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Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan
ASCE Texas Section Strategic Plan 2022 - 2026

Executive Summary

The ASCE Texas Section Strategic Plan for 2022-2026 is provided in this document. An Introduction section is provided as a guide to the ASCE Texas Section as an organization. Next, the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan is discussed in detail. The Vision developed to guide the Strategic Plan states that “Texas civil engineers are leaders in their communities, building a better quality of life across the street and around the world.” The Mission Statement developed to support the Strategic Plan states that “Advance civil engineering by protecting the public health, safety, and welfare; delivering value to our members; and creating a legacy of service.

ASCE Texas Section’s core values include Stewardship & Service, Professional Development & Leadership, and Advocating Civil Engineering.

Introduction

Introduction

Background

With the culmination of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, the ASCE Texas Section has updated the plan for the next 5-years: 2022-2026. This updated strategic plan will continue to provide a roadmap for the Texas Section that helps guide the organizational leadership during the plan’s life. The updated strategic plan will provide continuity and consistency in the decision-making process over the next five years, similar to the previous version.

With respect to the process of updating the strategic plan, care has been taken to ensure that a wide variety of perspectives have been included in its development. Section leadership, section staff, and institute and branch leaders have all contributed to the strategic plan update. Most notably, the strategic planning retreat held in June 2021, facilitated by Dr. Stevie Dawn Blakely, maintained a philosophy of open dialogue that allows all attendees to contribute to the update of the strategic plan. Participants recommend the continued use of a third-party facilitator for future updates. Additionally, future strategic planning committee members may benefit from the planning and implementation of a member-wide survey in 2024, prior to the convening of a committee charged with preparing the next Strategic Plan. A facilitator may also prove helpful in providing guidance throughout entirety of the strategic planning process.

At the time of the Strategic Plan update, although the Texas Section had three Vice Presidents at the time of this plan update (Vice President – Technical, Vice President – Educational, and Vice President – Professional), the committee chose to align 2022-2026 strategic goals and initiatives with our core values rather than the three positions detailed in the 2017-2021 plan entitled “My STEP.” By separating the relation of initiatives and goals from the Texas Section’s governance structure, the plan allows for additional flexibility. The Texas Section’s leadership team may choose to assign various goals set forth within this plan to different officers over the years, to best meet the needs of members and balance the workload of volunteer leaders. The committee also recommends Texas Section leaders continually review the governance structure of the association to ensure its structured efficiently and volunteers are empowered to achieve the goals set herein. All Texas Section Board of Direction members are charged with advancing this Plan.

History & Philosophy

The Texas Section is the largest geographical and one of the most active sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

ASCE incorporated in 1852 and has become one of the most prominent engineering societies in the world. The Texas Section was proposed in July 1913 by a group of seven engineers, including consultants and college professors, after a Texas Good Roads meeting in Corpus Christi. Following the meeting in Corpus Christi, invitations were sent announcing a meeting to be held during the State Fair of Texas to further discuss the creation of a Texas Section of ASCE. This meeting occurred on October 31, 1913 in the Old Red Courthouse in Dallas. J.C. Nagle was elected the Texas Section’s first president, and J. F. Witt was elected secretary.

The first branch was formed in Dallas in 1924. Other branches were formed in the late 1930’s, including the Fort Worth, Brazos and the Lower Rio Grande Valley branches. Seven more branches were formed in the early 1950’s. Currently, there are 15 branches and 21 student chapters comprising the Texas Section.

Committed to promoting, encouraging, and recognizing civil engineering excellence and professional growth, the Texas Section holds the annual ASCE Texas Civil Engineering Conference – CECONTM, the Student Symposium, and other seminars and events throughout the year. The Texas Section also hosts the biennial ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In and produces the quadrennial Texas Infrastructure Report Card. In general, the branches of the Texas Section hold monthly meetings, with guest speakers and topical discussions. The Texas Civil Engineer online magazine connects members and presents the best of civil engineering information in Texas.

The Texas Section office was initially located in a consulting engineer’s office. Later, universities were able to provide office space, and a faculty member served as secretary to the Section. In 1989, a permanent office, including full time paid staff, was established in Austin.

