History of the AUSTIN CHAPTER
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS INSTITUTE
1959-1970
Austin's first inquiry to the Construction Specifications Institute came in the form of a letter dated August
9, 1959, from Grover C. Williams to Henry T.J. Martin of Dallas. Martin was Chief of Specifications for
George L. Dahl, Architects, and an Institute Director of CSI. Martin instructed George F. Lamb, Executive
Secretary of CSI, to send literature and membership applications for the purpose of initiating a new chapter. A minimum of ten active (professional) members was required to establish a chapter. Williams was informed in December of 1959 that a prominent Austin building contractor, John F. Broad, was also actively seeking CSI presence in Austin, and the two combined their efforts to schedule an organizational meeting in February 1960.
The organizational meeting was held at the Villa Capri on February 24, 1960, and was attended by seventy-five prospective members. Henry Martin and Terrell Harper from Dallas and Walter Kaye from
Houston attended the meeting and assisted in the formation of the chapter. Charles Granger, selected as the temporary Chairman, subsequently was elected as the first President of the Austin Chapter. Grover
C. Williams, Vice President and John F. Broad, Secretary-Treasurer also served as officers. Early meeting places of the Chapter were the auditoriums of the American National Bank and the Austin
National Bank. The first year of activity was devoted to organizing, drafting by-laws, and recruiting new members. The Austin Chapter By-Laws were approved by the Institute Board of Directors at their meeting of January 20, 1961.
The charter meeting of the Chapter, held on March 28, 1961, drew a large crowd. Henry Martin represented the Institute President Glen Abplanalp, and presented the charter and gavel. Terrell Harper and Bill Dunne from Dallas with Graham Jackson and Walter Kaye from Houston assisted in the presentation and participated in the program.
Chapter meetings were moved to the Engineers Club in the fall of 1961, and for the first time, dinner became a part of the meeting. Despite occasional meetings at the Forty Acres Club or El Matamoros, the
Engineers Club was the Austin Chapter's home until the club closed in 1964. Meetings were then held at various locations including El Chico Restaurant and the Rathskeller Room at the Municipal Auditorium.
The first Austin Chapter Technical Committee activity was prompted by the introduction of the first edition of the specification format at the Institute's 6th Annual Meeting in New York City. Several committees were formed to study the various divisions and lead discussions of the format at Chapter meetings. The
Austin Chapter prepared a skit on the workings of a Technical Committee in 1963. After several presentations in the Austin area, the Chapter performed at the first Region 9 (South Central) Conference held in Dallas.
The second Region 9 Conference in 1963 was hosted by the Austin Chapter at the Terrace Hotel and
Conference Center. The Chapter planned the program, provided entertainment and produced printed proceedings of the Conference. Later in the year, the Austin Chapter judged 10 sets of specifications for the Institute's 9th Annual Meeting in Dallas.
The Chapter reviewed a considerable number of ''pink sheet" studies and prepared a local document entitled “Specifying Concrete for Small and Uncomplicated Projects”. This document became a standard for a number of City of Austin construction projects. Additionally, the Chapter produced an Institute document on "Concrete Reinforcement". The Chapter also assisted in the formation of chapters in San
Antonio, Waco, and Abilene.
The Austin Chapter newsletter was first introduced in 1964.

The Chapter had begun to attract a number of new, active people by 1966. New members provided strength and leadership which improved specification writing in Austin during the latter half of the
Chapter's first decade.
1971-1976
The first five years of the 1970s saw continued growth of the Chapter. Principal attractions were the number and quality of meeting programs devoted to various aspects of specifications and specification writing.
To make communication between members easier, a formal chapter directory was published to replace the previous membership lists.
Activities in the field of education increased during this time period. The Chapter conducted a seminar on
Construction Liability in March 1976. It was highly successful, attracting 110 participants from throughout the area. Reaching out to the future members of the profession, Chapter members were invited to be guest lecturers in specification classes at the University of Texas, an activity which resulted in the first students joining the Chapter in 1975.
The Chapter Craftsmanship Award was established in 1975. The first recipient was Joe Goss
(nonmember), recognized for his excellent workmanship in the millwork restoration in the Senate
Chambers of the Texas Capitol.
Member Terry Wadsworth was elected Institute Director for the South Central Region at the Region
Conference in Houston in 1976, marking the beginning of his rise to the presidency of the Institute.
1977-1980
The Chapter continued its growth pattern. In 1977, it grew from 62 members to 102, representing the largest percentage of growth for any chapter in the United States. For this achievement, the Chapter was awarded the Institute's "Chapter Cup" at the Institute Convention in Denver.
