ACEC National PAC
 
                   

Click here for the ACEC/PAC Annual Convention Sweepstakes form,
your chance to win one of eight prizes while supporting ACEC/PAC!

Grand Prize is $10,000!

Only 600 tickets available! $200 per ticket; limit of 5 per person.

Drawing to be held Friday, April 1, 2011.

Summer 2010 Update:

• ACEC National Achieving Success Against S Corporation Tax Increase
• National ACEC/PAC - Your Best Investment in Your Business
• ACEC: What it Means for You & Your Business

ACEC/PAC at a Glance

ACEC/PAC – the American Council of Engineering Companies Political Action Committee – is the
engineering industry’s preeminent political action committee. The sole purpose of ACEC/PAC is to elect candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate who support policies and legislation favorable to the engineering industry. ACEC/PAC may give up to $10,000 to a federal
candidate per election cycle ($5,000 for the primary and $5,000 for the general election). ACEC/PAC supports candidates on a bipartisan basis, and is overseen by a committee of PAC Champions representing the state organizations.

GIVING TO ACEC/PAC – Individuals working for ACEC-member firms with a current approval form on file may give up to $5,000 per calendar year to ACEC/PAC. Only personal (partnership, and sole proprietorship are also allowed) checks or credit cards can be used to donate to ACEC/PAC. Federal law prohibits corporate donations to the PAC; however, corporate contributions to ACEC can be used to underwrite PAC activities, such as specific event sponsorships and PAC auction items.

Supporting political programs like ACEC/PAC is the best thing we can do to make sure engineering firms have a voice at the table when key decisions are made affecting our future.

For more information on giving to PACs, here's a great article:

"Why You Should Support Your PAC."

Per federal regulations, ACEC/PAC can only accept personal checks (or personal credit cards).

ACEC/PAC donation form

Prior Approval Form

ACEC National needs this approval form from your firm in order to accept the PAC contribution.

(This is a formality and does not mean that your firm will be pestered by PAC requests.)

Members of Oregon's congressional delegation supported by ACEC/PAC:

• Earl Blumenauer (D)
• Peter DeFazio (D)
• Kurt Schrader (D)
• David Wu (D)
• Ron Wyden (D)

ACEC/PAC Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about ACEC/PAC, please contact
ACEC Oregon's PAC Champion, Bob Carson, at
bcarson@masonbruce.com or phone (503) 224-3445.

2010

ACEC Oregon Meets National PAC Goal Third Year in a Row!

Thanks to YOU we met our goal, again, for 2010!

At left, ACEC National Chairman Gerald Stump presents ACEC Oregon with a plaque in recognition of the organization meeting its 2010 National PAC Goal. Accepting the award during ACEC's fall conference in Puerto Rico are, from left: ACEC Oregon Executive Director Alison Davis; ACEC Oregon Nationall Director and Past President Gregg Scholz, R & W Engineering; and ACEC National Vice Chair and ACEC Oregon Past President Ken Wightman, David Evans and Associates.

Thank you, 2010 ACEC National PAC donors!

A big Thank You to the following individuals who contributed to the national ACEC/PAC in 2010--allowing us to achieve our national PAC goal for the third year in a row!

Donations received January 1 through December 31, 2010 are from:

• Walt Bartel David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Jack Beemer David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Jeff Bernardo OBEC Consulting Engineers
  
• Tim Blackwood Pacific Geotechnical LLC
  
• Troy Bowers Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Chris Brehmer Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
  
• Steve Bryant Professional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI)
  
• Marc Butorac Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
  
• Mike Carr Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Bob Carson Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc.
  
• Alison Davis ACEC Oregon
  
• Dave Evans David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Steve Fox Epic Land Solutions
  
• Joe Gehlen Kramer-Gehlen & Associates, Inc.
  
• Nathan Graves Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
  
• Gayle Harley OBEC Consulting Engineers
  
• Aaron Isenhart Harper Houf Peterson Righellis
  
• John Kalvelage OBEC Consulting Engineers
  
• Greg Landau Pacific Geotechnical, LLC
• Jerry Lane OBEC Consulting Engineers
  
• David Leibbrandt Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Steve Litchfield HNTB Corporation
  
• Jay Lyman David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Kyle McTeague Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Mike Meyer Cornforth Consultants, Inc.
  