As a testament to the leadership and influence of the Texas Section, seven (7) members of this Section have served as president of ASCE, at the Society-level. The Texas Section continues the tradition of advancing professional knowledge and improving the practice of civil engineering, demonstrating a daily commitment to sustaining the profession and a more resilient, built community.

Glossary

As defined by ASCE Global Policy Statement 417

  • Diversity

Range of human differences, encompassing the characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, the following characteristics: race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, religious beliefs, work sector, physical ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, physical appearance, and cognitive differences.

  • Equity

Fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, achieved by intentional focus on their disparate needs, conditions and abilities. Achieving equity requires understanding of historical and systemic patterns of disparity to address and eliminate barriers and remove participation gaps as part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve equitable outcomes and social justice.

  • Inclusion

Intentional, proactive, and continuing efforts and practices in which all members respect, support, and value others. An inclusive environment provides equitable access to opportunities and resources, empowers everyone to participate equally, and offers respect in words and actions for all.

As defined by ASCE Global Policy Statement 418

  • Sustainability

A set of environmental, economic, and social conditions –the “Triple Bottom Line” –in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely, without degrading the quantity, quality, or the availability of natural, economic, and social resources.

As defined by ASCE Global Policy Statement 518

  • Resiliency

The ability to plan, prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to changing conditions from hazards to enable rapid recovery of physical, social, economic, and ecological infrastructure. Improving resilience before or following a hazard event should engage physical infrastructure and social systems with adaptive capacity to ensure rapid return to functionality, accounting for interdependencies within and across all sectors.

Stakeholders

During the activities and business of the ASCE Texas Section, there are many stakeholders that the Section has an interest in and vice-versa. As the Texas Section updated its 5-year strategic plan, it is important to recognize these stakeholders and ensure that these relationships are considered as the plan is implemented.

There are six (6) distinct stakeholder groups. They are:

  • Internal ASCE Texas Section Stakeholders (including members and potential members)
  • The General Public
  • Academic Institutions
  • Professional Societies
  • Government Entities
  • The Business Community

Table 1 presents examples of specific stakeholders within these six groups.

Internal ASCE Texas Section Stakeholders

  • Members
  • Potential Members
  • Volunteer Leaders Staff

Academic Institutions

  • Universities
  • Community Colleges
  • K-12

General Public

  • Unique Communities
  • Engineering Families
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Clients and Customers

Professional Societies

  • ASCE Global
  • ASCE Region 6
  • ASCE Technical Institutes
  • ACED
  • TCEL
  • TPWA
  • TPMA
  • NCEES
  • WEF
  • AWWA
  • SEAOT
  • Minority Engineering Societies
  • EWP
  • IAI
  • TSPE
  • TWCA
  • TAME
  • EWB Community Engineering Corps

Government Entities

  • Legislators
  • Local Elected Officials
  • Federal Agencies
  • State Agencies
  • Texas Board of Professional Engineers
  • Texas Water Development Board
  • Border States
  • International Partners
  • Municipalities
  • Counties Regional Districts

Business Community

  • Civil Engineering Companies
  • Contractors
  • Consultants
  • Manufacturers and Suppliers
  • Technology Companies
  • Communications Companies
  • Energy Suppliers
  • Advertisers
  • Exhibitors
  • Sponsors

Programs

The ASCE Texas Section provides a variety of educational, social, recognition and relationship building opportunities for stakeholders across Texas and other ASCE regions.

Subscribing members (paid Section dues) of the Texas Section receive the following:

  • Reduced registration fees to educational activities
  • Leadership roles and development opportunities such as the annual Leadership Development Weekend
  •  Recognition through Section and Branch awards and honors programs
  • Access to civil engineering community forums, publications, educational activities, and career information
  • Access to advocacy events such as the biennial ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In

Non-members are also welcome to attend events and meetings, access information on the award-winning website including monthly Texas Civil Engineering (TCE) news, and participate in educational and Branch/Section activities.

