KSPE November 2010 Newsletter
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Transcript of KSPE November 2010 Newsletter
November 2010
President‘s
Message 1
Executive
Director‘s
Message: 2010
Election Results:
Republicans
Sweep Kansas
2
KSPE Announces
New and
Improved
Website!
4
Fall 2010 PE
Exam Lunch
Summary
5
Thanks For Your
Generosity! 6
NSPE Fellow
Nominations Due
February 1, 2011
6
NSPE
Washington
Watch
7
Kids, Parents
and Engineers to
Experience My
Discover-E
9
Build Your
Business and
Credibility
through Public
11
Welcome New
Members! 15
KSPE Calendar 15
President’s Message By Brian Armstrong, P.E.
As fall approaches, we are in full
swing of the first half of the KSPE
year. There are some very exciting
things going on at the National,
State and Chapter levels.
NSPE Issues:
Our KSPE Board will soon be
considering a NSPE –State Society
Agreement sent from NSPE for
ratification. Its motivation is to
establish a formal agreement
between NSPE and KSPE. It will
also ensure compliance with legal,
tax and accounting standards. Our
EC review is underway and the
KSPE board will discuss at the
December KSPE Board meeting in
Manhattan.
We are moving forward, working
with NSPE, to better both our
State and National societies. We
are focusing on how to increase
membership and improve on the
value and services you receive from
KSPE and NSPE.
Legislative Events:
―Advocating legislation‖ is built
into the KSPE Mission Statement.
There is no better way to foster
your relationship with local legisla-
tors than to attend one of the
KSPE Chapter Legisla-
tive events. The Kan-
sas City event was a
great success with a presentation
from Dean Stuart Bell, University
of Kansas, on expanding the num-
ber of engineering graduates. Up-
coming events are currently sched-
uled for Topeka and Manhattan. I
encourage everyone to attend one
of these very important gatherings.
Chapter Visits:
Ron Gaches and I have been tour-
ing the State, visiting individual
Chapter meetings. It has been
great to see how other Chapters
interact and to meet so many new
PE‘s excited about KSPE. Thanks
to the Wichita, Topeka, Smoky
Valley, Tri Valley and Kansas City
Chapters for hosting. We have the
Southwest swing of the tour sched-
uled soon with visits to Hutchinson
and Garden City.
Membership:
Currently there are approximately
4,200 PEs with a Kansas mailing
address and our KSPE member-
ship is approximately 540.
(Continued on page 2)
Inside this issue:
Kansas Professional
Engineer News
Page 2 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
13% of PEs in Kansas are members of
KSPE. Our Membership Committee’s
core goal is to grow that percentage by
asking and encouraging our peers to
get involved, for both individual PE
benefits and for the good of the State
of Kansas.
Increasing membership is essential if we
want to continue offering the member ser-
vices we all value from KSPE. Doug Dana-
her has jumped out of leading our State
Society to leading our Membership Commit-
tee. Friday, November 19 at 9:00 AM, the
Membership Committee will meet via tele-
conference to focus on the following areas:
Membership Development Activities
(PE Licensure Recognition Cere-
mony, PE Exam Lunches, etc.
Membership Retention (formal
process to personally contact all
delinquent and dropped members to
learn causes)
Assist and Provide Resources to
Local Chapters for Membership
Development
Work with NSPE for effective
utilization of Membership
Development resources
Getting involved in KSPE is a very reward-
ing way to spend some of your free time. I
know that is sometimes hard to come by.
There are many ways you can help serve
KSPE. We have numerous committees on
both the local and state level. We will again
have a strong effort in membership reten-
tion and recruitment. Please contact your
local chapter, Ron‘s office or myself and get
involved. Have a great Holiday Season!
(Continued from page 1)
Carried to victory by the nationwide dissat-
isfaction with Democrat leadership, Kansas
Republicans achieved a clean sweep of all
statewide and Congressional offices. The
momentum carried over to the Kansas
House of Representatives where Republi-
cans picked up 16 Democrat seats without
surrendering a single Republican incum-
bent. In short, this was a thumping and
Kansas Democrats are reeling.
