Annual Election- Ballots Due May 21

LOUIS J. PICCIANO, P.E.

Engineer Picciano is a senior project manager with over 30 years experience in managing engineering and design projects for refining, chemical, petrochemical, power, and pharmaceutical industries, including instrumentation and control projects.  He holds licenses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New York

With MS and BS degrees from Drexel University, he started his career in 1977 as an engineering specialist with Monsanto Company.  Picciano specialized in control system engineering throughout most of his career, but his multi-disciplined experience set the stage to start his own engineering firm.

In 1985, Engineer Picciano was co-founder and Vice President of Sharp Design, Inc., an engineering firm providing control systems engineering to the industrial sector.  In the course of 16 years, Engineer Picciano guided Sharp Design to become an 80-person organization, providing chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, instrumentation & controls, and structural engineering to a variety of industries.  These included chemical, refining, power, pharmaceutical, paper, and power.

Service to the National Society of Professional Engineers includes two terms as National Director representing NJSPE (1999/2001) and participation in the first Consensus Congress to chart future direction of NSPE.

Picciano’s service to NJSPE was highlighted when - as President in 1998-99 - he presided over the Society’s initial governance restructure.  Other offices included President-Elect, Vice President, and Secretary.  In 1992-94 he was Conference Committee Chair, overseeing the annual educational and networking event to raise funds to support NJSPE needs.

In 2003, the members of NJSPE honored his achievements by bestowing upon Picciano the Distinguished Engineering Service Award.

Currently, Picciano is an At-Large Director on the Board of the NJSPE Educational Foundation (since 2001) and a member of the Foundation’s Career Day Committee (since 2007).  For the 2008 event he was responsible to recruit and coordinate the participating engineering enterprises that provide the subjet matter experts who speak to the participating students about careers in engineering.

Picciano has also held positions in the Professional Engineering Society of Southern New Jersey (PESSNJ), Instrument Society of America (ISA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the American Solar Energy Society (ASES)

Picciano is married and has two daughters.

Ms. Kevin Becica, P.E., P.P., C.M.E.

Kevin Becica is a partner with the firm of Environmental Resolutions, Inc. in Mount Laurel and currently serves as a consulting municipal engineer to several municipalities in central and southern New Jersey. 

Becica’s service in the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers has included the offices of Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  Most recently she has chaired a special committee to recommend structural revisions to NJSPE to enhance membership and members’ interests.  She has served multiple terms as President of the Professional Engineering Society of Southern New Jersey.  She also served for seven years as the South Jersey Region’s MATHCOUNTS Coordinator.

Engineer Becica currently participates in the legislative committee of the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) and the stormwater committee of the New Jersey American Water Resources Association (NJAWRA).  As leader of a Task Force on Stormwater Management for the Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (CECNJ), Ms. Becica recently brought comments from multiple design professionals regarding the stormwater regulations NJAC 7:8 to the public hearing held by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.  

Becica volunteers for New Jersey Planning Officials (NJPO) training sessions for Planning and Zoning officials.  Ms. Becica is on the Board of Directors of Robins’ Nest, Inc. of Glassboro, NJ, which provides services that promote healing and strengthening of families.

John J. Cantwell, PE, PP, CME

A practicing Professional Engineer since 1973, Cantwell received his degree from Rutgers University.  He is currently licensed in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.  He also holds a Professional Planner license in New Jersey.

Since 1988 he has been associated with Remington & Vernick Engineers and is currently a Senior Associate.  Prior to his current employment, he worked as an engineer in the Baltimore metropolitan area. 

Cantwell is currently serving as Treasurer for the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers (NJSPE).  Previously he had served in various offices of the New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers (NJSME), including President.  His current duties include serving on the Legislative Committee of both associations. 

John and his wife, Patricia, are residents of Voorhees Township in Camden County.  They have two children, a daughter with grandson who lives locally and a son (who has taken up surveying) residing in Massachusetts. 

Mark V. Shourds, PE, PP

Shourds has been an active NJSPE member since 1997.  He has served the Professional Engineering Society of Southern New Jersey Chapter since 2001 and has been the Chapter Trustee to the State Society’s Board of Directors since 2003.

Licensed in four states, Shourds is a partner in Taylor Wiseman & Taylor where he serves as Regional Manager of the Medford, NJ office…responsible for land planning and civil engineering projects.

Shourds holds a BSCE from Drexel University where he received the Senior Merit Citation. 

Robert J. Thiel, PE

A member of the NJSPE since 1997, Thiel has served in various leadership capacities.  These include the NJSPE Executive Committee as Secretary, the Executive Board of the Professional Engineers in Construction Interest Group as the Vice Chairman, the NJSPE Educational Foundation’s Board of Directors as the Secretary, and on the Engineering Career Day Committee as the Chairman.