Vision & Mission

Vision Statement

The vision statement is a guiding image of the future success and achievement of the organization that is articulated in terms of contributions to society. The vision statement is a succinct statement about what the organization will do for future generations and how the organization wants to be viewed.

The vision statement developed by the ASCE Texas Section Strategic Planning Committee is as follows:

Texas civil engineers are leaders in their communities, building a better quality of life across the street and around the world.

Mission Statement

The mission statement describes the needs that the organization was created to fill and answers the basic question of why the organization exists.

The mission statement developed by the ASCE Texas Section Strategic Planning Committee is as follows:

Advance civil engineering by protecting the public health, safety, and welfare; delivering value to our members; and creating a legacy of service.

Core Values

There are many core values that the ASCE Texas Section possesses, and the core values were considered carefully during the Strategic Initiative development process. Core values are divided into four broad groups, which allows for further refinement of the meaning of the core values.

These core values and descriptors are shown in Table 2.

Stewardship & Service

(World at Large)

Professional Development & Leadership

(Our Members)

Advocating Civil Engineering

(The Profession)

Table 2 – Texas Section Core Values & Associated Strategic Initiatives

Stewardship & Service

(World at Large)

  • Advance the Section for the benefit of all
  • Support and promote outreach and engagement opportunities
  • Cultivate community and public outreach partnerships, fostering member engagement in their community and local organizations.
  • Promote the work of ASCE to increase public awareness of initiatives.
  • Create opportunities for member to collaborate, share, & provide mentorship.
  • Promote and build upon K-12 STEM outreach programs.
  • Grow the Section while ensuring a place for all members to engage in their community.
  • Ensure Civil Engineering and ASCE are at the forefront of emerging sustainability and resiliency practices.

Professional Development & Leadership

(Our Members)

  • Promote and enhance collaboration across all levels of the Section, and its membership
  • Ensure continued development and public accessibility of the Section’s broad-spectrum of educational resources, training opportunities and initiatives
  • Host and promote continuing education opportunities to both members and non-members.
  • Increase member awareness of current programs, activities, and shared resources.
  • Strengthen collaboration and partnerships with Technical Institutes at all levels—Section to subsidiaries.
  • Make available leadership opportunities and resources for members to develop and strengthen their professional skills and marketability.
  • Continue to enhance Student Symposium as it grows into a Region 6 event.
  • Facilitate complete advancement campaigns for student and younger members emerging into young professionals.

Advocating Civil Engineering

(The Profession)

  • Continue to advance Civil Engineering within the education system and profession. Establish and promote ASCE as a forefront leader in Civil Engineering throughout local and state government agencies and the community at large.
  • Improve advocacy activity through training experiences and online marketing tactics.
  • Support advancements in civil engineering [continuing and higher] education curriculum and innovative technologies.
  • Leverage the Texas Infrastructure Report Card to increase public awareness of infrastructure deficiencies and the development of [appropriate/ample], reliable funding streams.
  • Host a biennial ASCE Texas legislative advocacy activity concurrent with Texas legislative sessions.
  • Champion Texas Section membership among state and local level officials as the leading authority and technical resource for civil engineering topics.

Process & Principles

Overarching Themes

As the committee was going through the plan updates, it was clear there were elements that applied to multiple goals and initiatives that should be highlighted as overarching themes to the entire document.

  • Measurable Goals

The intent of this plan is to provide an outline from which the incoming board can choose strategic goals to focus on for the year. Part of this task will involve establishing measurable milestones for the year and evaluating the success of these goals at the end of the year. This will also be utilized to evaluate ongoing, multi-year goals.

  • Financial Vitality

Texas ASCE prides itself on providing services and resources to its members, the profession, and the community. To accomplish this now and in the future, the section must maintain its financial vitality. The Section has worked for years to find ways to generate additional revenue, reduce expenses where possible, and balance the operating budget.

  • Communications and Marketing

Communication will likely remain an area for improvement. There are communication challenges between the different levels of ASCE, including marketing resources and initiatives to all levels and members. Communication and marketing impact virtually every initiative and goal set out in this plan in one way or another. Additionally, there is an ongoing evolution in the best way to connect with members, and ASCE Texas Section will need to stay up-to-date and agile in this regard to remain relevant.