Sam Brownback‘s campaign for Governor
led the night with a 2-1 victory over Democ-
rat State Senator Tom Holland. Lots of fac-
tors contributed to the drubbing,
not the least of which was the
nationwide mood of voters.
Holland never generated the enthusiasm
that a top-of-the-ticket candidate needs to
create for his party, and his 30 point loss
set the stage for a night of disappointments
for the Democrats. This was an entirely
different election than 2008 when young
voters showed up in high numbers and the
elderly stayed home. Kansas voters, a
(Continued on page 3)
Executive Director’s Message 2010 Election Results: Republicans Sweep Kansas By Ron Gaches, J.D.
Page 3 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
majority of whom supported McCain over
Obama in 2008, were angry and frustrated;
angry at the Democrat President and
Congress and frustrated with their own
stagnant economic condition. Still, the
incumbent Attorney General, Secretary of
State and Treasurer were all Democrats. It
was an advantage Democrats were unable
to leverage. Brownback‘s campaign
attracted the core conservative Republican
voter and his coattails were significant.
Just as impressive, popular Congressman
Jerry Moran won an easy race for the open
U.S. Senate seat resulting from
Brownback‘s decision to seek the Governor‘s
office. Moran‘s challenger never generated
any heat, and he and Brownback were able
to play host to numerous campaign events
that featured the Republican undercard
candidates.
Although the Kansas U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives delegation will all be members of
the majority GOP caucus, they will proba-
bly be the most junior in seniority of all 50
states. One-term incumbent Lynn Jenkins
is the veteran of the group and three fresh-
men will join her in D.C. These folks aren‘t
rookies in the traditional sense. First
District Congressman Tim Huelskamp is a
veteran state senator and among the most
articulate of the state‘s ideological conserva-
tives. Third District Congressman Kevin
Yoder is a four-term state representative,
attorney and Chairman of the House
Appropriations Committee. Fourth District
Congressman Mike Pompeo is a successful
businessman, and former military leader
and State GOP National Committeeman.
They will be an articulate and unified team.
GOP Makes Gains in Kansas House
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the dra-
matic loss of Democrat state representative
seats. Virtually everyone was predicting a
GOP pickup of House seats, but no one was
anticipating a pickup of 16 seats. Democ-
rats lost 16 of their 49 seats to finish the
night with 33. This included the defeat of
14 incumbents and the loss of two seats
vacated by Democrats who retired from ser-
vice. Perhaps more impressive, not a single
incumbent Republican state representative
was defeated. Election night success like
this virtually insures the re-election of Mike
O‘Neal to another two-year term as
Speaker.
The Republican dominance has grown the
majority caucus advantage to 92-33, from
76-49 in the 2010 session, the strongest Re-
publican caucus since 1955. The strong per-
formance by conservatives greatly dimin-
ishes any likelihood of a moderate Republi-
can-Democrat coalition passing budgets and
tax bills as they did the past two years. In-
coming Governor Brownback will have a
House closely aligned with his conservative
fiscal views.
Senators are in the middle of four-year
terms (two senate seats were up for election
due to voluntary retirements: Senator
Colyer is the new Lieutenant Governor and
Jim Barnett retired following his unsuccess-
ful run for Congress), and little is expected
to change. However, Senator Majority
Leader Derek Schmidt is the new Attorney
General and that triggers a key mid-term
leadership election. The conventional
wisdom has Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Jay Emler moving up to the
Majority Leader‘s seat, but the Senate may
change further once Brownback names his
cabinet, so his election is not certain.
(Continued from page 2)
(Continued on page 4)
Page 4 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
2011 Session Full of Challenges
Looking down the road a couple of months
past the 2011 swearing in ceremony, noth-
ing will come easy for the new Governor.
Brownback inherits a Kansas economy that
is growing by the most modest of measures.
The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group
met on Election Day and forecasted a $480
million shortfall for FY 2012 between
anticipated revenues and current budget
commitments. Brownback has already said
he will freeze all state budgets and veto any
new taxes, so legislators will be forced to
reprioritize state spending.