The Austin Chapter received several other awards from the Region. One was for the outstanding newsletter and another for member Tom Grimm's contribution to a specifications writing course at the
University of Texas.
To stimulate more social interaction among the membership, the Chapter held the First Annual Austin
CSI Invitational Golf Tournament.
Legal work was completed for the incorporation of the Chapter and its establishment as a non-profit educational organization.
In 1978, the Chapter made a noteworthy contribution to the construction industry, with its outstanding
Program, "Recycled Buildings". Originally planned as a seminar, this Program grew to greater proportions because of the wide interest it generated. As a result, the Austin Chapter of AlA and the City of Austin teamed with Austin CSI to jointly sponsor a two-day symposium on the subject in May. This major event was held in Austin's Municipal Auditorium, with more than 400 in attendance each day. The
Chapter and the symposium leaders, Tom Lasseter and Jim Antill, received plaudits from Mayor Carole
McClellan and members of the City Council. Subsequently, Mayor McClellan proclaimed May 19 th as
"AlA and CSI Membership Day in Austin" in honor of the contributions these two organizations had made toward the downtown revitalization effort, as part of the Austin Upturn Program.

Continuing with its education program, the Chapter conducted another very successful seminar in 1979.
This time, the topic was "Insurance for Today's Construction Industry". Approximately 100 persons attended.
To proudly display its colors, the Chapter acquired a green felt banner, showing its affiliation with CSI and the year the Chapter was organized.
Throughout fiscal year 1980, the theme of chapter meeting programs was "Back to Basics". The
Technical Committee successfully completed five Institute technical studies. Emphasis was placed on participation in the Certified Construction Specifier Program fostered by the Institute. Terry Wadsworth and Tom Lasseter became the Chapter's first Certified Construction Specifiers.
The Chapter newsletter, NewsNote , was expanded to eight pages and the format revised to improve its attractiveness.
Terry Wadsworth was recognized for his service to the Institute and became Austin's first Fellow of the
Construction Specifications Institute.
In fiscal year 1980, Rowland Persons became the first industry member elected President of the Austin
Chapter. Under his leadership, the membership grew at a record pace and led the Region in percentage growth for much of the year. Included in the membership were 102 student members, principally from
Tom Grimm's classes at the University of Texas.
The Chapter continued its service to the construction industry by presenting a seminar pertaining to
Division 1 of the CSI
MasterFormat
.
Member Claire Mcintyre became the Chapter's third Certified Construction Specifier, and long-time member Colby Jones was honored for his outstanding contributions as
NewsNote editor.
1981-1986
Hard financial times fell on the Chapter in fiscal year 1982. The disparity between dues income and cost of services to an expanded membership, increased costs of the newsletter, and unexpected losses from the chapter-sponsored golf tournament plagued the Board of Directors throughout most of the year. The situation was gradually overcome with a significant dues increase and several changes in meeting places to reduce meal costs.
A bright spot of the year was a highly successful seminar on the bidding process, which won a Region award for seminar organizer and Chapter President, C. A. Schutze, Jr. Several others also received
Region awards - August Mills (non-member) for craftsmanship, Tom Grimm for education, and Colby
Jones for the Chapter's outstanding newsletter.
Following a survey of the membership regarding meeting expectations, the fiscal year 1983 Board of
Directors, under the guidance of President John McIntyre, instituted a series of programs emphasizing specifications and contractual relations topics. These programs were organized and conducted as panel discussions, a format which proved to be a successful booster for what had been sagging Chapter meeting attendance.
A new Publicity Committee was formed to solicit advertising for the newsletter, a duty that had been previously borne solely by the editor of the newsletter. This reorganization increased the effectiveness of the public relations program.
The usefulness of the Chapter Membership Directory was significantly enhanced with the introduction of a loose-leaf notebook format. Each chapter member was issued a durable notebook which could be used

for many years. Updated loose-leaf directory pages were scheduled to be issued each year for insertion into the notebook.
The energies of fiscal year 1984 year were focused on the planning and staging of the South Central
Region Conference at the Wyndham Hotel in Austin. Chapter President Victor Baez appointed former
President Rowland Persons to lead a group of dedicated subcommittee chairmen who staged this highly successful conference. More than 100 CSI members from across the Region attended. In addition, there were 49 product vendors displaying their products in exhibits.
The success of the conference proved rewarding to the Chapter in two ways. First, its financial success allowed the Chapter to escape the financial hardship that had been burdening it since 1981. It also allowed the repayment of a bank note for funds borrowed to pay for an unexpected increase in Chaptersubsidized dues for student members. The Chapter policy of paying one-half of each student's Institute dues fell into jeopardy with a 250% increase in Institute dues occurring simultaneously with a record number of student members. Consequently, the policy was changed to limit the amount of the subsidy commitment for future years. The second benefit was the restoration of the Chapter's self-confidence.