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

ASCE – Texas Section is an organization dedicated to the advancement of Civil Engineering. The membership and profession are vast and diverse. Per the Oxford Languages Dictionary, diversity is the practice of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.; Equity is the quality of being fair and impartial; Inclusion is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. To stay a leader in this profession, it is critical to maintain an environment where all engineers can feel welcome to join, collaborate and grow.

  • Sustainability and Resiliency

The world has seen several natural disaster events that test the limits of our current infrastructure. The Civil Engineering profession is exploring how to rebuild infrastructure to withstand future events and how to reinforce existing infrastructure. Additionally, the profession continues to explore the sustainability and availability of materials that can provide the best solutions for these projects and all stakeholders it serves.

These themes should be considered and considered with the implementation of this Strategic Plan.

SWOT Analysis

To move forward with a new Strategic Plan for the ASCE Texas Section, it is important to perform an overall assessment of where the Section currently stands. A SWOT analysis was performed. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It has been developed based on the input from the Strategic Plan working group. The SWOT Analysis provides a document to guide the Texas Section in the development of the overall strategic initiatives.

Table 3 shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in a bulleted form. This list was the result of extensive brainstorming and is in an unedited form. The discussion below expands on these bulleted points and organizes the bullets into distinct areas with further refinement.

Strengths

  • involvement in leadership especially at Society level
  • diversity of membership; multidisciplinary org
  • Global committees’ technical standards
  • part of large established organization
  • providing technical education
  • network of people
  • taking advantage of technical advances
  • communication w/ members
  • passion & dedication of some
  • staff to provide continuity & services
  • reputation of organization; TS is 100+ years & people look to it as leader w/ answers; ethical, professional conduct
  • Public values infrastructure
  • long standing activity of members over their careers
  • core group of involved members to lead/encourage members to be active
  • strong local involvement
  • opportunity to make personal connections that grow professional relationships
  • grass roots advocacy to connect w/others on important issues

Weaknesses

  • Geographic distribution of membership & size of branches
  • size of state
  • emerging media technology
  • participation at all levels
  • low visibility of TS to membership (Consider HQ to Section and Section to Branch visibility)
  • lack of focus on career growth
  • not retaining students as professional members; transitioning students to professional members
  • separation of YM at state level
  • Separation of Institute Chapter Members
  • lapsed involvement of members
  • communication by TS to Branches
  • uninvolved/disengaged/uninterested members
  • lack of involvement by VIP engineers/managers
  • number of members (move to O?)
  • IRC requires significant effort
  • Limited number of revenue streams
  • intergenerational relevance & communication

Opportunities

  • past work & changes built strong foundation
  • size of state
  • CECON & Student Symposium (Region 6)
  • Advertising – Region 6 now includes Mexico
  • YMs & students
  • leverage TI chapters
  • Relationships between institutes and ASCE
  • partner w/ diverse groups
  • career development (Power & Tech Skills)
  • online involvement (social media platform growth)
  • community involvement
  • get YMs involved to promote profession
  • transition YM & students to full membership – Mentoring & Beyond
  • bring uninvolved/disengaged/uninterested members
  • up to dedicated involvement
  • increase engagement with organization
  • increase engagement with TX agencies & become recognized as technical resource (TxDOT, TWDB, …)
  • political advocacy to improve relevance
  • QBS comes up every legislative session
  • build on relationships to promote infrastructure & protect professional standards
  • primed to be at forefront of infrastructure discussion by the general populace
  • need for public recognition & to develop funding streams
  • TS resources for Branches (office support, leadership training)
  • Increase value to members & supporters
  • continued advocacy in political area & increased government affairs activities
  • IRC