That would have been easier before the $1.2
billion in state budget reductions made
during the past 18 months. With Kansas
school districts recently re-filing their state
lawsuit over adequacy of state funding
(they won their first suit in 2006), the
growing unfunded liabilities of the State
Employee Retirement System ($7.7 billion
and growing), and the ever increasing
classroom enrollments and social services
caseloads, the new Governor and
Legislature will be under intense pressure
on budget issues.
KSPE PAC Results
The KSPE Political Action Committee was
re-activated this election cycle after being
dormant for more than a decade with mixed
results. During the primary election the
PAC focused on supporting moderate
Republican incumbents in the Kansas
House who had supported passage of the
new Comprehensive Transportation Plan
and the sales tax to fund it, and our high-
way safety initiatives. We also supported
two challengers running against
incumbents who had voted against the
Transportation Bill. On election night we
prevailed on 13 of 15 races; saving 12 of 13
incumbents and winning one of two chal-
lenges. During the general election the fo-
cus moved to protecting incumbent De-
mocrat state representatives who had sup-
ported the Transportation Plan and its
funding against conservative challengers
who supported repeal of the sales tax. We
were less successful with these races,
winning 25 of 35. Under the leadership of
KSPE Government Relations Committee
Chair Dick Hayter, PE, the PAC now will
start preparation for the 2012 elections.
(Continued from page 3)
The Kansas Society of Professional Engi-
neers is pleased to announce the unveiling
of our new and improved website at
www.kansasengineer.org.
The KSPE website offers a variety of new
features as well as some of the old. The new
site requires members to login with their
own username and password in
order to make many sections of
the site visible to members only.
Your username is your membership number
and your password is your last name (case
sensitive, example: Smith).
Thank you, and we appreciate your support!
KSPE Announces New and Improved Website!
And thank you to all of the volunteers (From left: Andy
Wright, Cory Schoffelman, Ricky Teed, Brian Armstrong, Scott Uhl, Paul Deitering, Sta-
cey Lamer, George Sloop, Mike Crow).
Fall 2010 PE Exam Lunch
On October 29th nearly 160 examinees were served a brown bag lunch…which hopefully
provided the sustenance needed to successfully become Licensed Professionals!
Thank you to all who participated in the raffle!
The winners of the $40, $20, and $10 respectively were…
John Moberg, Black & Veatch
Joseph Thomas, Thorton Tomasetti
Nate Fry, HNTB
Congratulations Winners!
Special Thanks to Brandy Johnson, Amy Schlink, and Sweet Dreams catering!
John Moberg Joseph Thomas Nate Fry
Page 6 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
2011 NSPE Fellow member nominations
are due in the NSPE Headquarters office by
February 1, 2011. All state societies are en-
couraged to participate in the NSPE Fellow
member program by submitting applica-
tions for qualified NSPE members.
Please be sure to carefully review the crite-
ria and qualifications that are used for Fel-
low member selection as there have been
some changes made to instructions for com-
pleting the nomination form. These changes
now include a description of what consti-
tutes ―involvement in NSPE‖ and ―national
service.‖
Also, to be considered for Fellow member-
ship please remember that all nominees
must be current NSPE members or Life
members.
Instructions and guidance for completing
the Fellow nomination form and the nomi-
nation form itself can be found at http://
www.nspe.org/AboutNSPE/
fellowmembershipgrade.html
Thank you in advance for your participa-
tion. We look forward to receiving your
nominations.
Nancy Oswald
NSPE
703-684-2856
NSPE Fellow Member Nominations Due February 1, 2011
KSPE would like to thank all of the KSPE Life Members who answered our
request for financial contributions earlier this year! We appreciate the com-
mitment that was demonstrated to our Society. Thank you to the following for
their support!
GLENN ANSCHUTZ
WILLIS BELL
LARRY EMIG
PAUL GIANANKON
STUART HUTCHISON
MIKE LACKEY
RODNEY MAAG
JOHN MEYER
HAL MUNGER
CARL NUZMAN
THOMAS PICKFORD
DICK SCHERER
WILLIAM SHAFER
BERNARD WILLIAMS
Thanks For Your Generosity!
