Though by no means exhaustive, the extensiveness of these questions, and the fundamental nature of the issues raised, shows that one should not blindly sign any agreement that incorporates the A201 by reference. The parties and their counsel would be well advised to revise the new A201 form before executing any agreement utilizing it. The ConsensusDOCS 200 The ConsensusDOCS form documents were produced by a collaboration of nineteen construction association groups, including owners, contractors, subcontractors, and others. (The acronym “DOCS” stands for Designers, Owners, Contractors and Subcontractors, although I am not aware of any association of designers or architects that has participated in this collaboration.) ConsensusDOCS 200 is their analog to the AIA A201. ConsensusDOCS 200’s ADR Provisions The ConsensusDOCS 200 approach to dispute resolution differs considerably from that of the AIA A201 in that it provides for a more collaborative process, in three distinct stages. Preliminarily, the ConsensusDOCS 200 requires that during any dispute situation, the Contractor continue working and the Owner continue payments. The first stage of actual dispute resolution is direct discussions – first at the field level, but if that does not succeed within five days, at the senior executive level. If those discussions fail, the next stage is either “mitigation” or “mediation,” depending on the choice agreed upon at the time of executing the agreement. If no choice is made, the default is mediation. The “mitigation” process set forth in ConsensusDOCS 200 requires designation of an independent Neutral or Dispute Review Board (“DRB”), selected and paid for by the parties equally. That DRB is to hear the dispute and render non-binding findings within five days of hearing. The ConsensusDOCS 200 does not address whether or not the DRB’s findings are to be kept confidential, so the parties must address that issue. In addition, distinct from dispute resolution functions, if the parties so request, the DRB may also visit the project periodically throughout the course of the project. Such a function would only make sense on relatively large projects, but would certainly facilitate dispute resolution, likely even preventing disputes from occurring, another indicator that the ConsensusDOCS 200 seeks to have the parties act collaboratively. Mediation, the default procedure for the second ADR stage, is designated to be performed by the American Arbitration Association, unless the parties choose otherwise. In order to prevent undue delay, there are specific deadlines about completing the mediation – within 45 days of the issue having been raised. The third stage, if neither mediation nor mitigation has succeeded, is binding litigation or arbitration, depending on the parties’ choice at the time of executing the contract (although not specified in the ConsensusDOCS 200, the default would be litigation, because parties may not arbitrate without a written agreement to do so). Additional provisions worth noting: (1) joinder of all necessary parties is required, and (2) the “non-prevailing party” must pay the costs of the adjudication, as determined by the adjudicator. With regard to the latter, the term “costs” is not defined, so whether or not it includes legal fees, and the amount, should be determined by the adjudicator. As noted, the ConsensusDOCS 200 form appears to foster a more collaborative relationship between owner and GC/CM than does the new AIA A201, although both forms will require a fair amount of modification by counsel, so be sure to contact your attorney. This article is a continuation of an article that Mr. Lustbader prepared for the March/April 2008 CM Advisor. The author can be reached at blustbader@mcrlawfirm.com. May/June 15 Member News MBP Selected as CM for Richmond Public Schools Parsons Named CM For Titanium Sponge Facility New Wilson Bridge Named Top 2008 Project by ASCE Richmond Public Schools has recently awarded a Construction Management contract to McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc. (MBP). Parsons has been selected by RTI International Metals, Inc., as CM for a premium-grade titanium sponge facility to be built in Hamilton, Mississippi. The selection expands Parsons’ role on the $300 million project, which will begin operations in 2010. Parsons previously provided engineering, design and procurement services. The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge serving the Washington, DC area as its Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award winner for 2008. MBP will assist with executing their Capital Improvement Plan and special projects in the Department of Plant Services for approximately 63 K-12 school buildings. MBP has also been awarded a contract with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical College of Virginia to provide facility and ADA assessment services for seven buildings on the VCU campus throughout 2008. “Our selection as construction manager builds on Parsons’ successful project history with RTI,” said Michael Walsh, Parsons Group President. “We are pleased to expand our involvement in the development of this strategic facility for RTI.” Stantec Appoints Art Hadnett as California Transportation Practice Leader USACE and PBS&J Team to Expand National Levee Database Program Art Hadnett has joined Stantec as a senior principal and transportation practice leader for California. Hadnett will be responsible for transportation development and strategic growth in California. In addition to his statewide role as practice leader, Hadnett also will serve as practice leader for Stantec’s Ontario, California office. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop a national levee inventory and a program to locate and document the status of levees under federal jurisdiction. The levee inventory program— part of the National Levee Safety Program—is ongoing and PBS&J’s role has now expanded considerably. Hadnett joins Stantec from Carter & Burgess, where he was vice president and unit manager for the Los Angeles Transportation Programs Division. He has played a key role in managing multi-million dollar projects for clients such as the Orange County Transportation Authority, the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority. This experience includes roadway infrastructure design, bus transit systems, light rail transit and people mover systems. 