Good day everyone! I am grateful to assume the role of President of the Minnesota Section for a one-year term. As I reflect on the various ASCE positions I have held over the years, I recall how consistent the overall program has been – a professional organization you could count on. You could count on a September construction tour, followed by a mix of lunch and dinner section meetings that consisted of handshakes, a pretty good meal and a presentation from our colleagues on a relevant and timely topic. In the Spring, we would converge on the University of Minnesota to hand out student awards (books 😊) and often a scholarship from the Structural Committee to those deserving. Then, wrap it up and start planning for the following year. The Board has persevered through this disruption in our normalcy with the goal of being an organization that you can continue to count on to redeem value for your membership. Thank you very much for seeing things through!
This year you will see a blend of in-person and on-line activities. Many in-person events have already taken place, as we had a successful construction tour of the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project in September. Our student chapters and Younger Member Group (YMG) are also very busy with social activities. Some of our section meetings, such as the October, will be on-line, while we hope to have a few in-person a little later in the year.
A highlight for the upcoming year will be the publishing of Minnesota’s 2nd ASCE Report Card! This will happen in late February or early March as we determine when the most appropriate time is. Our last Report Card was published in 2018, if you would like to read it, we have it posted on our website. Check it out at ascemn.org. While you are there, check out the Section’s upcoming events, and if you would like to get involved in ASCE, I would like to direct you to our Committees. I started my involvement in ASCE as a member of the Structural Committee (nka the Structural Engineers Institute). One of my most gratifying experiences while serving ASCE was during this time when we were celebrating our 100th Anniversary as a Section in 2014. During the event at Saint Anthony Falls, I presented a plaque to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to signify the Stone Arch Bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a program where ASCE recognizes historically significant local, national, and international civil engineering projects, structures, and sites. We have eight committees that has something to offer any civil engineer, so please reach out to the listed point of contact and start being a part of something our members can count on.
Thanks again to our membership for persevering and I hope to see you soon at an ASCE event. Please reach out to me directly at president@ascemn.org if you have comments or questions.
Andrew Nordseth, P.E.
President, ASCE-MN