Page 7 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
Professional Engineers Compete for
Congressional Seats; Two Win
Four professional engineers ran for Con-
gress in 2010, and two will soon be walking
the halls of Capitol Hill: NSPE member
David McKinley, P.E. (R-WV-1) was elected
to his first term and Joe Barton, P.E. (R-TX
-6), who has served in the House since 1985.
NSPE-PAC supported Barton and McKinley
as well as Ann Brickley, P.E. (R-CT-1) and
NSPE member Tommy Crangle, P.E. (R-TN
-3), who lost their races.
McKinley holds a B.S. in civil engineering
from Purdue University. He spent 12 years
in the construction industry before estab-
lishing his own architectural and engineer-
ing firm, McKinley and Associates.
McKinley has been an NSPE member since
1972. He will become one of 92 freshman
representatives attempting to appease out-
raged voters, who showed their displeasure
by ousting at least 60 House Democrats and
returning the majority in that chamber to
the Republicans.
Barton earned a B.S. in industrial engineer-
ing from Texas A&M University and an
M.S. in industrial administration from Pur-
due University. Barton, a 26-year veteran of
the House, is likely to become the next chair
of the power Energy and Commerce Com-
mittee.
Crangle holds a B.S. in civil engineering
from Tennessee Technological University.
From 2004–07, he served as an electrical
infrastructure expert in Iraq. Crangle also
co-owns a small real estate development
and investment company. He has been an
NSPE member since 1983. Crangle lost a
crowded Tennessee Third District Republi-
can primary in August. The seat, vacated by
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN-3), was an easy win
for Republican victor Chuck Fleischmann.
Wamp lost his bid for governor.
Brickley earned her B.S. and M.S. in engi-
neering from the University of Connecticut.
She is a former GE executive who now owns
the consulting firm Sage & Swift. A Repub-
lican challenger in Connecticut‘s First Dis-
trict, Brickley was defeated by six-term in-
cumbent John Larson in a Democratic
stronghold.
Lame-Duck Congress May Breathe Life
into Expired R&D Tax Credit
Congress will attempt to pass a ―tax extend-
ers‖ bill, an annual authorization that pro-
vides tax cuts for businesses and includes
the research and development tax credit,
during a post-election lame-duck session.
The R&D credit expired on December 31,
2009. The credit, which applies only to R&D
performed in the U.S., is used by nearly
18,000 companies of all sizes. Most of the
credit dollars are used to pay salaries of
workers engaged in R&D, spurring eco-
(Continued on page 8)
NSPE Washington Watch
Page 8 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
nomic growth not only through innovation
but also through jobs. In 2009, the U.S.
ranked number 24 among 38 industrialized
countries offering R&D tax incentives. The
R&D credit is critical to keeping the U.S.
competitive in the global technology mar-
ket.
NSPE is a member of the R&D Credit Coa-
lition, a group of more than 100 trade and
professional associations and companies of
all sizes that collectively represent millions
of American workers engaged in U.S.-based
research throughout major sectors of the
U.S. economy, including aerospace, agricul-
ture, biotechnology, chemicals, electronics,
energy, information technology, manufac-
turing, medical technology, pharmaceuti-
cals, software, and telecommunications. The
objectives of the R&D Credit Coalition are a
strong, permanent R&D credit of commen-
surate rate for all companies; a 20% simpli-
fied credit; and an extension of the tradi-
tional credit.
NSPE Urges Senate to Pass America
COMPETES Act Reauthorization
NSPE sent a joint letter as part of the Sci-
ence, Technology, Engineering, and Mathe-
matics Education Coalition to Senate Ma-
jority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mi-
nority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urg-
ing them to pass the America COMPETES
Act reauthorization bill.
The America COMPETES Act, enacted in
2007, was drafted in response to Rising
Above the Gathering Storm, the National
Academies' report on America's lagging
competitiveness in science and technology.
