Welcome to the ASCE Dallas Website, please feel free to click around. The Dallas Branch is one of the largest ASCE Branches in the United States. Read our President's Message.
ASCE Dallas supports and encourages the equitable opportunity for participation of all people within the civil engineering profession without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or physical challenges.
At the Spring Texas Section Meeting in Austin this year I attended an all-day workshop entitled “Public Relations (PR) for Civil Engineers.” The workshop was led by ASCE national’s government relations staff. It was an excellent hands-on workshop with exercises on everything from how to develop a relationship with your local elected officials to how to write a press release. I left the classroom that day with a realization that we as civil engineers cannot be silent about our profession. Although many of us are reluctant to speak to the media about civil engineering issues for fear that our words may be taken out of context, it is much more beneficial if qualified civil engineers speak to the press about infrastructure rather than someone lacking in our specialized knowledge.
Last week I put my PR training to good use. ASCE national was contacted by Scott Friedman of our local NBC affiliate. Mr. Friedman was working on a story about water main breaks in the Dallas area and planned to interview a representative from Dallas Water Utilities. He contacted ASCE because he was also interested in speaking with a local ASCE representative about our infrastructure issues in general, including the infrastructure report card. Although I was a bit nervous to be interviewed by an investigative reporter, I remembered (from my PR training) that it is better for our profession for civil engineers to speak to the media about infrastructure than someone less familiar with the subject. Mr. Friedman and his cameraman came to my office last Wednesday, May 19th, and set up their equipment. With an intensely bright light glaring down at me, I proceeded to answer questions about water pipelines and why they break, as well as questions about ASCE’s infrastructure report card and the state of our nation’s infrastructure. The interview went well, and Mr. Friedman was respectful and courteous and not at all accusatory as investigative reporters can be. The piece aired on June 1 at 10 pm. Unfortunately they got the name of our organization wrong, substituting “Professional” for “Civil”. And I wish I would have cleaned off my desk, but I do like the zoom on my Aggie ring!
Are you interested in learning more about increasing public awareness about civil engineering and infrastructure issues? I encourage you to register to attend a Public Relations Training course, typically offered at Texas Section meetings. Or attend “PR University” training at ASCE headquarters in Washington, DC. Are you interested in developing a relationship with your elected officials? I encourage you to visit www.asce.org and click on Issues and Advocacy, then Government Relations. You will find 16 ways to get involved in ASCE’s government relations program. Civil engineers need a voice to advance our profession and to education the public about the importance of infrastructure investment.
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