The membership realized that it could attempt and achieve bigger ambitions than it had dared in the recent past. Included among these was the profitable Product Parade, which had often been suggested, but never undertaken. Other ideas for fund raising projects began to surface, and the Chapter experienced a rebirth of its overall spirit and confidence.
The Chapter also moved into the computer age when a member volunteered the use of a word processor for maintaining membership records and producing correspondence. A record number of Chapter members journeyed to the Institute's Annual Meeting, held in Dallas in June 1984, to witness the installation of Chapter member Terry Wadsworth as Institute President.
Building on the enthusiasm inspired by the success of the Region Conference and the sudden boom in construction in Austin, fiscal year 1985 saw a significant increase in membership and chapter activity under the direction of Chapter President Paul Crews. Due partly to a special membership meeting held at the Zilker Clubhouse, the membership ranks swelled from the usual 121 to 147 - a 21.5% increase. The
Technical Committee, effective for the first time in a number of years, produced a
SpecGuide Document for
Section 07200 - Fireproofing. The Committee also reviewed the new
City of Austin Standard Specifications being developed by city staffer and Austin Chapter Member James Smiley. The Chapter was recognized in an issue of the
CSI News Digest as one of the most technically active chapters in the Region, as measured over the life of the chapter.
Continuing to recognize outstanding examples of quality craftsmanship, the Chapter selected Raul Salais
(non-member) in 1984 for his fine millwork restoration in the State Capitol Building. Mr. Salais was also nominated by the Chapter for the Region Craftsmanship Award, which he also won in 1985.
Austin became one of the sites for the Institute's Certified Construction Specifier examinations. The
Certification Committee, chaired by Charlotte Phillips, acted as proctor for this exam.
Chapter meetings were moved to the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center on the UT campus, where meeting and parking facilities were more attractive to the membership. Catering services available at this facility were found to cost less, allowing a popular reduction in meeting costs.
Benefiting from the strong growth during the previous year, the fiscal year 1986 Board, led by President
Benny Canizaro, embarked on a good start by staging two seminars during the fall and two more in the spring. An added, long-sought achievement was the regular publication of articles submitted to the newsletter by the Technical Committee.
A highlight of the year was the Chapter's celebration of its Silver Anniversary. Meeting at the Austin Club, special recognition was given to those persons instrumental in the founding of the Chapter and to those who contributed throughout its 25-year history.

1987-1989
The Austin Chapter had three successful years during the 1987-1989 period. John Hodnett led the chapter as President in fiscal year 1987 and several significant events occurred. In April, several members worked with the National Association of Women in Construction when NAWIC sponsored a construction course on working drawings, specifications, estimating and bidding. Terry Wadsworth, Paul
Crews, Don Koppy and Alan Rogers conducted classes on several subjects. The Technical Chair was hard at work as Brian Gardiner and his committee wrote a
SpecGuide on flashing and sheet metal.
Another important event in 1987 was the establishment of the Austin Chapter Archives Committee. Chair
Paul Crews started compiling a history and a library of the Austin CSI Chapter. The Chapter continued to be active in Region and Institute activities. Ten members and spouses represented Austin at the Ft.
Worth South Central Region Conference. Five Austin members attended the 31 st CSI Annual Meeting in
Detroit. One of our long time members, Jose Guerra, received a special award in 1987. He was named
"Outstanding Businessman" by the Austin-Travis County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
History occurred in fiscal year 1988 as Charlotte Phillips became the first female president of the Austin
Chapter. Under Charlotte's leadership, the Chapter had a very active year. A joint CSI/AIA meeting was held and was very successful. The chapter newsletter NewsNote was redesigned in January. Margaret
Sanders was editor and enlarged and expanded the size of the Chapter publication. The June
Installation and Awards Banquet featured a presentation from the new high-tech entity in Austin,
Sematech, forecasting what its future would mean to Austin.
Several special events occurred during fiscal year 1989, which was under the leadership of President
Lendall Mains. During the year the downward trend of the Austin construction market dramatically affected the Austin Chapter membership. Membership Chair Terry Wadsworth conducted a year-long membership campaign which enabled the Chapter to end 1989 with an increased membership. The
Liaison Committee held two joint meetings with other Austin construction groups. A joint meeting was held with NAWIC, ABC, and AGC. A second joint meeting was held with the Austin Chapter of AlA. At the
South Central Region Conference in Oklahoma City, the Austin Chapter
NewsNote was honored with a
Region Publications Award. Editor Margaret Sanders continued her outstanding effort as Chapter Editor and the Chapter Logo was redesigned during the year.
