April 6, 2022, MSPE Members, The MSPE Nominating and Tellers Committee, chaired by Immediate Past President John Riediger, P.E, with Past President Michael Purol, P.E. (Northeast), Past President Ron Black (St. Louis) and Charles Loughman, P.E. (Western), have selected the President-Elect and Vice President nominees that will join the current officers to lead MSPE in 2022-2023. The slate of nominees are: Rachel Goeke, P.E.- President Kelsie Clark, P.E.- President-Elect Anika Careaga, P.E.- Vice President Michael Buechter, P.E., Treasurer (Second year of a two-year term) Mitch Krysa, P.E.- Immediate Past President In accordance with MSPE’s Bylaws, the President-Elect automatically assumes the position of President. MSPE’s current Vice President’s applied to continue as an officer to President-Elect. This the left the Vice President position open for new candidates, for which two members applied.   The election of the Slate of Officers presented by the Nominating and Tellers Committee will take place on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 during MSPE’s Annual Convention in Branson.   In accordance with MSPE’s Bylaws Article VII, Section 4: Election of Officers (B) additional nominations for the respective offices may be made by written petitions containing the signatures of at least thirty (30) members eligible to vote provided that not more than ten of those signing any one nomination petition shall be members of the same local chapter, and provide further that such nominating petition shall reach the Society’s secretary (Executive Director Travis Lowe) not later than 35 days prior to date of the annual election.

Kelsie D. Clark, P.E.  Kelsie holds degrees in Agriculture and Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri. He began his career at Burns & McDonnell in 1986 working as a construction inspector at the reconstruction of the I-35/I-635 interchange in Johnson County, KS while finishing a Civil Engineering degree. After earning the engineering degree, Kelsie remained at Burns & McDonnell until 1998 where he worked as a site design engineer and construction manager on various transportation, power plant and conservation projects. He continued his career at Archer Engineers as a project engineer/project manager for residential, commercial and industrial site development projects and later at TranSystems Corporation as a project engineer/manager for freight rail projects. Kelsie is currently as a Senior Project Manager for Olin Winchester, operators of the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri. In this role he manages capital projects to repair, improve and upgrade the numerous facilities and infrastructure at the plant. Projects at Lake City have included bridge replacements, road repair and replacement, structural upgrades to manufacturing buildings, and water supply systems improvements including new water wells, water tower rehabilitation and new water mains. Kelsie has been a member of MSPE and NSPE since 1998. Kelsie is a member of Western Chapter and is currently serving as 2021-22 Vice President for MSPE. He previously served for two years (2016-17 and 2017-18) on the MSPE Executive Committee as a Board of Directors Representative and completed a two year term (2019-21) as Treasurer for both MSPE and the MSPE Education Foundation. He also served on the Investment Committee of the Education Foundation. As a member of Western Chapter, he has served as a Chapter Director, Secretary, Treasurer, President-Elect, and President. He has served on several MSPE State Convention Planning Committees, Fall PDH Days task force and most recently served as Chair the 2021 Fall PDH Days. He also is a past member of MSPE’s Kimel committee where he helped encourage licensure of engineering professors and teaching faculty at our state’s engineering schools. Kelsie has been actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America for over 50 years. He earned the Eagle Scout rank in 1975. He has served in numerous leadership roles as an adult volunteer including Order of the Arrow Lodge Advisor, Tribe of Mic O Say Tribal Council, District Training Committee Chair, District Camping Committee Chair, and District Commissioner. He is currently serving as Assistant Council Commissioner in the Heart of America Council and as an Order of the Arrow Associate Adviser for Section C5B of the Gateway Region, BSA. Kelsie is a life-long member of the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church where he has served in several leadership roles including member and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Building Committee, Administrative Board member, Finance Committee member, and chair of men’s ministries.