Threats

  • Demand on financial resources?
  • lack of perceived value, not seeing benefits of organization
  • Economy (Time demand)
  • Self-splintering (disconnected messaging…)
  • other organizations that have a narrow focus (e.g. SEAOT, FPMA)
  • capturing attention of potential members
  • Members/CEs do not hold government positions/ are not elected officials
  • online involvement & community
  • not evolving to appeal to young engineers
  • other, specialized, organizations that provide more valued programs
  • get & stay relevant w/ a multi-generational workforce
  • trying to be everything to everybody; what does TS need to really focus on?
  • widespread availability of online engineering education does not facilitate interpersonal interaction
  • ways to communicate with multiple generations
  • Legislation that negatively impacts the profession/industry
  • do not truly understand what members & future members want/need

Strengths

The ASCE Texas Section is the largest ASCE Section, which serves as a leader in the Civil Engineering community throughout the state of Texas. The organization was established in 1913, and is part of ASCE Global, which started in 1852. Its history and reputation provide a strong foundation which provides a springboard for future growth. Many look to ASCE for leadership that provides answers for important civil engineering issues. Elected officials on a local, state, and federal level continue to reference the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card to illustrate the state of the existing infrastructure and need for additional funding.

  • Membership

The core of the ASCE Texas Section is its membership. We have a diverse leadership that is committed, passionate, and dedicated to the Section. Our members are industry leaders on local, state, national, and global levels within ASCE, and throughout their communities.

The ASCE Texas Section employs a full-time support staff to provide support to our membership, branches, and subsidiaries. Leaders in the ASCE Texas Section have shown a long-term commitment to the Section and ASCE over the course of their careers. Many of our leaders have shown a strong commitment to mentoring Younger Members (YM) and students, encouraging them to become leaders themselves.

  • Technical Education and Standards

A central mission of the ASCE Texas Section is to meet the technical needs of our members. Over the years, we have been successful in meeting this challenge. A significant factor that assists the Texas Section in meeting these needs is being part of ASCE Global. ASCE Global provides technical standards across all civil engineering specializations. This occurs through the work of numerous ASCE committees.

Technical education is a significant strength of the ASCE Texas Section. Members have access to this benefit through our annual conference, CECON, bi-monthly Section webinars, meetings and programs provided by Branches within the Section, and other sources. In addition, many branches are having online meetings due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Through adverse circumstances, Texas Section branches have managed to maintain their technical offerings and even expand their reach to membership in 2020-2021.

In general, Texas Section members can take advantage of new technical advances in the field of Civil Engineering through access to the many programs and initiatives that can be accessed via section membership.

  • Relationship Building and Advocacy

Relationship building opportunities are plentiful for ASCE Texas Section members. Relationship building provides ample opportunities for member personal growth while furthering the goals of the Section. Relationship building opportunities have led to strong local involvement all over Texas as evident within the ASCE Texas Section and its 15 branches. Relationship building opportunities are demonstrated via the relationships between the Texas Section and other organizations. Relationship building provides opportunities for members to make personal connections that grow professional relationships. In addition, relationship building has been a vehicle for grassroots advocacy, which allows Texas Section members to connect with other organizations and the public on important issues.

Weaknesses

The ASCE Texas Section is the largest ASCE Section, which serves as a leader in the Civil Engineering community throughout the state of Texas. The organization was established in 1913, and is part of ASCE Global, which started in 1852. Its history and reputation provide a strong foundation which provides a springboard for future growth. Many look to ASCE for leadership that provides answers for important civil engineering issues. Elected officials on a local, state, and federal level continue to reference the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card to illustrate the state of the existing infrastructure and need for additional funding.

  • Membership

The core of the ASCE Texas Section is its membership. We have a diverse leadership that is committed, passionate, and dedicated to the Section. Our members are industry leaders on local, state, national, and global levels within ASCE, and throughout their communities.

The ASCE Texas Section employs a full-time support staff to provide support to our membership, branches, and subsidiaries. Leaders in the ASCE Texas Section have shown a long-term commitment to the Section and ASCE over the course of their careers. Many of our leaders have shown a strong commitment to mentoring Younger Members (YM) and students, encouraging them to become leaders themselves.

  • Technical Education and Standards

A central mission of the ASCE Texas Section is to meet the technical needs of our members. Over the years, we have been successful in meeting this challenge. A significant factor that assists the Texas Section in meeting these needs is being part of ASCE Global. ASCE Global provides technical standards across all civil engineering specializations. This occurs through the work of numerous ASCE committees.