The Education Committee was active during this three-year period. Seminars were conducted on Fire resistant Standards (David Schele, Chairman) and AlA Document A201 and Fire Codes (Ed Cervenka,
Chairman). Each year the Austin Chapter sponsored a Construction and Product Show. The 1989 show at the Marriott Hotel, with Brian Gardiner as Chair, was extremely successful, with a large number of attendees and much income earned by the Chapter. Excellent programs, particularly tours, continued to be a strong feature of the Chapter during this period. Memorable tours were the Stripling Blake Lumber
Truss Plant tour, the Elgin Butler Plant tour (conducted by Colby Jones) and the May 1989 tour to view the State of Texas Capitol restoration.
The Chapter Board of Directors continued meeting at the City of Austin Public Works Office at One
Texas Center. Chapter meetings remained at the Joe Thompson Conference Center.
1990-1992
Remarkably, our Chapter was able to stay quite active and accomplish several important goals despite a severe construction industry depression during these three administrations. Several capable leaders stepped-up and helped fill key Board and committee roles. Brian Gardiner, Christine Beall, and Peter
Cornwell served as Chapter Presidents.
We had our most successful Product Parade, thanks to Britt Medford and his hardworking Product
Parade Committee. This committee earned a reputation for early morning meetings, and was dubbed the
"Breakfast Club". This Product Parade produced the most income ever for the Chapter.

The Chapter lost one of its most active supporters and volunteers with the passing of Colby Jones. The
Chapter's scholarship fund was named in his honor.
Several high-quality seminars were presented, thanks to Education Committee chairs Martha West, Val
Fuger, and Christine Beall.
Terry Wadsworth, Christine Beall, and Norman Kenney were very active Technical Committee Chairs.
Their committees helped the Institute with several SpecGuides , and a well-written Monograph on Sealants .
Paul Crews and his hardworking team of educators proved very successful as Certification Committee with the passing of several CCS and CDT candidates.
Lendall Mains, President in 1989, was also awarded a National Award for the Austin Chapter NewsNote .
Programs were informative and interesting, thanks to John Barrett, John Hodnett and Pierre Bulhon.
Programs were a very important part of keeping the Chapter viable.
The Austin Chapter's 30th anniversary was celebrated during the fiscal year 1991 Awards and
Installation Banquet, when 10, 20, and 30 year chevrons and membership pins were given to more than twenty members. Charter member Bob Tieman entertained and educated with a personalized history of the Chapter.
1993-1994
For fiscal year 1993, the Austin Chapter elected its first "re-tread" president, Paul Crews, who had previously served in fiscal year 1985. In an attempt to help pull the Chapter out of the doldrums of the construction industry "big bust" of the late 1980s, Paul set ambitious goals to prepare for a hoped for resurgence of growth. The Chapter started out the year with 67 members, but after a campaign led by
Membership Chair Brian Gardiner, membership began to accelerate. By the end of June 1993, membership had reached 80.
President-Elect David Schele began drafting the Chapter's first "Operating Guide". Former President
John Hodnett founded the Austin Chapter Long-Range Planning Committee, which produced the first outline of a long-range plan for Austin CSI. Former President Christine Beall and Carrie Weikert were chosen to head up the Austin Chapter Host Committee to begin planning the 1994 South Central Region
Conference in Austin.
At the 1993 South Central Region Conference in Dallas, a team from the Austin Chapter won first place in the "Great Oreo Eating and Sculpture Contest" with a cookie sculpture of an automobile, entitled "Oreo
Speedwagon." Chapter meeting programs during the year included "Light Rail for Austin," ''the City of
Austin Green Builder Program," and a tour of the newly-opened Austin Convention Center.
The Chapter sent six members to the June 1993 Institute Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Houston. In response to Institute Director Grant Easterling's encouragement to seek avenues for involving students, the Austin Chapter underwrote the expenses for four college students to attend this national event.
President Val Fuger followed in fiscal year 1994 by laying down four goals: to increase recruitment of and activity by Chapter members; actively market CSI's certification programs; build stronger relationships with others in the construction industry; and host a grand South Central Region Conference.
The 1994 South Central Region Conference was a rousing success, with over 75 registrants, and a program which followed the theme, "Quality - what a Capital Idea!" Brian Gardiner, of Austin CSI, and
Kevin Decker, of Oklahoma City CSI, introduced the South Central Region Electronic Bulletin Board
Service (BBS), a precursor to a movement toward electronic communications at the Institute level.