Anika Careaga, P.E., CPESC, CPSWQ Ms. Anika Careaga graduated with honors from the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR, now MO S&T) in 1998 with a B.S. is Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental and has been a registered professional engineer in MO since 2005. She is a registered PE in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. She also attained the status of a Certified Professional of Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and a Certified Professional of Storm Water Quality (CPSWQ) from EnviroCert International, Inc. Ms. Careaga is currently on the MSPE Executive Committee as at At-Large Director and Chair of the MSPE Government Relations Committee. She was previously on the Board of Directors as the State Director for the Jefferson City Chapter. She is also currently a Chapter Director on the Jefferson City Chapter Board of Directors. She was on the planning committee for the 2018 and 2019 Fall PDH Days. Since joining Midwest Environmental Consultants (MEC) in 2002, Ms. Careaga has worked primarily in solid waste and stormwater design. She serves as a senior project manager for MEC providing engineering design services related to landfill design, stormwater management including Low Impact Development (LID), stream bank stabilization, land reclamation and related projects for municipal and private-sector clients. Prior to joining MEC, she worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). While employed at MoDOT, she evaluated erosion control products to create new erosion control specifications that are currently used statewide by MoDOT. Ms. Careaga and her husband Jacob, who is also 1998 UMR graduate, live in Jefferson City, MO. Jacob Careaga is the Chief Engineer for the Missouri Department of Conservation. In addition to their busy careers, Jacob and Anika are raising a large family with very active children and work hard every day to help them appreciate the value of spreadsheets.

WANTED MSPE is Seeking Candidates to Serve on Society Officer Slate Applications Being Accepted for Vice President, President-elect & At-Large Representatives DEADLINE: Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 5 p.m.

Pursuant to MSPE bylaws, the Nominating & Tellers Committee is soliciting interest in offices to serve on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 administrative year. These annual elections include the President-elect, Vice President and two at-large representatives. In July, President-elect Rachel Goeke, P.E. automatically becomes President while Michael Buetcher, P.E. serves the second year of his two year term as Treasurer. Nominees must meet the membership requirements of a licensed three-tier member (NSPE, MSPE and local chapter) and be current in membership dues. Interested applicants should click HERE to apply Members of the Nominating and Tellers Committee will review submitted applications for Vice-President and President-Elect and interview prospects. Any applicant not selected for the official ballot, who wishes to pursue an office, may do so in accordance with MSPE Bylaws, Article VII, Section 4, Paragraph B. Descriptions, requirements, and anticipated expectations for the positions are as follows: At-Large Representatives on Executive Committee and Board of Directors During the June Board of Directors meeting at the MSPE Convention, two members will be elected by the Board of Directors to serve as At-Large Representatives on the 2022-2023 MSPE Board. The two selected representatives shall not be from the same chapter. Duties include: Participate in Executive Committee meetings (meets monthly for an hour via Zoom, with one in person at Ozark Shrimp Feed). Participate in Board of Directors meetings (meets quarterly, some in-person and some via Zoom). Complete any special assignments as designated by the President. Vice President Election to the position of Vice President is a one-year term with the opportunity to ascend to the offices of President-Elect and President in subsequent years. The Vice President is third ranking officer of MSPE. In the absence of the President and President-Elect, the Vice President is next in line to preside at Executive Committee and Board meetings. Primary duties of this position include: Participate in Executive Committee meetings (meets monthly for an hour via Zoom, with one in person at Ozark Shrimp Feed). Participate in Board of Directors meetings (meets quarterly, some in-person and some via Zoom). Serve on the Fall PDH Days Planning Committee, which organizes programing at the Fall PDH Days scheduled in October. Acting as a liaison officer where he/she will verify that committees and chapters under his/her jurisdiction have submitted reports in a timely manner and request any appropriate Board action prior to a Board meeting. Complete any special assignments as designated by the President.   President-Elect Election to the position of President-Elect is a one-year term with automatic ascendancy to the office of President the following year and then Immediate Past President the year after. The President-Elect serves as the second ranking officer and will preside over the Executive Committee and Board of Directors in absence of the President. Primary duties of this position include: Participate in Executive Committee meetings (meets monthly for an hour via Zoom, with one in person at Ozark Shrimp Feed). Participate in Board of Directors meetings (meets quarterly, some in-person and some via Zoom). Acting as a liaison officer where he/she will verify that committees and chapters under his/her jurisdiction have submitted reports in a timely manner and request any appropriate Board action prior to a Board meeting. Complete any special assignments as designated by the President. Strategic planning duties with the Executive Director for the following year. As president, primary duties of this position include: Presiding meetings of the Executive Committee meetings (meets monthly for an hour via Zoom, with one in person at Ozark Shrimp Feed). Presiding meetings of the Board of Directors meetings (meets quarterly, some in-person and some via Zoom). Assist the Executive Director with development of meeting agendas and society priorities. Regular communication with MSPE Executive Director, President-Elect, and Educational Foundation President. Drafting a President’s message for the quarterly MSPE publications. Attend Society state events, including two P.E. Licensure Ceremonies and Capitol Day, all in Jefferson City. Visit each MSPE chapter at a local meeting, as invited, during term as President. Host NSPE President for the Annual Visit to Kansas City. Attend Professional Design Alliance meeting, usually in Jefferson City. Attend civic, educational and professional functions as an MSPE representative, as required throughout the state. Participate as a member of the Convention Planning Committee. Attend the NSPE PE Conference.  MSPE 2022 Nominating & Tellers Committee CHAIR John Riediger, P.E. MEMBERS Ron Black, P.E. Charles Loughman, P.E. Michael Purol, P.E. Apply here