The COMPETES Act funds investments in
science and engineering research and
STEM education from kindergarten to the
postdoctoral level. The House passed the
bill in May. If the Senate passes the reau-
thorization, the House and Senate could
produce a final bill for the President's sig-
nature before the 111th Congress ends.
NSPE is a member of the STEM Education
Coalition, which supports STEM programs
for teachers and students at the Depart-
ment of Education, the National Science
Foundation, and other agencies that offer
STEM-related programs. The coalition is
composed of more than 40 diverse groups
representing all sectors of the technological
workforce.
NSPE Advocates STEM Education
Appropriations
NSPE sent a joint letter to House and Sen-
ate leaders as part of the STEM Education
Coalition asking them to provide the high-
est funding levels for Department of Educa-
tion and National Science Foundation
STEM education programs in the appro-
priations bills, including:
$675 million for the Department of Edu-
cation‘s Race to the Top initiative, as recom-
mended by the Senate Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education Appropria-
tions Subcommittee;
$250 million for the Department of Edu-
cation‘s Investing in Innovation program, as
recommended by the Senate Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education Appro-
priations Subcommittee;
$180.4 million for the Department of
Education‘s Mathematics and Science Part-
nership program, as recommended by both
the House and Senate Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education Appropria-
tions Subcommittees;
(Continued from page 7)
(Continued on page 9)
Page 9 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
Kids, Parents and Engineers to Experience My Discover-E
New Interactive Online Resource En-
ergizes K-12 Movement for Volunteer
Outreach and National Support of
STEM Education
Unique Site Offers Exploration of
Engineering Sites, Volunteers and
Resources in Local Areas
Washington, DC- October 20, 2010–
What do hands-on activities, famous land-
marks, engineer mentors, and family events
have in common? They‘re all part of My Dis-
cover-E (www.mydiscover-e.org), a new en-
gineering hub from National Engineers
Week Foundation that supports Educate to
(Continued on page 10)
$7.424 billion for the National Science
Foundation, as recommended by the House
Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropria-
tions Subcommittee; and
$958 million for NSF‘s Education and Hu-
man Resources Directorate, as recom-
mended by the House Commerce, Justice,
and Science Appropriations Subcommittee.
NSPE Is Advancing Your Interests in
Washington
Catch up on what NSPE is doing for you in
Washington with ―Latest News.‖ NSPE is
working with officials from the Hill and the
agencies to protect and promote the engi-
neering profession. Updated every Friday,
―Latest News‖ is a summary of NSPE‘s leg-
islative and regulatory advocacy activities.
NSPE Legislative Action Center Links
You to Congress
NSPE‘s Legislative Action Center is your
link to Congress. The site features Action
Alerts on federal legislation affecting the
engineering profession and lets you tell
your members of Congress what you think.
When you click on an Action Alert, you will
be able to read about the issue at hand and
have the opportunity to write an online let-
ter to your senators or representative.
NSPE will provide you with talking points
on the issue. All you have to do is describe
the personal effect the legislation would
have on your business or your ability to
practice engineering—that‘s what your leg-
islators really want to hear about.
When you type in your zip code on the Leg-
islative Action Center homepage, you will
be taken to a page that is customized with
biographical and contact information for
your federal, state, and (in some places) lo-
cal representatives. Check out how your
federal legislators voted on key NSPE is-
sues and whether they have cosponsored
bills NSPE supports by clicking on the leg-
islator‘s name and then clicking on the
―Votes‖ and ―Bills‖ tabs within the legisla-
tor‘s profile.
You also can sign up to receive e-mails
when NSPE publishes an Action Alert, find
information on registering to vote in your
state and upcoming election dates, and
much more.
For more information, visit
NSPE Government Relations on the Web,
or contact Senior Manager of Government
Relations Sarah Ogden at 703-684-2844 or
(Continued from page 8)
Page 10 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
Innovate, The White House national STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) initiative. My Discover-E
connects users to engineering experiences
and enables them to see, touch, do and ex-
plore right in their own backyard.
