PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
“ It ' s a hundred and six miles to Chicago , we ' ve got a full tank of gas , half a pack of cigarettes , it ' s dark , and we ' re wearing sunglasses . HIT IT !” – Jake and Elwood Blues in “ The Blues Brothers ”.
As you will read elsewhere in this month ’ s newsletter , your President ( me ) and President-Elect ( Michael Eno ) recently took part in the ASCE 2023 Convention in Chicago , Illinois . I can ’ t say we exhibited the same dance moves as brothers Jake and Elwood Blues , played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd , but we by all means had an outstanding and educational adventure making new friends , catching up with old friends , and making the most of our time in the Windy City .
For
those that have not attended the ASCE National Convention , it is the flagship event for ASCE and provides a multitude of opportunities to learn about our profession from various presenters , panelists and not least of all , each other . The educational sessions examine a wide cross section of topics including emerging technologies , strategic issues / public policy , and significant projects both present day and past - including their challenges , successes , and failures . These sessions in themselves would be worth the price of admission ( love those PDHs !) but having had the opportunity to attend this event in the past , have learned the time outside the meeting rooms proves even more valuable . The hallway and late-night restaurant conversations about the everyday issues we Civil Engineers face is both therapeutic and instructive . You learn quickly that our challenges may vary in terms of task or geography , but they are so very similar at their core . We are a group of individuals solving issues for the betterment of our society and must learn to not only navigate complicated mathematics to solve problems but also effectively communicate with other engineers , review agencies and the public every step of the way to achieve the goal . As Elwood Blues said “ remember that no matter who you are and what you do to live , thrive and survive , there ' re still some things that make us all the same . You . Me . Them . Everybody .”.
Back in 5 Minutes … Nick Golon , PE ASCE-NH President
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