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.

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.

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.

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.