Technical education is a significant strength of the ASCE Texas Section. Members have access to this benefit through our annual conference, CECON, bi-monthly Section webinars, meetings and programs provided by Branches within the Section, and other sources. In addition, many branches are having online meetings due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Through adverse circumstances, Texas Section branches have managed to maintain their technical offerings and even expand their reach to membership in 2020-2021.

In general, Texas Section members can take advantage of new technical advances in the field of Civil Engineering through access to the many programs and initiatives that can be accessed via section membership.

  • Relationship Building and Advocacy

Relationship building opportunities are plentiful for ASCE Texas Section members. Relationship building provides ample opportunities for member personal growth while furthering the goals of the Section. Relationship building opportunities have led to strong local involvement all over Texas as evident within the ASCE Texas Section and its 15 branches. Relationship building opportunities are demonstrated via the relationships between the Texas Section and other organizations. Relationship building provides opportunities for members to make personal connections that grow professional relationships. In addition, relationship building has been a vehicle for grassroots advocacy, which allows Texas Section members to connect with other organizations and the public on important issues.

Opportunities

As the ASCE Texas Section moves forward with its new strategic plan, there are many opportunities that can be capitalized upon to improve the health of the Texas Section, and improve programs and activities for its members. The Texas Section has a legacy of accomplishment, and a history of embracing change that has served the Texas Section well during its long history and has provided a strong foundation for leveraging future opportunities. The size of Texas and our membership aid the organization with respect to making opportunities a reality. The Texas Section will be able to use this legacy and leverage to partner with our Branches and Institutes throughout Texas to achieve future successes.

  • Membership

Transitioning younger members and students to full memberships is a tremendous opportunity. Not only to grow our membership for financial reasons, but to provide for a sustainable continuance of leadership with younger talent and fresh ideas.

While this is a challenge, there are opportunities that can be pursued to make this transition a reality. One notable opportunity is to utilize younger members in activities that promote the profession. The emergence of online relationship building platforms and communities provides opportunities for the Texas Section to increase engagement and participation of younger members and students.

Opportunities exist to bring disinterested members up to a level of dedicated involvement. In particular, career development opportunities can stimulate this interest. The emergence of the Technical Institute chapters in the Texas Section provides additional opportunities for members to be involved and can be leveraged accordingly.

  • Advocacy and Visibility

In recent years, the Texas Section has worked to increase our visibility and improve our advocacy efforts. We have a great opportunity to become a strong force with respect to political advocacy, which can potentially increase the relevance of the Texas Section.

With respect to political advocacy, there are several specific opportunities where the Texas Section can make an impact. For example, enhancing our infrastructure is the biggest advocacy opportunity for the Texas Section. We are primed to be at the forefront of infrastructure discussion in the eyes of all Texans. We can be the voice for the public recognition of our infrastructure deficiencies and the development of sufficient and reliable funding streams. In the process, we will be able to build on relationships to promote infrastructure and protect professional standards.

  • The Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON) and ASCE Region 6 Student Symposium

The ASCE Texas Section has modified its conference schedule. Previously, the Texas Section held two general meetings for the membership: one in the spring and one in the fall. In 2014, the Section changed the format of its meeting schedule. CECON now serves as the annual convention for the Texas Section and is held in the fall. The Student Symposium focuses on student activities, combining the concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions while adding other professional develop opportunities for students, and is held in the spring. CECON allows for a larger annual signature event, as opposed to being just one of two meetings. The Student Symposium, meanwhile, strives to improve the Section’s focus on students. Together, they provide ample opportunities for the Section to meet the needs of all its members while advocating the Civil Engineering profession to the public. Moving forward, these events will continue to evolve and grow. In the process, the strategic initiatives of the Texas Section will be enhanced through these two events.