• Ermel Quevedo Cornforth Consultants, Inc.
  
• Jerry Ramsden Parsons Brinckerhoff
  
• Gary Rayor OBEC Consulting Engineers
  
• Mike Reed GRI
  
• Mike Reynolds David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Mike Schmid KPFF Consulting Engineers
  
• Gregg Scholz R & W Engineering, Inc.
  
• Mel Sears Parsons Brinckerhoff
  
• Tim Shell KPFF Consulting Engineers
  
• Phil Smith Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Terry Song HNTB Corporation
  
• Ken Stoneman David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Kevin Thelin Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Travis Tormanen Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
  
• Chris Uber Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc.
  
• Larry Van Dyke Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
  
• Kay Van Sickel Mead & Hunt, Inc.
  
• Andy Vessely Cornforth Consultants, Inc.
  
• Scott Wallace The Wallace Group
  
• Ken Wightman David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Mark Wirfs R & W Engineering, Inc.
  
• Lynn Wylder David Evans and Associates, Inc.
  
• Lindsay Yamane Parametrix, Inc.
  
• Kenji Yamasaki Cornforth Consultants, Inc.
  

2009

ACEC Oregon Earns PAC Award for Reaching 2009 National PAC Goal

ACEC Oregon achieved our National PAC goal for 2009 and was awarded the honor during the 2010 ACEC National Spring Convention in Washington, D.C. Pictured from left are: ACEC Oregon Immediate Past President Gregg Scholz, R & W Engineering; ACEC Oregon Executive Director Alison Davis; ACEC Oregon Past President, ACEC Fellow and PAC Champion Jack Beemer, David Evans and Associates; ACEC Chairman of the Board Tim Psomas; and ACEC Vice Chair and ACEC Oregon Past President Ken Wightman, David Evans and Associates.

The plaque reads, in part, "Outstanding Achievement Award to ACEC Oregon in recognition of attaining its 2009 ACEC/PAC goal and thereby enhancing the business environment of the engineering industry." April 25, 2010

Thank you, 2009 ACEC National PAC donors...

A big Thank You to the following individuals who contributed to the national ACEC PAC in 2009--allowing us to reach our goal for the second consecutive year.

Your PAC donation helps open the door with Congressional members
by ACEC Oregon Past President Jack Beemer, P.E., David Evans and Associates, Inc.

For 2009, Oregon became the ninth state to meet its goal in contributing to the national ACEC Political Action Committee. Thanks to all our contributing members (please see above), we made our goal two years in a row!

Under federal law, only individuals are allowed to contribute to a political action committee (PAC), not firms. Congress provided for PACs so similar-minded individuals could pool their money so that their voices could be heard in Congress.

We again need your help. The economy has not been kind to the engineering and construction industries. We need to help Congress understand our interests and the challenges we face in tough economic times. For example:

• QBS laws need to be applied to new procurements and funding legislation so that we don’t become just another commodity, subject to low-price bidding.
  

• Congress needs to invest in the right infrastructure and facilities to support our broad and diverse needs in energy, water, and transportation and transport.
  

• A three percent withholding tax is scheduled to take effect in 2012. We need to educate congress on the threat this poses to our firms.

PAC contributions help open the door with appropriate congressional members to discuss issues important to ACEC members. Donations also help re-elect key members friendly to issues concerning our businesses and the firms that pay our wages.

Last year we had 50 individuals give an average of $254 each. Our goal for 2010 is $12,400. We can reach this with 62 individuals contributing an average $200 each. As your “PAC Champion,” I think broader participation would be better. Unfortunately, we have found it difficult to get more people to contribute.