The new Mydiscover-e.org web destination
launches in conjunction with the 20th anni-
versary of its parent program, Discover-
E. Since its founding, Discover-E‘s mission
has been to link young people and their
families to engineer volunteers, events and
other activities nationwide. By providing
hands-on activities and unique learning op-
portunities, students are more likely to de-
velop and sustain an interest in engineering
as a potential career.
With its various interactive and easy-to-use
features, the My Discover-E site connects
users to engineering related resources in
their area through maps, event calendars,
event searches and an engineer network. It
also encourages exploration of professional
engineering achievements and activities in-
side and outside the classroom, demonstrat-
ing engineering as a creative career choice
that impacts and shapes our past, present
and future.
While exploring My Discover-E, you‘ll find
some of the following unique features along
the way:
Locate an Engineering Event- Find
an engineering event relative to your cur-
rent location. Users will be able to custom-
ize search capabilities based on location,
discipline, age group and time of year that
best fits their needs. Events will range
from engineering clubs and camps, to com-
petitions, field trips and even classroom
support.
Find an Engineer- A special feature
that enables parents and adult leaders to
request an engineer to work with kids or
events. It allows engineer mentors to regis-
ter on the site to participate in outreach
programs, and to find access to training and
program resources.
Direct Engagement- My Discover-E
will provide direct opportunities for interac-
tive engagement by allowing visitors to rate
and comment on programs and to request
engineers for outreach programs. In this
way, families from across the country can
―join the conversation‖ in a unique commu-
nity forum addressing their individual con-
cerns and needs.
Post an Event - Users interested in
posting an event can go to www.mydiscover-
e.org, and click on ―login/registration‖ and
create a username. Click on the ―Event‖
section and then ―Add Event.‖ Submit the
requested information about the event and,
once approved by the administrator, it will
be posted.
―The My Discover-E web portal represents
our efforts on a national level to support
STEM education and experiential learning.
As coalition members, engineers, teachers,
parents and students help to uncover this
new resource, it will directly impact our
youth and the development of a future gen-
eration of engineers,‖ said Leslie Collins,
Executive Director, National Engineers
Week Foundation. ―My Discover-E is truly
a one-stop shop for exploring hands-on and
engineering related activities that inspire
change for the future.‖
―Engineering has so many practical applica-
tions, yet it is not taught in middle and high
schools,‖ said Jane Lombardi, Director of
Communications, American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE). ―My Discover-E plays a
(Continued from page 9)
(Continued on page 11)
Page 11 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
vital role in connecting the dots for kids.
Through the prism of engineering, they be-
gin to understand that science, math and
technology are not just abstract concepts
but, instead, have real world functional-
ity. This is a real ‗light bulb‘ moment – it is
incredibly empowering and exciting.‖
About My Discover-E
‗Engineering: Shaping the Future‘ is the
first public portal to aggregate and promote
local opportunities across the U.S. The site
has been developed and is supported by
many organizations that dedicate an enor-
mous amount of volunteer time and talent
to work with children in their communi-
ties. These organizations are part of a coa-
lition dedicated to providing opportunities
for our children and to improving their in-
terest and abilities in science, engineering,
math, and technology. The coalition is or-
ganized by the National Engineers Week
Foundation. For more information, visit
www.mydiscover-e.org.
About National Engineers
Week Foundation
The National Engineers Week Foundation,
a formal coalition of more than 100 profes-
sional societies, major corporations and gov-
ernment agencies, is dedicated to ensuring
a diverse and well-educated future engi-
neering workforce by increasing under-
standing of and interest in engineering and
technology careers among young students
and by promoting pre-college literacy in
math and science. Engineers Week also
raises public understanding and apprecia-
tion of engineers' contributions to soci-
ety. Founded in 1951, it is among the oldest
of America's professional outreach ef-
forts. Co-chairs for 2011 are Raytheon and
the American Society of Heating, Refriger-
ating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE). For more information, visit
www.eweek.org.