The Chapter changed the venue for Austin Chapter meetings from the Thompson Conference Center on the University of Texas campus, to the Holiday Inn on Town Lake, site of the Region Conference. By the mid-point of the fiscal year, the Chapter rolls had reached 88 members, well on its way back out of the pit caused by the construction depression of 1988 through 1992.
Programs in fiscal year 1994 ranged from the work of Austin Habitat for Humanity, through University of
Texas contracts, to a status report on Austin's largest ever public works project, the new Austin-
Bergstrom International Airport. President Fuger and President-Elect Schele continued regular meetings with the Commercial Building Industry Council.
Two milestones during the year were the death in February of Austin CSI's first Industry Member Chapter
President, Rowland Persons, and the retirement of longtime member and fiscal year 1978 Chapter
President, Jerry Kelly, as President of Tips Iron and Steel Company.
A highlight of the 1994 Awards and Installation Banquet was the formal presentation of the first H. Colby
Jones Memorial Scholarship, given to George Stromquist, a candidate for a Master of Architecture degree at The University of Texas at Austin.
1995-1997
Austin CSI began its 1995 fiscal year under President David Schele by becoming an official provider of
AlA Continuing Education System programs, with 40 members earning CEU's at the July tour of the
Umlauf Sculpture Garden. The Austin Chapter continued its participation in this Program through fiscal year 1996, under President John Wright, even though AlA began assessing its providers hefty fees to support the Program. In 1997, the Chapter continued to provide educational programs suitable for AlA-
CES credit but asked AlA members to use the self-reporting system to relieve the Chapter of the increasing financial and administrative burden imposed by this Program. The Chapter's monthly meetings, therefore, were especially important during this period, and program chairs Bill Schenck, Alan
Yore, and President Pierre Bulhon produced outstanding meeting programs. Memorable events included the tour of the Barsana Dahm Temple in October 1994; and tour of the Texas Capitol Restoration, led by former member Laurie Limbacher in February 1995. "Keeping the State Capitol Dry", by member Mike
Gibbons in August 1995; and ''New UT Master Plan", by former member John Rishling in February 1996 were highlights of fiscal year 1996. In fiscal year 1997 there were the tour of the new control tower at
Austin Bergstrom International Airport and "Removing Architectural Barriers" by Rick Baudoin.
Educational seminars, including the day-long Commercial Door Hardware seminar by Don Fowler in April
1995 and a BURSI Roofing seminar in May 1995, rounded out the Chapter's educational contributions to the local building industry.
The Austin Chapter CSI followed up on the creation of the Colby Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund by holding a fund raising event, "Lyman Shepard as Frank Lloyd Wright", at the Helm Fine Arts Center in
May 1995. Ably chaired by Past President Val Fuger and co-hosted by AlA Austin, this event attracted over 300 paying guests and raised over $1,500 for the scholarship fund. Members John Wright, Pierre
Bulhon, John Murphy, Paul Crews, Tom Alexander, Martha Clawson, Chet Geist, and Don and Ingrid
Fowler all contributed to making this event an unqualified success. In the following year, a procedure was established for selecting recipients of the scholarship, with the first award going to Christine Alemany, a student in Architectural Engineering at UT Austin.
In fiscal year 1997, President Pierre Bulhon led the Chapter to increase its tradition of community involvement by supporting a number of programs. Members of Austin Chapter CSI critiqued the City of
Austin's proposed commercial sustainable building guidelines, helped write a new building code provision for straw bale housing, and participated in the City of Austin's efforts to bolster the abilities and competitiveness of minority businesses.
Membership at the beginning of fiscal year 1995 stood at 84. By the beginning of fiscal year 1996, the total had risen to 91 and kept rising through fiscal year 1997, as the Chapter's promotion of the Frank

Lloyd Wright extravaganza and support of community projects brought the Chapter to the attention of more people in the construction industry. The Chapter's finances also improved dramatically during this three-year period, rising from $5,600 at the beginning of fiscal year 1995 to over $13,200 at the end of fiscal year 1997.
1998-2001
During the Presidency of Bill Schenck, the fiscal year 1998 Chapter Board planned and held several very successful meetings, seminars and planning sessions. Under Chair Don Fowler, the Chapter Planning
Committee was formed to establish goals for 1998 and following years. This Committee focused on creating a theme from which any outsider could understand the focus of Austin CSI. That focus came to be called the "Education and Communication Forum for the Central Texas Construction Industry."
The Austin CSI and AlA Austin sponsored "Design-Build Symposium" brought over eighty attendees and speakers from all over the United States, culminating in a final session by Chief Charles Boyd from
Oklahoma. Over the course of the year, membership was developed and retained, but not at breakneck speed. Events like the symposium brought the Chapter a little closer together. Meetings were held at
Serranos Mexican Restaurant downtown at a cost of $15.00 per person.