The MSPE Awards Program, administered by the MSPE Awards Committee, collects nominations for the Society’s annual awards programs. Below are the awards available for submission:

Extra Mile Resolution: This special award is presented at the discretion of the MSPE President to an Individual he/she determines to have performed exceptionally during his/her administration.

Hall of Fame: The MSPE Hall of Fame was developed to recognize individual engineers or friends of the profession whose personal accomplishments, awards, and activities exemplify the goals and objectives of MSPE and positively promote the professional engineering community.

PEPP Distinguished Service Award: The MSPE PEPP presents the PEPP Distinguished Service Award to an engineer who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement or recognition of the role of private practice in serving the public interest.

PEPP Professional Development Award: The MSPE Private Practice Professional Development Award is presented to the nominated engineering firm that has made outstanding contributions to the advancement and improvement of the engineering profession through its employment policies and practices. The purpose of the award is to recognize those firms with the best engineering employment practices and to encourage all firms to adopt progressive policies and practices.

PEPP QBS Award: The QBS Award recognize private companies and public-sector entities at the state and local levels that use QBS methods to procure the professional services of consulting engineering firms.

Young Engineer of the Year Award: This award recognizes young members of MSPE who have made outstanding contributions to the society, the engineering profession, and their communities during the early years of their careers.

If you would like to submit a nomination, applications for all awards can be found on the Awards page of the MSPE website. Questions? Contact Matt Bedinghaus, P.E., here.

The MSPE Educational Foundation Board of Directors approved a $15,000.00 budget for this year’s EF Grants Program on June 9, 2021, at the 2021 Annual Meeting recently held at Lake of the Ozarks.  These funds are available to MSPE Chapters and Student Chapters.  The purpose of the grant is to help Chapters develop new programs or enhance existing programs that follow the goals of the MSPE Educational Foundation to promote engineering and engineering licensure.

Grant guidelines and the application form can be found on the MSPE.org website under the Educational Foundation tab.  Applications for funding must be submitted to the Educational Foundation through Blake Murray at info@mspe.org or mailed to the MSPE Educational Foundation, 200 E. McCarty St., Suite 200, Jefferson City, MO, 65101, by July 31, 2021.  Clearly mark the submittals “Grant Application”.

Transportation industry stakeholders across the state are celebrating the House’s passage of SB 262 last night. SB 262 gives new life for state transportation funding as it produces over $800 million annually to address transportation needs across the state. Specifically, the bill proposes a 2.5 cent increase in the motor fuel tax each year though 2025 to a total of 12.5 cents.

Championed by Missourians for Transportation Investment (MFTI), SB 262 has been supported by MSPE and over eighty associations and companies.

SB 262, which already passed the Senate 22-13, was approved by the House 104-52. Because the bill was not amended by the House, it now heads to Governor Parson’s desk.

MSPE wishes to thank the legislators that supported the bill and special thanks to Missourians for Transportation Investment and ACEC Missouri, who spent an enormous amount of time on the effort.

DEADLINE: Friday, March 5, 2021,  at 5 p.m.

 

MSPE is seeking candidates to serve as the Society’s Vice President and Treasurer.