16 CMAdvisor PBS&J has worked closely over the past year with five USACE Districts to collect and manage levee data. These districts include: Louisville, Ky; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento, Calif.; Little Rock, Ark.; and St. Louis. The recent contract expands PBS&J’s role to three more districts: Baltimore, Los Angeles and Rock Island, Ill. The National Levee Database program is a comprehensive digital inventory that will ultimately include location data for all 14,000 miles of levees within the USACE program. The database will retain—and facilitate easy access to—critical information about individual levees, bolstering efforts to ensure levee safety while assisting other agencies that conduct activities related to floodplain management. “Using a variety of innovative techniques, the joint project of the states of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia replaces an inadequate, aging 47-year-old span, helping to relieve a major bottleneck for commuters on the busy Capital Beltway, Interstate 495,” ASCE said. The award recognized the project’s “significant contributions to the civil engineering profession, singling out for particular praise the project’s innovative and extensive environmental program and its keen sensitivity to travelers and local communities. The project was selected from a group of 26 outstanding projects from around the world. The OCEA winner was announced at the Society’s premiere black-tie event, the OPAL Awards Gala, held April 30 in Arlington, Va. CMAA named the James T. (Jim) Ruddell, PE, of Parsons Brinckerhoff Construction Services its 2006 Person of the Year for his leadership of this 11-year, $2.4 billion project. Jacobs Signs Seven Year, $75 Million Contract Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and its joint venture partner, LiRo Engineers, Inc., will provide consultant construction management services for the East Side Access project in New York City for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction Company. Officials estimate the value of the seven-year contract at $75 million. The project calls for laying 50,000 new feet of track and boring nearly seven miles of railroad tunnels, building a new terminal under Grand Central Terminal and constructing a new commuter station in the Sunnyside Yard in Queens. Faithful+Gould Announces New Regional Vice President Faithful+Gould promoted Tom Jaske to regional vice president of Northeast operations. This area includes New York, Boston, Princeton and Puerto Rico. Jaske has more than 30 years of construction and facilities experiences. He’s been with Faithful+Gould since 2002. In addition to his new duties, Jaske will continue to serve as project executive on various projects, including the World Trade Center Memorial and World Trade Center Performing Arts Center. He also serves as the U.S. liaison for all global financial services clients. KWAME Selected as CM at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville Kwame will act as Construction Manager for upcoming capital projects at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. Acting as an advisor to the university, KWAME will review various project’s program, design, and construction phases for issues such as cost, schedule, constructability, and quality control. Other projects include renovation and new construction. Kwame will also serve as Construction Manager for 1st Financial Federal Credit Union. The $8 Million, 23,000-square-foot facility is the Credit Union’s Headquarters located in Wentzville, Missouri. MOCA Systems Awarded Fort Belvoir Community Hospital MOCA Systems will provide project control oversight for the design and construction of a $650 million hospital. The indefinite delivery contract from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk division is for the 1.2 million square foot Community Hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va. The hospital will treat wounded soldiers and their families and is scheduled for completion by late 2010. The project is being constructed through an Integrated/Design/Bid/Build (IDBB) procurement. The innovative IDBB process uses a construction contractor to increase constructability, provide cost and schedule impacts of design decisions and help improve design coordination. MOCA Systems is providing cost control, schedule assessments, and earned value management oversight support throughout the design and construction phases. Heery International to Provide CM Services to City of West Hollywood Heery International will perform Project Management and Pre-Construction Management Services for the City of West Hollywood by guiding the city in the management of the 25th Anniversary Capital Improvement Projects. This includes design, cost reviews, coordination and execution of building services. The projects are in preparation to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of West Hollywood’s “cityhood.” The celebration will take place in 2009. The capital improvement project will develop premier pubic facilities, parks and open space. Sweet-Abshire Promoted at GSA Ann Marie Sweet-Abshire has been named director of the Project Delivery Program and Resources Division in the Office of the Chief Architect and Construction Program, Public Buildings Service, GSA. Hill International to Manage Expansion of Northern Quest Resort and Casino Hill International will provide program and construction management services for Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority for the $180 million initial phase of the ongoing expansion of the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane, Washington. The two-year