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