Threats

As the ASCE Texas Section moves forward with its Strategic Plan, it is important to note the real and potential threats that the organization faces. The Texas Section has strong traditions, dating back to 1913 that have provided a strong foundation for the success of the organization. However, in a world that changes frequently and quickly, the organization must also be wary of becoming too dependent on the traditions, essentially becoming “tradition-bound”, and not moving fast enough with new ideas. One of the defining lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 was that the world could change, virtually overnight, from a hierarchal based workforce of traditions to a primarily virtual network faced with tackling issues and assignments. This tossing of tradition and trying something new is a definite threat moving forward if the Texas Section is not ready to make a similar swift shift.

  • Relevance

Today, it is more difficult to capture the attention of potential members, largely due to the nature of electronic communication and over stimulated minds. Too many civil engineers do not perceive the value of ASCE membership, and even among the current membership ranks most of the benefits of ASCE is lost. Defining this value becomes increasingly difficult if not properly channeled. The Texas Section must maintain its relevancy among its current members and expand communication along non-traditional channels to appeal to a wide range of demographics including students, young professionals, and seasoned veterans.

  • Recruiting and Retaining Members

Before beginning the recruitment process, ASCE Texas Section must identify the needs of the people they are trying to recruit and identify why civil engineers might want to join. One way to do this is by asking current members why they joined, but most times overall recruits need to:

  • have a sense of belonging – the feeling that they are sincerely welcome and needed.
  • share in planning the ASCE Texas Section objectives.
  • know that the goals are obtainable and make sense.
  • feel that what they are doing has real purpose and contributes to a greater good.
  • feel that the ASCE Texas Section is making a difference.
  • feel that the value of their contributions extends beyond personal gain and the group itself.
  • see that progress is being made toward goals.
  • share in making the ground rules by which the organization can live and work toward its goals.
  • know what is expected of them and to be kept informed.
  • have some responsibilities that challenge and contribute toward reaching the goals.
  • have confidence in the organization leaders to lead the organization well, treat members consistently and fairly, recognize member accomplishments and trust the members.

Traditionally there are five main reasons why people join an organization:

  1. Growth
    • learning new skills in leadership management, programming, and inter-personal relations
    • accepting responsibility
  2. Recognition
    • special benefits and privileges
    • recognition from others
    • personal satisfaction
  3. Achievement
    • seeing the achievement of a goal
    • developing personally
    • building a strong resume
    • satisfaction of having impact in the professional environment
  4. Participation
    • applying new skills
    • managing groups
    • being involved in program production
  5. Enjoyment
    • new friends
    • fun
    • for a job well done
    • having satisfaction in serving others

It is incumbent on the ASCE Texas Section to promote these five areas when recruiting new members.

  • Advocacy

As the Texas Section moves forward, insufficient advocacy efforts, especially in the political arena, constitute a potential threat. Huge strides have been made by the ASCE Texas Section in forming political relationships, but we must be vigilant to ensure that our advocacy efforts are not diminishing. The negative effects of poor advocacy hurt our reputation, our ability to serve our members, and our ability to serve the community at large. And if there is a space that we are not filling, it may be filled by others who have different perspectives than ours. In particular, if we are not involved in government activities where legislative and executive action takes place, then we may not be happy with the results of those actions and the subsequent funding of the projects Civil Engineers design and build. There is an inherent danger in over advocating for an issue as the advocacy could be viewed as masquerading for a self-serving purpose. This has been a minor flaw of the Texas Infrastructure Report Card in that without proper advocacy the low grades in certain categories serve the interests of engineering design firms. As the Texas Section moves forward emphasis on other reports produced, such as the Addressing Flood Risk report prepared in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, is important to show that the report card is a true reflection of the status of infrastructure in the State.

  • Other Organizations

Within Civil Engineering, there are many organizations that serve the profession in different ways. There are other specialized organizations that provide valued programs within the various civil engineering specializations. Examples of such organizations are the Structural Engineers Association of Texas (SEAOT) and the Texas Floodplain Management Association (TFMA). In an increasingly specialized world, these organizations provide a narrow focus that is appealing to many specialized civil engineers. They provide significant competition for volunteer and member attention, and we must be mindful of this environment.