Starting with a special June Awards and Installation Banquet on board the mighty Town Lake paddle wheeler that got stuck in the mud, "what better way of looking at the upcoming year", according to incoming fiscal year 1999 President, Tom Alexander. Things would most likely get better! Resulting from the great success of the Design-Build Symposium, the Chapter was flush with funds and enthusiasm.
To continue this rush of excitement, the CSI Tri-Region Conference was held in August in Las Vegas.
Austin CSl's Don Fowler, as Co-Chair of this multi-region event, handled arrangements for one of the largest undertakings of its kind in CSI history. With over 400 representatives of the South Central,
Southwest, and West Regions of CSI in attendance, the Austin Chapter was well represented by 20 individuals.
The Austin construction industry was doing very well. However, all were cautious of the word "Boom", as following that is traditionally the term "Bust". Trades were swamped, architects were busy on future plans, and contractors were busy looking for personnel. Dell hired as many people as applied for work.
McDonald's was hiring at $8.00/hour plus financial education assistance and the "now hiring" signs appeared in most windows. The Chapter budget remained around the $14,000.00 level. Chapter meetings moved to the Hilton Hotel with a meal cost of $15.00 per person.
In fiscal year 1999, John Murphy became the Chapter's first Landscape Architect to serve as President.
His term focused on membership and growing the Chapter with his theme, "Energize the Chapter". The rolling twelve-month retention rate rose above the 88% level. The attendance weakened at Chapter meetings later in the year, and it became evident that there was a need to reformulate telephone committee to encourage attendance on meeting night.
Meeting topics ranged from a presentation on "Safe Schools" to catching up on the latest developments within the Extra-Net. These topics yielded a consistent meeting participation by members, and more importantly, allowed for extension of invitations to individuals outside the Chapter. Average attendance remained constant with a core group of around 28.
The Austin Chapter sent five representatives to the Institute's Annual Meeting in Atlanta in June of 1999.
Austin CSI offered its services to the Dallas Chapter in terms of assistance for planning the 2001 Annual
Meeting to be held in Dallas. Meeting cost has been maintained at the $15.00 per person level and the meeting venue remains the Hilton Hotel.
Don Fowler became the Austin Chapter's 40th President for fiscal year 2001. Continuing the efforts of
John Murphy, Don kept the theme of "Energizing the Chapter" and started off by issuing a series of

personal invitations to prospective members. Hal Brown was challenged and turned up at several chapter meetings with an average of three guests per meeting. This kind of effort is what grows a chapter.
Striving for more chapter member involvement, Don called upon members to join one of several committees. The Program Committee was the first to meet. Led by President-elect Marcia Roberts, the
Committee produced a series of meeting topics. The Archives Committee, led by Paul Crews, relocated the archives to Don's offices and a clean, dry, insect-free zone in which to review the collected material.
Paul's work as archivist for the Austin Chapter turned up a series of several hundred photos taken through the years. These have been displayed at several Chapter meetings for the members to help identify people and places. The use of the archives has developed into quite a treat for those who have utilized the mass of paper and binders. Records include information from the early 60's through today.
Fiscal year 2001 meeting topics have ranged from "Specifying Renewables" to "Industry Night 2000", the first trade show in many years. PresMess and special featured articles have been added to the Chapter newsletter,
NewsNote
. Distribution has been expanded to over 170 people every month.
On January 15, 2001, the Chapter celebrated its 40 th Anniversary. The celebration was held at the Hilton
Hotel with John Hodnett, Jr. serving as the Master of Ceremonies. Special recognition was given to those who started the Chapter back in 1961, to all former Presidents and officers of the Chapter, and to
Chapter members who have gone on to serve the Institute in a committee or board function.
This history has to include a mention of the date, 9/11/2001, when the United States suffered its worst act of war on its citizens. With the economy already shaken by the dot com bubble, many braced for a sharp downturn that did not happen.
2002-2006
The tech age impacts the Chapter early in 2002 when email starts to be used for meeting reminders instead of the telephone.
Chapter President Marcia Roberts attends the 2002 South Central Region Conference in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth is celebrating their 40 th Anniversary.
In March of 2002, past president Al Eldridge passes away. Al was the Director of the Construction
Management Department for the City of Austin when he retired in 1982 after 36 years of service with the
City. He joined CSI in 1961 and remained a member the rest of his life. Al was the ninth chapter president.
The Chapter provided examination preparation classes for the Construction Documents Technology
(CDT) certification exam with Gary Devin the instructor. There were 15 students in the class.