contract has a value of $1 to $2 million for Hill. The initial phase of the expansion project includes a multi-story parking garage, a 50,000-square-foot expansion to the existing casino and a 10-story hotel tower which will provide up to 300 new guest rooms. It’s expected to be completed by the end of 2009. “This is a flagship project for the region,” said William Grubich, vice president in charge of Hill’s Spokane office. “We are proud to be participating in such an important endeavor for both the Kalispel Tribe and the Inland Northwest overall.” She began working for GSA in 1991 after extensive experience in the A/E industry. In 1996, she was part of the team that brought the Ronald Reagan Building/ Trade Center to completion. Beginning in 2000, Ann Marie moved back to Property Development as the Project Manager for both Design and Construction of The Modernization of the Department of the Interior Main Building. She is a registered Architect with the State of Virginia, as well as a CCM. Want to share your firm’s or organization’s news with other CMAA members? Send your member news and updates to Maggie Beckwith, communications associate, at mbeckwith@cmaanet.org. Please make your submission no longer than 200 words. May/June 17 Chapter News California Senator Drops CM Bill Southern California Chapter California State Senator Robert Margett has advised CMAA’s regional chapters in the state that he will no longer pursue enactment of Senate Bill 355, which would have required anyone providing Construction Management services to hold a contractor’s license. The Chapter hosted its annual Owner’s Night January 31 at the Grand Conference Center in Long Beach. Held every year, this event allows owners to exhibit information about upcoming projects in a less formal atmosphere. Nearly 500 people attended the 2008 event and more than 15 owners were present including Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, Caltrans, Metrolink and more. An aide to the senator reported that Margett had concluded his concerns were adequately addressed by existing provisions of the government code. In addition, he said, the California State Licensing Board “believes they have the authority to tackle the issue administratively.” CMAA had mobilized extensive chapter resources in expressing opposition to the bill and communicating with the senator about the true nature of professional CM. “The senator certainly noted the active and engaged membership of CMAA that expressed its concerns about the legislation and its impact to the industry,” said Joseph Seibold of PinnacleOne, government affairs chair for the Southern California chapter. “This issue is a wakeup call for all chapters and CM practitioners to realize that mistaken perceptions and understandings can trigger proposed legislation which will adversely affect the industry.” Mani Subramanian of Vanir Construction Management, president of the Northern California chapter, said, “The way the membership responded was a key contributing factor for our success. It also bodes well for establishing proper credentials for the practice of construction management in the future.” San Diego Chapter On March 19th, the Chapter participated in the 5th Annual Construction Expo held at Qualcomm Stadium. This yearly event is organized by Mike Caples, executive director of Building Careers in Construction. Sponsors of the event include local contractors, labor union representatives, construction equipment suppliers and distributors and a number of San Diego agency representatives. This yearly event attracts hundreds of attendees seeking employment, construction equipment, information about standards and new technology in the construction industry. The San Diego Chapter is pleased to participate in this event each year and looks forward to supporting Construction Expo in the future. San Diego Chapter President Joseph Smith, CCM of PBS&J and CCM Chairperson Mike Wallace of San Diego County Water Authority staffed the CMAA booth at Con-Expo 2008 in San Diego, CA. The annual Awards Banquet was held on April 2 at the Marriott at LAX. This year, CMAA Southern California gave out nearly $40,000 in scholarships to 16 winners from Cal State Long Beach, USC, Cal State Northridge as well as Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo. Attended by nearly 700 members and guests, the Chapter also honored a number of owners and recognized specific projects that were completed during 2007. The special guest for the evening was Randall Iwasaki, deputy director of Caltrans, filling in for Will Kempton, the director. Thanks to the generosity of its chapter members, more than $40,000 was raised in scholarship funds for next year. Northern California Chapter The elegant City Club of San Francisco was the setting for the 2008 gala CMAA Northern California Scholarship and Awards Dinner on April 17th. Preceded by a cocktail reception and silent auction to benefit the Scholarship Foundation, awards were presented as attendees enjoyed a sumptuous meal overlooking a sun-drenched San Francisco skyline. The Project of the Year Awards went to: • Building Under 20M – URS Corporation: City of Folsom Public Library Georgia Murray Building • Building Over 20M – Vanir/Cornerstone: Alameda County Juvenile Justice Facility • Infrastructure Under 20M – TRC: City of Sacramento Tower Bridge Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements • Honorable Mention Building Under 20M – Harris & Associates: City of Tracy Grand Theatre Center for the Arts • Honorable Mention Infrastructure Under 20M – Caltrop Corporation:SR175 Hopland Roundabout From the five universities offering construction management instruction in northern California, Scholarship Director Perry Petersen, of Petersen Construction Services, was thrilled to announce a record 32 applications were received for the $10,000 in Northern California scholarships offered this Continued on page 20 18 CMAdvisor President’s Report Building the Best Partnerships Bruce D’Agostino, CAE CMAA has recently published