MSPE’s Winter Meeting was held Friday and Saturday, January 18 and 19, 2013 at the society’s Educational Foundation Building in Jefferson City.  On Friday, the Executive Committee members met with the staff to assess MSPE committee reports on membership, government relations, Fall PDH Days and the 2013 Annual Convention, examine an audit report for fiscal year 2011-2012 along with financial statements through December 31, 2012, and review the Board of Director agenda action items for both the society and the Educational Foundation.

At Saturday’s Board of Directors meeting considerable time was devoted to address President David Howe’s mission to “Focus on Relevance.”  Seven teams of state directors and society leaders were charged with reviewing membership growth and value potential for MSPE’s chapters plus current activities and programs to ensure relevance. During the Winter Meeting each team provided a verbal report presenting recommendations, solutions and possible short and long-term actions. Highlighting the Board’s under the Educational Foundation was a report assessing the condition of the building that outlined an estimated $100,000 for maintenance needs over the next 10 years and introduction of new business for the directors to encourage their chapters to find new and exciting funding opportunities for engineering education programs.

MSPE RECOGNIZES NEWLY LICENSED ENGINEERS IN PE CEREMONY

Twice a year, the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers hosts a license certificate presentation event for newly licensed professional engineers (P.E.'s) at Missouri's state capitol rotunda in Jefferson City. The event provides a unique opportunity for MSPE to recognize the newly licensed P.E.'s and applaud their achievement in passing all the hurdles to licensure - education, experience, and examination.  Invitations are sent to all engineers that have passed the professional practice exam to attend and bring their families and parents to help honor this benchmark in their career. 

Our most recent PE Ceremony was held on Friday, April 5, 2013, with 14 newly licensed professional engineers and their families attending. Words of wisdom were delivered to the new PE's by Dr. Paul Munger, P.E., Former Chairman, Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects. Three MSPE members received their license at the ceremony, Joshua Crews, P.E. from the St. Louis Chapter, Todd Kempker, P.E. from the Jeff City Chapter and Eric Strack, P.E. from the Western Chapter.

Volunteer from the Central Chapter, Andy Bonderer, P.E. and Jefferson City Chapter, Timothy Leaf, P.E. supported Marla Day, MSPE Director of Membership, in making the event a lasting impression the new PE's will remember their entire career.   MSPE also extends its appreciation to Judy Kempker, Executive Director of the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Landscape Architects, for the board's support before and during the ceremony. 

MSPE Executive Committee members President, David Howe, P.E., President-Elect Neil Brady, P.E., Vice President Gary Strack, P.E., Past President, Britt Smith, P.E., Director Joe Marsh, P.E. and Director Liz Duvall, P.E. supported the event with their attendance and personally invited the new PE's to join MSPE's efforts to protect and defend the licensure law during a reception after the event.