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Construction Writers Association Reaches for the Stars at Annual Meeting
May, 2006
(Buffalo Grove, IL) The Construction Writers Association Annual Meeting, held in Washington, DC, May 3-5, 2006, was built around the theme "Reach for the Stars." The meeting began with a tour of the construction site of the new Air Force Memorial, followed by a welcoming pizza party. It ended with a presentation on "Construction in Space," highlighting the work Boeing is doing on the International Space Station.
In between, the association awarded its 2006 CWA Journalism and Photography Awards, elected officers and directors, focused on the fundamentals of construction writing, and looked at various construction-related topics during its annual meeting session.
Fundamentals
The Fundamentals of Construction Writing session began with an entertaining and informative look at bridging the gap between public relation and media professionals. The panel discussion, "How PR People Can Work Best with Publications," led by Judy Schriener, Construction.com, and Sharon Holling, Caterpillar, gave attendees an interesting look at both points of view.
There were wonderful comments from the audience since the issues are dealt with daily by editors and PR professionals. From a public relations perspective, one of the key points was that companies should respond in a timely manner to the media because of the tight deadlines. A public relations person should never assume that a deadline will be extended.
Several other points that could help bridge the gap are that companies should not expect editorial coverage in exchange for advertising; high-resolution (300 dpi) photos are required for publication; and, when participating in an interview, it's good practice not to repeat the editor's questions in your answer. Above all, remember not to say anything that shouldn't be in print. It's a good idea to conduct media training with any corporate employees who might be interviewed by the media.
The second session of the day, "ASCE's Infrastructure Report: How the Research is Done and How Construction Writers Can Use the Information," was presented by Casey Dinges, managing director of communications and government relations for the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Traffic congestion and overcrowded schools are daily reminders that the state of America's infrastructure directly affects our economy and quality of life. Dinges discussed how ASCE compiles its report card that looks at the condition of our nation's roads, bridges, water systems and other public works -- and assigns a grade in each of these areas. America's infrastructure GPA, as reported on the 2005 ASCE Report Card, was a "D".
Areas that were graded include Aviation (D+), Bridges (C), Dams (D), Drinking Water (D-), Energy (D), Hazardous Waste (D), Navigable Waterways (D-), Public Parks and Recreation (C-), Rail (C-), Roads (D), Schools (D), Security (Incomplete), Solid Waste (C+), Transit (D+) and Wastewater (D-). These grades represent little to no improvement since they were graded an overall D+ on the 2001 report card.
To remedy America's current and looming problems, ASCE estimates a required investment of $1.6 trillion over a five-year period from all levels of government and the private sector.
With today's hectic lifestyles, most people could use more than 24 hours a day to accomplish everything on their personal and business calendars. The last session of the morning, "Getting Organized: Achieving the Important While Responding to the Immediate," presented by Donna Lafreniere of Macmillan, McGraw-Hill's education publisher, emphasized the value of time management in all aspects of life.
"Time management is about staying on track and not letting things get in your way or stop you from getting where you want to go," stated Lafreniere. "You have to control your own destiny or someone else will," she said, and offered tactful ways to point out to others that they are imposing on your time.
While there are many tools available to help with time management, an individual has to be prepared to spend some time to become organized. The type of time management system used is a personal preference. However, no matter what system is chosen, having the ability to establish priorities is key to successful time management. Once priorities are in place, it is important to respect the time allotted to a given task and not let anything intrude on that time.
Annual Meeting
To open the CWA Annual Meeting program, Paul Morris, managing principal for Parsons Brinkerhoff Inc.-PlaceMaking, discussed community planning, sustainable development and context-sensitive design in "Active Communities for an Aging Population."
Some staggering figures:
- Every month, the world's "older" population increases by 1.2 million.
- By 2020, 1.4 billion persons will be over 60 years old, an increase of 240% since 1980.
- The US Census Bureau indicates that by 2050 America's older population will more than double, meaning that 80 million Americans (or one in five persons) will be over the age of 65.
Because older persons contribute greatly to the development of cultural, economic and social activities, it is essential that we make use of their potential interest and untapped capacities, especially at the community level. Increasingly, livable communities are those that attach a high priority to making the desire to "Age in Place" a reality for those older individuals who choose it.
An "Age in Place Agenda" supports four key principals, which state that older persons should:
- Be able to maintain a desirable lifestyle by participating in their communities;
- Have the resources to remain as independent as their health allows;
- Have easy access to educational, cultural and recreational facilities; and
- Feel safe in accessible, intergenerational communities.
These principals were discussed in more depth and included Community Design (Smart Growth), Transportation and Housing (Transit-Oriented Design), Socialization (in place of solitude), Active Transportation, A Healthy Environment, and Quality of Life (Good Urbanism).
Morris closed by challenging us to focus on community planning and design for an aging population. We are at the forefront of a global transition. If we are successful, great lessons will come from creating better communities that benefit all residents.
As the International Space Station (ISS) vice president and program manager for Boeing, Joy Bryant leads the Boeing team in its key integrating role for NASA's ISS Program. Her highly technical yet fascinating presentation, "Large Structure Assembly in Space," took us step-by-step through the system integration process used on the space station. The core assembly system is made up of 1) mechanical mating systems, 2) targets and lighting systems (lights, camera, video and targets), and 3) robotic and human systems.
When asked how NASA makes sure it works, Bryant quipped, "There are 16 international partners, so there is lots of rocket science." She then explained the unique tests and analyses implemented to ensure that the performance of the integrated steps, including kinemataic modeling, ground training and simulation, and digital/virtual pre-assembly with model correlation. Larger than a 5-bedroom house upon completion, ISS is an incredible integration achievement.
2006 marks the 50th anniversary of the Interstate System. Matt Jeanneret, senior vice president of communications and marketing with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), closed the CWA program by showing a video of a 1919 cross-country trek that Dwight D. Eisenhower took with his troops. The 62-day military truck convoy from Washington to San Francisco gave us a comical, but realistic, look at the terrible road conditions of that time. Eisenhower later saw the efficiency of German autobahns, and he made road transportation a priority while he was President. Horatio Earle, the first highway commissioner in the State of Michigan, was the first person to articulate the need for an interconnected highway system in America. In 1956, the Eisenhower administration put the plan into place.
Going forward, Jeanneret explained that the game plan of ARTBA is to lay out a vision and begin shaping federal transportation policy and investment decisions for future surface transportation reauthorization bills, starting with SAFTEA-LU in 2009. He emphasized that the goal should be a major rebuilding and modernization of existing infrastructure and adding significant capacity across all modes of transportation. He offered ARTBA's website, www.artba.org, for additional information.
CWA is grateful to a host of sponsors for their support of the Annual Meeting, including headline sponsor, Caterpillar Inc., tour sponsor, Centex Construction, welcome pizza party host, DMJM Design, coffee break sponsor, Surety Information Office, and Friday breakfast buffet sponsor, McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
General sponsors of the meeting included American Road & Transportation Builders Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated Builders & Contractors, Associated Construction Publications, Ditch Witch, Grant Thornton, National Asphalt Pavement Association, Randall Reilly Publishing, Roads & Bridges, Society for Marketing Professional Services, and Walter P Moore.
Construction Writers Association is a non-profit, non-partisan, international organization for journalists, publicists, photographers, and marketing communications professionals serving the information needs of the construction industry. By providing opportunities for networking, education, recognition, and fellowship, CWA helps foster a strong community - and improve the quality of construction writing. CWA's website is www.constructionwriters.org.
2006 Journalism and Photography Award Winners
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