Chuck Thomsen’s new book on Program Management. One detail about this book might easily be taken for granted, yet tells an important story about how CMAA is working to move the profession forward. Along with CMAA’s logo, the spine of the book bears the logo of the American Institute of Architects, and AIA has contributed a prefatory statement recognizing the value of Chuck’s contribution as a means of stimulating new thinking on a vital topic. We believe that enlisting AIA in the publication and marketing of this book will yield major benefits. What’s most striking to me, though, is that we were able to negotiate this agreement very quickly, through a short series of e-mails. The main reasons for this speed and ease of execution were Chuck’s stature in both the CMAA and AIA communities and the fact that we all knew and trusted each other. Last fall, we heard Stephen Covey talk about the “speed of trust” – and here is an example. A big part of our work at CMAA consists of identifying and pursuing opportunities to collaborate with other industry organizations. This effort has only recently produced additional tangible benefits for CMAA. We’ve reached an agreement with the Project Management Institute to provide “cross posting” of job vacancies and resumes between PMI’s job board and our Career Headquarters. This means CMAA members with positions to fill will have access to thousands more candidates, and job-seekers will be able to put their qualifications before the eyes of thousands more prospective employers. The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and the Women’s Transportation Seminar have joined in supporting our upcoming Transportation Infrastructure Summit in Los Angeles, as has the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). The SAME relationship, in fact, is one of our strongest and a major achievement of the past year. Members of the each organization can obtain preferential pricing on conference registration and other products from the other group, and we join in promoting each other’s activities. The linkage between CMAA chapters and their nearby SAME posts continues to grow. As CM Advisor went to press, CMAA was finalizing an agreement with the esteemed Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in the U.K., which we believe will help us build unprecedented access to international markets. We are currently working to expand our relationship with the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, largely with an eye to collaborating on career promotion and educational initiatives for young people. In our advocacy role, we make extensive use of coalitions to multiply our impact on Congress and in other arenas. The Water Infrastructure Network, Americans for Transportation Mobility, and the recently created Building America’s Infrastructure coalition are prime examples. A big part of our work at CMAA consists of identifying and pursuing opportunities to collaborate with other industry organizations. The key to collaboration, though, is that it must benefit all participants. CMAA tries to apply this critical yardstick to the opportunities that come our way. A prime example is the much publicized “ConsensusDOCS” effort. We declined to join in this effort, after much consideration. We have created an Agency CM contract document that defines what CM is and how it should be applied to all delivery systems. Our CM-At Risk document describes our philosophy of using this delivery system. This is carefully developed language that bears on the content of our profession; we felt it was clearly our prerogative to create these definitions, and we were not willing to jeopardize this language for the sake of a “consensus.” We were hardly alone in this feeling. AIA (whose model contract documents have been widely embraced for many years) and DBIA both joined CMAA in opting out of this process. These exceptions are rare, however. In general, we find there is almost always a common interest we can find with another industry organization, a basis for collaboration today with the potential for growth tomorrow. Alliances can be particularly helpful on the international front, where a big part of the challenge is simply understanding other markets and identifying their most important leaders. May/June 19 Professional Development Calendar Standards of Practice Course June 11 – 13 New Orleans, Louisiana Transportation Summit July 20 – 21 Gateway Sheraton Hotel Los Angeles, California CCM Examination August 16 Given at secure testing facilities nationwide. National Conference & Trade Show October 12 – 14 Hyatt Regency Embarcadero San Francisco, California Continued from page 18 year! All five winners, accompanied by their professors, attended the Awards Dinner, where each was awarded a $2,000 scholarship. The recipients were: • Jody Bussey, California State University Sacramento • Franklin Lee, Stanford University • Brian Oosterman, Stanford University • Kawai Sham, University of Califormia, Berkeley • Jennifer Tobias, Stanford University South Central Texas Chapter The Chapter hosted the San Antonio Metropolitan Area Owners’ Forum in April at the San Antonio Convention Center. This unique forum provided a comprehensive view of design and construction programs for participating owners of the San Antonio metropolitan area for the years 2008 through 2012. The event started with a networking opportunity for attendees and an opportunity to visit owner-hosted tables to learn about each owner’s design and construction program. The keynote speaker, Kevin Bernier, president of MOCA Systems, Inc. provided the first “big picture view” of San Antonio’s design and construction industry with a focus on the near future. Programs for 12 San Antonio owners were identified and analyzed to give attendees recommendations for manpower recruiting and budget planning as well as timing associated with project solicitations. Construction Management Association of America 7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 800 McLean, Virginia 22102-3303 USA