However, there is a certain magic to the $200 per person contribution. That magic is that a $200 ticket (limited to five per person) buys you a 1-in-500 chance for the annual (spring) convention sweepstakes grand prize of $10,000 (additional prizes are $5,000, $2,000, and $1,000). And, the price of the ticket counts as a contribution to the PAC! If you’d like a PAC sweepstakes form, please contact any of the calling team members listed below, or ACEC Oregon at (503) 292-2348 or mwebber@acecOregon.org.

So, don’t be shy. Contact one of us to purchase your sweepstakes ticket before they sell out – like they did last year. If you want to give less, we can email you the contribution form. If you want to give more – buy more tickets (up to five per person) or just contribute more using the contribution form.

Here are the people to contact; i.e. your friendly calling team:

ACEC Oregon Past President & PAC Champion Jack Beemer
David Evans and Associates, Inc., Bend
phone (541) 389-7614, jdb@deainc.com

ACEC Oregon President Gayle Harley
OBEC Consulting Engineers, Eugene
phone (541) 683-6090, gdh@obec.com

ACEC Oregon President-Elect Troy Bowers
Murray, Smith & Associates, Inc., Portland
phone (503) 225-9010, bowerst@msa-ep.com

ACEC Oregon National Director Gregg Scholz
R & W Engineering, Inc., Beaverton
phone (503) 292-6000, gscholz@rweng.com

ACEC Oregon Secretary/Treasurer Kay Van Sickel
Mead & Hunt, Inc., Vancouver
phone (360) 883-0047, kay.vansickel@meadhunt.com

ACEC Oregon Vice President Mark Butorac
Kittelson & Associates, Inc., Portland
phone (503) 228-5230, mbutorac@kittelson.com

ACEC Oregon Vice President Andy Vessely
Cornforth Consultants, Inc., Portland
phone (503) 452-1100, avessely@cornforthconsultants.com

ACEC Oregon Regional Vice President Scott Wallace
Kleinfelder, Inc., Bend
phone (541) 382-4707, swallace@kleinfelder.com

ACEC Oregon Executive Director Alison Davis
phone (503) 292-2348, adavis@acecOregon.org

ACEC/PAC continues to solidify its place among the nation’s
largest political organizations, giving the Council an effective
voice on issues of critical importance to the industry.

Political engagement is essential to protecting the interests of your firm and the engineering industry as a whole.

• At the national level, our success means that we need every member of ACEC to get involved with our advocacy programs, starting with ACEC/PAC.

• ACEC/PAC is the industry’s primary political tool for helping to elect good candidates to the House and Senate who support policies favorable to the engineering industry.
  

• ACEC/PAC is bipartisan, and governed by a committee of ACEC members representing each member organization.
  

• It’s also growing, and is now one of the biggest PACs in the nation, giving us a greater presence and a bigger voice before Congress.
  

• We’ll need that strength – look at the industry issues currently before Congress:
  -- Legislation to prevent major cuts in transportation funding to our state DOT
  -- Water and aviation legislation that will expand funding for projects, and also broaden and strengthen requirements for using QBS;
  -- Flawed wetlands legislation that could shut down commercial development;
  -- And tax changes that could impact every firm.
  

• ACEC lobbyists are working these issues right now, but if we want to take action to help, to ensure that we have a seat at the table to protect our interests when these issues come to a vote, the best action we can take is to make ACEC/PAC as strong as possible.

2008

ACEC Oregon Earns PAC Award for Reaching 2008 National PAC Goal

Thanks to YOU, and the efforts of ACEC National PAC champion and past president, Jack Beemer, David Evans and Associates, we reached our ACEC National PAC goal-- for the first time ever! The goal was $11,558 and we raised $12,390!     Pictured at right: ACEC Chairman John Hennessy III (center) presents a National PAC Award to ACEC Oregon Executive Director Alison Davis, and ACEC National Director Ken Wightman, at the 2008 National fall conference in Montreal.

THANK YOU to the following individuals who contributed to the National PAC

(donations made January 1 through December 31, 2008):

Names in red indicate MILLENNIUM CLUB members (those contributing $1,000 or more):

For more information on giving to PACs, here's a great article:

"Why You Should Support Your PAC."