In the April 2002
NewsNote
, the first notice of the revamped
MasterFormat
was posted. Notice indicated that the Institute was in the process of expanding the format to 43 Divisions.
With a goal to increase the active membership, Hal Brown serves as Chapter President for fiscal year
2003.
Early in FY2003 the Chapter announced that it had its own website.
The Chapter’s CDT examination prep class is taught by Troy Templin and Gary Devin.
After several years of holding the Chapter meeting at the Hilton, the meeting moves to the Red Lion
Hotel for two meetings and then on to the Holiday Inn Town Lake. The March 2003 meeting was the first at the Holiday Inn with the cost at $20.

An evening with Frank Lloyd Wright comes back to Austin in May of 2003. This is a joint event by the
Austin Chapters of AIA, AGC, and CSI with Don Fowler FCSI being the organizer from the Chapter. A crowd of 300 plus attended the event at the Dell Community Center. Event netted the Chapter $1,500 for the scholarship fund.
‘Bid Documents and Bidding Procedures’ is the theme for Chapter President Gary Devin’s term for fiscal year 2004. As the CDT instructor for several years, he sees how a standard of communication between the various players is needed.
In January of 2004 the Chapter meeting moves to Nuevo Leon with cost for the meal remaining $20.
Troy Templin and Gary Devin are the instructors for the CDT exam prep class in 2004.
MasterFormat 2004
is released by the Institute with 50 Divisions as compared to the 16 in
MasterFormat 95
.
The impact on the structural and architectural divisions is minimal; however, the civil, electrical, and mechanical divisions have been impacted greatly. There is now a division for plumbing. Section format has been revised from five numbers to three pairs of numbers. Austin Independent School District is one owner that requires the use of MF2004.
Chapter President Troy Templin’s focus for his term is helping all of the players in the construction industry to make the adjustment to the
MasterFormat
revisions.
CSI University is held in San Antonio, July 8-10, 2004, with Troy Templin and Teal Johnson in attendance. Terry Wadsworth, Don Fowler, and Brian Gardiner attend the conference for the Student
Activities.
August 20-21, 2004, the South Central Region Conference is held in Austin at the Driskill Hotel. The planning committee for this event was led by Jody Boatman. There were 75 attendees to the conference with the Chapter netting a profit of $2,000.
During the Region Conference, Brian Gardiner received the ‘MVP in the South Central Region’ award.
This was in recognition for the successful Student Competition at the July CSI University held in San
Antonio.
In 2005 the CDT exam prep class is taught by Gary Devin.
Don Fowler attends the 2005 South Central Region Conference in Wichita Falls, July 28-31.
November 9, 2005, a meeting of the Central Texas Design and Construction Community, ctdc 2 , is held with the topic of discussion being MasterFormat 2004 . The Norris Conference Center is the location.
Chapter President Steve Swanson was one of the leaders in this effort along with leaders from the AIA and AGC.
The CDT exam prep class for the Spring 2006 exam is taught by Dennis Wilson, Troy Templin, and Gary
Devin.
The Construction Industry Community Central Texas, cic/Central Texas, holds a seminar on Building
Information Modeling (BIM) at the Norris Conference Center on April 25, 2006. This event was a joint effort by the AIA, AGC, and CSI with Val Fuger the leader from the Chapter.
Chapter gives WorkSource a try for a meeting venue at the May 2006 meeting.
At the June 2006 Awards Banquet, Chris Toth (non-member) with CD Lonestar, Inc. receives the
Craftsmanship Award. Robert Deane, owner of Deane Masonry Products, Inc. submitted the Clock
Tower at Cedar Park Town Center for its masonry work. The Awards committee, chaired by Guy Cornett, received and reviewed the submissions.

July 1, 2006, Brian Gardiner becomes the second member to serve as Chapter President for a second time. His first term was FY1990. In his f irst President’s Message he states that the goal for his term will be to grow on our mission statement to be ‘The Education and Communications Forum for the Central
Texas Construction Industry’.
Chapter is represented by Brian Gardiner and Jody Boatman at the 2006 South Central Region
Conference in Dallas. During the conference, the Dallas Chapter celebrated its 50 th Anniversary.
2007-2011
The January 2007 NewsNote includes an item of interest about ‘Green Format’- a standardized format for reporting information about the sustainable attributes of construction products. Sustainability has become a major subject of discussion during the current energy shortage.
Dennis Wilson, the Chair of the Certification committee, is leading the CDT exam prep classes for the
Spring 2007 exam.