CONTACT:
Sayles & Winnikoff Communications:
Alan Winnikoff
(212) 725-5200 ex. 111
Jamie Goldman
(212) 725-5200 ex. 122
(Continued from page 10)
Would you like to sell to 40 prospects at the
same time? Well, step up to the microphone.
Service organizations like Kiwanis Clubs,
Rotary, Lion's or Optimist Clubs are always
looking for a speaker to address their group
for free. It's a win-win situation. They get a
speaker at no charge. You have a terrific
promotional tool and more importantly are
perceived as an expert in your field. Does
that sound like a good head start over your
competition?
TIPS FOR YOUR TALK
We've all heard that the fear of death is of-
ten surpassed by the fear of public speak-
ing. Think about the positive results of de-
livering a presentation and that might mo-
tivate you to work through your fears. In
case that isn't enough, take time to work
through these exercises to help you channel
all that nervousness into energy.
(Continued on page 12)
Build Your Business and Credibility through Public Speaking By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Page 12 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
Physical Preparation: Warm up and
relax your body and face.
a. If you're wearing high heels take them
off. Now, stand on one leg and shake the
other. When you put your foot back on the
ground it's going to feel lighter than the
other one. Now, switch legs and shake. You
want your energy to go through the floor
and out of your head. This sounds quite cos-
mic; it isn't. It's a practical technique used
by actors.
b. Shake your hands...fast. Hold them above
your head, bending at the wrist and elbow
and then bring your hands back down. This
will make your hand movements more natu-
ral.
c. Warm up your face muscles by chewing in
a highly exaggerated way. Do shoulder and
neck rolls. Imagine that you're eye level
with a clock. As you look at 12, pull as much
of your face up to 12 as you can; now move
it to 3, then down to 6 and finally over to 9.
All of these exercises serve to warm you up
and relax you. Those exaggerated move-
ments make it easier for your movements to
flow more naturally.
Preparation is a key element to making a
solid presentation. Here are a few tips that
will help you make an effective presenta-
tion.
THE OPENING
Psychologists have proven that the first and
last 30 seconds of any speech have the most
impact, so give the open and close of your
talk a little extra thought, time and effort.
Do not open with "Ladies and Gentlemen, it
is a pleasure to be here tonight." It's wast-
ing too much of those precious 30 seconds.
Opening a speech with a joke or funny story
is the conventional wisdom. Before you do,
ask yourself these questions:
•Is it appropriate to the occasion, for the
audience?
•Is it in good taste?
•Does it relate to me (my product or ser-
vice) or the event or the group? Does it sup-
port your topic or its key points?
A humorous story, an inspirational vi-
gnette, which relate to your topic or audi-
ence, are sure ways to get an audience's at-
tention. However, it may take more presen-
tation skill than you possess in the begin-
ning. It's safer and more effective to give
the audience what you know.
A good way to open your speech is by giving
the audience the information they most
want to hear. By now, you know the ques-
tions you hear most at a cocktail reception
or professional society meeting. Well, put
the answers to those questions in your
speech.
A scientist with Genentech was preparing a
speech for a woman‘s group. Since most of
the audience didn't know what scientists
are like or what they do, he told them what
it was like to be a scientist. ―Being a scien-
tist is like doing a jigsaw puzzle in a snow-
storm at night...you don't have all the
pieces...and you don't have the picture to
work from.‖ You can say more with less.
THE CLOSING
The close should be one of the highlights of
your speech. Summarize the key elements
to your presentation; i.e. overview of the lo-
cal real estate market, your investment
process, the value of a home‘s preventative
maintenance, etc. If you're going to take
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Page 13 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
questions, say, "Before my closing remarks,
are there any questions?" Finish with some-
thing inspirational that ties into your
theme.
The Genentech scientist told of the frustra-
tions of being a scientist and he closed by
saying, "People often ask, 'why should any-
one want to be a scientist?'" His closing
story told of a particularly information-
intensive medical conference he attended.
The final speaker of the day opened with, "I
am a 32-year-old wife and mother of two. I
have AIDS. Please work fast," she said to
the scientists. He got a standing ovation for
the speech.