By contrast, the ASCE Texas Section, which represents the entire civil engineering community, has a much broader focus. This is necessary but also challenging. We must strive to find new ways to reach specialized engineers. The ASCE Technical Institutes provide a great vehicle for providing value to the various specialties. The Technical Institutes can also partner with the specialized organizations described above to provide value to Texas Section members. Care must be taken to foster the institutes as a partner to the ASCE Texas Section otherwise members may seek to only participate in their specialized focus.

Our Goals

Strategic Investments

The Strategic Initiatives developed in the ASCE Texas Section Strategic Plan constitute the heart of the plan. They are the broad initiatives that future Texas Section boards and executive committees will use as a roadmap over the next 5 years as they lead the Texas Section and implement their specific priorities. As Section leadership moves forward, it is important to note that the purpose of the Strategic Initiatives discussed here is not to dictate specific actions and policies that will be undertaken. Rather, when Texas Section leadership is considering specific actions and policies, it will have the Strategic Initiatives as a guide to determine if these activities are consistent with the Strategic Plan.

The development of the Strategic Initiatives shown in this document was achieved through two distinct steps. The first step involved brainstorming and discussion among committee members with respect to goals in the Technical, Educational and Professional areas. The second step involved brainstorming and discussion among committee members that was aimed at addressing the results of the SWOT analysis. From these two steps, the final strategic initiatives have been developed and address both the functions of the ASCE Texas Section and the environment in which the Section operates. From the Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Goals were developed. The Final Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Goals for the 2017-2021 ASCE Texas Section Strategic Plan are shown below in Table 4.

The rationale and understanding of the Strategic Initiatives are presented in the Appendix of this document. The rationale captures the synthesized work leading to the Strategic Initiatives and provides suggestions of means to accomplish the Strategic Goals. To this end, it should be emphasized that the Texas Section leadership should not feel limited by the detail provided in the Appendix. Rather, as a guide for Section leadership, the Strategic Initiatives and Goals presented here will ideally ensure that the decision-making of the Section will be consistent with the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan as well as the Vision and Mission of the Section. With the Strategic Initiatives and Goals now defined, it is imperative that the Executive Committee and Board of Direction for the Texas Section develop the path forward to make these initiatives a reality.

Stewardship & Service

  • Cultivate community and public outreach partnerships, fostering member engagement in their community and local organizations.
  • Promote the work of ASCE to increase public awareness of initiatives.
  • Create opportunities for member to collaborate, share, & provide mentorship.
  • Promote and build upon K-12 STEM outreach programs.
  • Grow the Section while ensuring members engage in their community.
  • Ensure we are at forefront of emerging sustainability & resiliency practices.

Professional Development & Leadership

  • Host & promote continuing ed opportunities (members & non-members)
  • Increase member awareness of current programs, activities, & shared resources.
  • Strengthen collaboration & partnerships with Technical Institutes at all levels.
  • Make available leadership opportunities and resources for members to develop and strengthen their professional skills and marketability.
  • Continue to enhance Student Symposium as it grows into a Region 6 event.
  • Facilitate advancement campaigns for student & younger members.

Advocating Civil Engineering

  • Improve advocacy activity through training experiences & online marketing tactics.
  • Support advancements in CE education curriculum & innovative technologies.
  • Leverage the Texas Infrastructure Report Card to increase public awareness of infrastructure deficiencies & the development of reliable funding streams.
  • Host a biennial ASCE Texas Legislative advocacy activity concurrent with Texas legislative sessions.
  • Champion Texas Section membership among state & local level officials as the leading authority and technical resource for CE topics.

Implementation

Members must find the organization relevant and the purpose of the Texas Section Strategic Initiatives and Goals is to identify opportunities to remain relevant. As such, this document provides no further approaches or strategies to accomplish the Strategic Initiatives and Goals presented herein. Rather the Executive Board, consisting of Texas Section membership, should meet annually to set milestones to accomplish the strategic initiatives for the upcoming year. Planning should coincide with the Texas Section Leadership Weekend, which is an event to provide Section and Branch leadership with the skills to be successful in the upcoming year. Additionally, this timing will allow for the budgetary needs of the activities to be incorporated into the upcoming year’s budget as the Budget process begins at approximately the same time as the Leadership Weekend is conducted.

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