Nominees must meet the membership requirements of a Licensed Member described in the Article 1, Section 2 of the society’s bylaws as “one who holds a valid, current license or certificate of registration as a professional engineer from a state of the United States or from a district, territory or possession of the United States or from a province or territory of Canada; plus be a three-tier (NSPE, MSPE and chapter) member and be current in their membership dues payment.”

Election to the position of Vice President is a one-year term with the option to ascend to the offices of President-Elect and President in subsequent years. The Vice President is an elected officer of MSPE. In the absence of the President and President-Elect, the Vice President is next in line to preside at Executive Committee and Board meetings.

Duties of MSPE’s Vice President

The primary duties of this position are to attend recurring Executive Committee meetings and each Board of Directors meeting where decisions about the future of the Society are made; serve with the rest of the Executive Committee on the Budget Committee which oversees the operating budget and investment strategies of the Society.

Specific duties of the Vice President include:

1. Serve on the PDH Task Force which organizes the programs at the Fall PDH Days scheduled the first week of December.
2. Acting as a liaison officer where he/she will verify that committees and chapters under his/her jurisdiction have submitted reports in a timely manner and request any appropriate Board action prior to a Board meeting.
3. Complete any special assignments as designated by the President.

Election to the position of Treasurer is a two-year term with the option to ascend to the offices of Vice President, PresidentElect and President in subsequent years. The Treasurer is an elected officer of MSPE and the MSPE Educational Foundation. In the absence of the President, President-Elect, Vice-President and Treasurer is next in line to preside at Executive Committee and Board Meetings.

Duties of MSPE’s Treasurer

The primary duties of this position are to attend recurring Executive Committee meetings and each Board of Directors meeting where decisions about the future of the Society are made; serve as the chief financial officer of both MSPE and the Educational Foundation, serve with the rest of the Executive Committee on the Budget Committee which oversees the operating budget and investment strategies of the Society. The MSPE Treasurer also serves as Treasurer on the separate Educational Foundation Board of Directors with similar duties. 

Specific duties of the Vice President include:

1. Authorizes the investment portfolio as selected by Central Bank.
2. Serves as a check writer on all withdraws.
3. Works with the BHL Business Manager to create the initial budget each spring.
4. Review status of monthly and year to date budget execution, compared to goals set by the Board of Directors at the June business meeting for approval 
5. Support the annual audit of the financial records for the Society and Foundation.
6. Complete any special assignments as designated by the President. 

Interested applicants should click here to apply
 Members of the Nominating and Tellers Committee will review applications, interview prospects, and select one (1) candidate to be placed on the official ballot. Any applicant not selected for the official ballot, who wishes to pursue an office, may do so in accordance with MSPE Bylaws, Article VII, Section 4, Paragraph B.

MSPE 2020-2021 Nominating Committee

Tom Greer, P.E., Matt Bedinghaus, P.E., Timothy W. Klein, P.E., Kurt Higgins, P.E., and Bob Becnel, P.E., Chair. W

Call for Volunteers! Membership Guidance Needed for 2021 MSPE Convention Planning

MSPE is heading back to the Lake of the Ozarks for our 2021 Annual Convention on June 9-11! We are excited for the opportunities to see and meet new friends while earning PDH hours.

MSPE’s 2021 Convention Planning Committee is kicking off and we are asking for volunteers from each chapter to participate. The primary role of committee volunteers is to help provide input on PDH programing and other feedback to staff. MSPE aims to have programing that appeals to many disciplines. Volunteers from each chapter provide geographic input to showcase the many developments across the state.

The Committee typically meets one time per month over the lunch hour via Zoom video. The Committee will meet a couple extra times in the weeks immediately prior to the event. There are no committee meetings in person.

We review membership feedback from previous year surveys and sincerely appreciate committee input to incorporate ways to make each event bigger and better each year.

Please consider lending a hand!

Contact Alison Connell at aconnell@mspe.org for questions or to volunteer. 