March 28, 2007, Val Fuger AIA, CCS, passes away. Val became a member of CSI in 1988 and served as the Chapter President in FY1994. He was an active member of the Chapter at the time of his death, serving as the Chair of the Planning Committee. Val was a founding partner in the architectural firm, LZT
Architects in 1987. He was 72 at his passing.
Brian Gardiner becomes the first to serve back to back terms as Chapter President. With the City of
Austin striving to lead the nation in the fight against global warming, a goal for the Chapter during the
FY2008 term is to seek ways to aid the City in that effort.
A comment in the August 2007
NewsNote
, indicates the Chapter has 84 members.
The CDT exam prep class instructors for the 2008 Spring exam are Dennis Wilson, Troy Templin, and
Jody Boatman.
Green Building is the focus for the Presidency of Jody Boatman during FY2009. She, along with
President-Elect Dennis Wilson, has set a division by division presentation program that will cover the changes that will be seen in products and specifications in the pursuit of building Green.
Jim Gage, Jr., a long time member of CSI passes away on the 31 st of October. Jim served as Chapter
Secretary and Vice President. He always was a participant in the Chapter golf tournament.
Spring 2009 CDT exam prep class instructors are Jody Boatman and Dennis Wilson.
Green continues to be the focus for the Chapter during President Dennis Wilson’s term for FY 2010. As one of the Chapter’s instructors for the CDT classes, Dennis strongly promotes certification.
After several years of meeting at Nuevo Leon, the Chapter meeting moves to Texas Land and Cattle on
South MoPac for the July 2009 meeting. The meeting also goes from an evening event to a lunch time meeting in the hopes of boosting attendance. Cost has been maintained at $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The Board meeting shifts to a lunch time meeting the 2 nd Monday of the month at the
AGC Building on South Lamar.
In August, the Chapter has a group on Linkedin.

The CDT exam study course is being offered by the Chapter to prepare those taking the Fall exam.
Classes are on Saturday at A.D. Willis Co. Viola Hall, Education Committee chair, planned the offering and scheduled instructors.
Chapter planning meeting held on January 23, 2010, at the Holiday Inn Town Lake.
Hull Supply Co. hosts the Spring 2010 CDT exam prep classes. Dennis Wilson, Jody Boatman, and Viola
Hall are the instructors for the Saturday morning classes.
The Chapter’s representative at the April 2010 South Central Region Conference is Guy Cornett,
Chapter VP. Conference is hosted by the Oklahoma City Chapter. At the Conference the OKC Chapter celebrates their 50 th Anniversary.
‘Talk Up CSI’ is the catch phrase for the FY2011 Presidency of Guy Cornett with a focus on the benefits of being a member of CSI and certification.
In conjunction with the Texas Society of Architects convention in San Antonio, the CSI South Central Fall
Leadership Conference was held. Chapter President Guy Cornett attended the Region conference.
The Spring 2011 CDT exam prep classes were a joint effort by the San Antonio and Austin Chapters.
Classes were held on several Saturdays at the New Braunfels Library. Dennis Wilson, Jody Boatman,
Larry Whitlock, and Guy Cornett were instructors, along with Viola Hall, who taught several sessions.
The San Antonio Chapter President also served as an instructor.
Tulsa was the location for the 2011 South Central Region Conference in April. The Tulsa Chapter celebrated its 50 th Anniversary during the conference. Guy Cornett represented the Austin Chapter at the
Region Board meeting. Carl Metzroth was in attendance as a vendor for PPG.
Beginning back in 2007, with the bursting of the housing bubble, the economy in Central Texas has continued to feel the effects. The Public entities in the State have been hit hard by reduced tax revenue with the most visible sign being the impact on education.
The Chapter membership in June 2011 is 72.
June 20, 2011, at the Annual Awards banquet the Chapter celebrated its 50 th Anniversary. The event was held at the County Line on the Hill. Special guests included Robert Olson, CSI Institute Director for the South Central Region; Kathleen Liles, Region President-Elect; and Grover Williams, Chapter founder,
Charter member, and 2 nd Chapter President. Also in attendance were the following additional past
Chapter Presidents: John Hodnett, Paul Crews, Brian Gardiner, Tom Alexander, Troy Templin, Steve
Swanson, Jody Boatman, and Dennis Wilson.
The Chapter held its planning meeting on Saturday, July 9 th at the Carver Branch Library with 10 members in attendance.
In August of 2011, the Chapter presented Bob Tieman with his 50 year membership pin. Bob became a member of CSI in 1960, is a Charter member of the Chapter, and served as the Chapter’s 4 th President.
The presentation was made at the offices of Jose Guerra with Jose, Grover Williams, Paul Crews, and
Guy Cornett in attendance.