OUTLINE FOR YOUR SPEECH
There are two basic outlines that work well
for the beginning speaker.
Then-Now-How outline. "This is where I
was. This is where I am. This is how I got
here." This outline will help you tell the au-
dience who you are and why you are quali-
fied to speak on the topic you've chosen.
Recently, a friend asked that I help her
with a talk she had asked to present. I
asked three vital questions you must also
ask yourself: Who is the group to whom you
are speaking? How long will your talk be?
Why have they asked you to speak?
My friend had been asked to do a 25-minute
speech for the local Board of Realtors be-
cause of her great success in real estate. I
suggested she follow the Then-Now-How
outline and open like this: "Twelve years
ago, when I went into the real estate busi-
ness, I had never sold anything but Girl
Scout cookies and hadn't done well with
that. Last year, I sold $50 million of real es-
tate in a slow market selling homes that av-
eraged $150,000 each. In the next 30 min-
utes you will learn exactly how I did
that...and how you can too!"
The question and answer format: Peo-
ple in your audience are like the people you
meet in your business or at a cocktail party
-- they probably all ask you many of the
same questions about your work. Think of
the questions prospects, clients and friends
ask you about your business.
Now you can open with, "The five questions
I am most frequently asked about invest-
ments (or whatever your field is) are…."
Pose the first question to the audience and
answer it for them in a conversational man-
ner...just like you would to a prospective
customer. You may have never given a
speech before, but you certainly have an-
swered the questions.
WRITING YOUR SPEECH
I don't believe in sitting down and writing a
speech. Instead, gather and collect ideas
that can build your speech. If you're going
to be addressing a group in the next few
weeks, keep a note pad with you and jot
down ideas, situations that relate to your
talk. When you actually write your talk,
you'll have lots of material to fit into your
outline.
PRESENTING THE SPEECH
Do not read your speech. Write key points
in bold felt tip pen on a pad you keep on the
lectern or table. (Or in a large, bold typeface
in your Word document.) Unless you rely a
lot on your notes don‘t stand behind the lec-
tern throughout your entire talk. It puts a
barrier between you and the audience and
they feel it. However, if you feel more secure
standing behind the lectern, do not lean on
it.
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Page 14 Kansas Professional
Engineer News
The introduction: Write your own intro-
duction. Use your resume as a guide, but
customize it to fit the topic on which you're
speaking. Do not include your job as a life-
guard in your intro unless it directly relates
to your subject. Consider these ideas: how
long have you been involved in the commu-
nity? What makes you an expert? Do you
have a connection to the organization?
Handouts: Develop a page detailing your
key points. Or if you've had an article pub-
lished, make copies for the audience mem-
bers. Make sure that the handout includes
your name, address, telephone number,
email and Web address.
Business Cards: If your goal is to develop
business contacts, always collect business
cards from the audience members. You can
offer to send additional information, articles
or tip sheets to them. Or you can offer a
door prize (this can be a product you sell or
certificate for service -- a free evaluation of
financial status, etc.) and ask that everyone
drop their business cards in a box from
which you or the program chair will draw
the winner (or winners) at the end of your
talk.
The business cards give you prospects with
whom you can follow up later. If you offer to
provide attendees with written material,
you might include an order blank for you
product or service.
JUST DO IT!
Speaking before a group of strangers can be
intimidating, but keep focused on the posi-
tive impact the presentation will have on
your business reputation and your bottom
line.
Don't expect to be a magnificent speaker
the first time out. Your goal is to present
the most valuable information possible to
the members of the audience. Think of it as
the beginning of many long-term relation-
ships.
About the Author
Patricia Fripp is an executive speech
coach, sales presentation trainer, and key-
note speaker on sales, customer service,
promoting business, and communication
skills. She works with companies large and
small who want a competitive edge. She
builds leaders, transforms sales teams and
delights audiences. She is the author of Get
What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't
Have to Fake It!, and is a Past-President of
the National Speakers Association. To learn
more about having Patricia do her magic for
you, contact her at www.Fripp.com, (415)
753-6556, or [email protected].
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