Members, The Missouri Society of Professional Engineers is excited to announce two of our own past presidents, Britt Smith, P.E., F.NSPE and Breck Washam, P.E., are taking the national stage. On August 1, 2020, during the National Society of Professional Engineers Virtual Conference, NSPE officers installed Trish Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE as president and Britt Smith as vice president. Breck Washam was elected to represent the North Central Region on the NSPE Board of Directors. For over two decades, Mr. Smith has served MSPE in multiple capacities, including MSPE president and Jefferson City Chapter president. He has served the Society by his active involvement in NSPE via the Committee on Policy and Advocacy, Honors and Awards Committee, Candidate Screening Committee, Communication and Technology Task Force, Collaboration Group Task Force, and as Missouri’s representative to the House of Delegates. Mr. Smith was named an NSPE Fellow in 2016. Mr. Smith serves as Operations Division Director for the City of Jefferson. Smith holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology. During the nomination process, Smith noted, “I am passionate about promoting the ethical and competent practice of engineering, the honor of our profession, and our rights and responsibilities to protect it. My primary goal, if elected, is to continue working to strengthen the bonds between the national and state organizations.” Mr. Washam, who first joined MSPE in 1991, has also served MSPE in several roles, including MSPE president and St. Louis Chapter president. Mr. Washam is a vice president of Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc., and general manager of the firm’s St. Louis Regional Office.  He has been with Burns & McDonnell for 25 years and joined them after earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology. As North Central Region Director, Mr. Washam will chair monthly meetings of regional meetings, which include the Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota state societies and serve on the NSPE Board of Directors for the next two years. The Missouri Society of Professional Engineers would like to thank all those who assisted and supported Smith and Washam during the nomination process and thank both gentlemen for their service at the national level.

The Board of Directors governing the MSPE’s Educational Foundation (EF) has a new look. The EF Board of Directors, which has historically featured the same members as the MSPE Board of Directors, now has its own eleven-member Board populated by stakeholders solely focused on the foundation mission.

The new EF Board of Directors features representatives from functions that support the foundation’s mission and business, such as representatives from the Kimel Endowment, MATHCOUNTS, Building Committee, university representatives, a former MSPE president and a MSPE Board representative, along with at-large positions from the membership. The MSPE treasurer will also serve as the EF treasurer, mimicking NSPE’s treasurer with the national Educational Foundation.

During MSPE’s 2020 Annual Convention, held in a virtual format this year, the new Board met for its first meeting and elected Marie Collins, P.E. as President and Dr. Charles Morris, P.E. as Vice President. Ms. Collins serves on the Board as a former MSPE president with Charles Morris serving as the Kimel Endowment representative. Kelsie Clark, P.E. serves as the treasurer.

The Board is meeting bi-monthly to handle Foundation business. EF Executive Director Travis Lowe and the team at Braden Heidner Lowe & Associates will continue to serve MSPE EF.

Members,

The Nominating and Tellers Committee, chaired by Immediate Past President Michael Purol P.E., and composed of Past President Matt Bedinghaus, P.E. (Ozark Chapter), Past President David Howe, P.E. (Western Chapter), Past President Kurt Higgins, P.E. (Southwest Chapter) and Past President Breck Washam, P.E. (St. Louis Chapter) met by conference call on March 18, 2020 to select the Vice President that will join the current slate of officers that will lead MSPE in 2020-2021.

The nominees are:

John Riediger, P.E., President
Mitch Krysa, P.E., President-Elect
Rachel Goeke, P.E., Vice President
Kelsie Clark, P.E., Treasurer (Second year of a two-year term)
Bob Becnel, P.E., F.NSPE, who will continue as the Immediate Past President

In accordance with MSPE’s Bylaws, the President-Elect automatically assumes the position of President. MSPE’s current Vice President’s interest in continuing as an officer was also confirmed, and MSPE’s current Treasurer will remain in the role for the second year. This leaves only the Vice President position open for new candidates- for which two members applied.

The election of the Slate of Officers presented by the Nominating and Tellers Committee will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 during MSPE’s Annual Convention in Columbia, Missouri.

In accordance with MSPE’s Bylaws Article VII, Section 4: Election of Officers (B) additional nominations for the respective offices may be made by written petitions containing the signatures of at least thirty (30) members eligible to vote provided that not more than ten of those signing any one nomination petition shall be members of the same local chapter, and provide further that such nominating petition shall reach the Society’s secretary (Executive Director Travis Lowe) not later than 35 days prior to date of the annual election.