Thiel is currently a Senior Project Manager at the Louis Berger Group, Inc. where he is the Manager of Civil Design. His affiliation began in 1999 as a Senior Engineer. He currently directly oversees the CADD group, as well as serves as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, and Task Leader on a variety of projects throughout the State of New Jersey.  He has a Bachelors Degree in Engineering and a Masters of Science Degree in Construction Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Thiel is active outside of the profession as well.   He has designed and built sets for two off-Broadway plays, as well as been involved in a variety of charity events.  He resides in Whippany with wife, Kara, and Daughter, Grace.  He enjoys reading, photography, and cheering on his two favorite sports teams, viz. the New York Yankees and the New York Rangers.

[Back To Top]

Message from NJSPE’s NSPE Delegate

It is not illogical for NJSPE members to ask, “What has NSPE done for me lately?”

Here are some of the many issues and the related activities being undertaken by our colleagues under the auspices of NSPE.

1. NSPE is advocating for the interests of PEs.
1. PE Day on the Hill will be held April 30. The three main issues that NSPE will be advocating are the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 775), the Strategic Technology/Engineering Program Act of 2007, and good Samaritan legislation that would protect engineers who volunteer their services after disasters.
2. NSPE is encouraging members to support the Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2007 (S. 777 and H.R. 1023). The legislation would repeal provisions of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 requiring federal, state, and local governmental entities to withhold as tax 3% of payments due to vendors providing goods and services to such entities, beginning in 2011. Currently, all payments for engineering services contracts are paid completely to the engineering firm. This legislation would repeal the future withholding tax and would guarantee that payments for all federal contracts for engineering services would continue to be paid completely to the engineering firm. NSPE is supporting the bill as a member of the Government Withholding Relief Coalition.
3. NSPE successfully influenced ABET to end its ban on dual-level accreditation. The change will permit universities to seek accreditation of undergraduate and graduate-level engineering programs of the same name within the same institution. Universities will be able to seek dual-level accreditation in 2009–2010.

2. NSPE continues to stay on top of industry trends by researching upcoming issues and offering relevant, topical education opportunities.
1. Many Web seminars have been conducted in the first few months of 2008. Topics include ethics, performance incentives, knowledge management, building a positive work environment, construction-phase risk management, construction defects, process safety management, and career development. Many of these seminars are supported by NSPE’s Interest Groups, and all members receive discounted registrations.
2. A growing number of free Web seminars are available on the NSPE Web site. These include “Leadership and the Emerging Generations,” “Improving the Professional Engineering Licensure Process for Construction Engineers,” “Ethics and Professionalism for Students and Young Engineers,” and “Changing the PE Paradigm: Additional Education for Professional Practice.”
3. The Professional Engineers in Private Practice CFO Roundtable is scheduled for June 12–14 and is open to principals and financial managers.
4. NSPE continued providing members with salary information through The Engineering Income & Salary Survey. NSPE has conducted salary surveys since 1952.

3. NSPE keeps the image of PEs and licensure visible in the community.
1. The Federal Engineer of the Year Award was presented on February 21 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to Capt. Anthony Zimmer, P.E., of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Public Health Service. The event was attended by more than 130 people.
2.  NSPE participated in the National Society of Black Engineers Annual Convention in March and the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference in February at which the NSPE ‘Get Licensed-Get Ahead’ presentation was delivered by three members including the undersigned.
3. NSPE continues to promote its reputation for professionalism through ethics seminars. Most recently, the Society presented a seminar at the North American Structural Steel Conference in Nashville on April 4.
4. NSPE is continuing its campaign as an underwriter for Washington, D.C.’s local public radio station, which carries classical programming, NPR news, and features like The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. This audience contains a high concentration of Federal, state, and local government officials as well as business decision makers. Radio spots are airing April 21–May 16.

4. NSPE supports math and science students and young engineers.
1. NSPE is co-chairing the 2009 Engineers Week along with Intel and is beginning to plan activities.
2. Many NSPE members have served as volunteers in support of MATHCOUNTS state-level competitions. NSPE is a co-founder of MATHCOUNTS. The national competition will be held May 8–11 in Denver, and for the first time, the MATHCOUNTS Web site will provide a live Webcast of the event (May 9, 3 p.m. MDT). The Webcast will also be available for viewing after the competition.  NJSPE members are renowned for their active participation in the regional and state competitions

5. NSPE continues to provide professional and personal benefits to its members.
1. Planning is underway for the NSPE Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, July 24–27. For registration and details, visit www.nspe.org .
2. The Licensure & Qualifications for Practice Committee published “Demonstrating Qualifying Engineering Experience For Licensure,” which is posted on the NSPE Web site in the “Licensure/Resources” section.

As a reminder, ours is a three-level association...national, state, and chapter.  The National Society is comprised of the members of the 53 state society affiliates.  That means that the National Society committees and task forces need volunteers from the state societies to help get results.  Recently, you received an invitation from President John Rhodes, PE to participate as a National volunteer.  I encourage you to do so.  You get a chance to meet members from the other state societies and to address issues that affect PEs across the U.S.

If you have nay questions or suggestions about NSPE, please don’t hesitate to send me an e-message at grob.group@rcn.com.

Gene R. O’Brien, PE, F.NSPE

[Back To Top]