BY ZANA RAYBON, FBPE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FEMC PRESIDENT
I am happy to announce that FEMC staff is now back in the office full time. After an exhausting and stressful year, staff is no longer working remotely. Hooray!
I want to take the opportunity to applaud our wonderful employees, who adapted quickly to work from home for most of the past year. During that time, FEMC received over 1,000 applications for FE certificates and over 2,000 applications for PE licenses. Staff continued to handle phone calls remotely and investigate complaints in a timely manner. Most importantly, over 40,000 PE licenses were renewed while staff worked from home. I am extremely grateful for our staff and proud of them.
With the conclusion of renewal, we are now looking to begin the continuing education audit for the previous biennium. In the next few weeks, 1,200 PE numbers will be randomly selected, and FEMC staff will send notices to those licensees, as well as any PEs who did not successfully complete the previous audit in 2020. Those selected will be required to respond within a specified time with proof of completion of continuing education credits. Be on the lookout for an email notice in the event you are selected, and be sure to timely respond.
Now that we are venturing out of our homes again and starting to resume normal activities, FBPE will once again be available to participate in outreach opportunities.
We were able to give several licensure presentations during the past year at universities via Zoom. But it will be nice to see students face-to-face.
Just last week, we spoke to young engineers at Kimley-Horn about the value and importance of licensure. We will also be attending the Florida Engineering Society’s Annual Conference in August where we will present to students, as well as licensed engineers.
If you would like to schedule a presentation, please contact wlampkin@fbpe.org.
Finally, I am excited to resume one more normal activity in August. That is the NCEES Annual Conference in New Orleans. Even though the conference will limit participation, I look forward to seeing all my licensing peers from other states, and talk about the changes and challenges that the past year have brought.
As always, if you have any questions for us or concerns that you would like the Board to address, feel free to contact us at board@fbpe.org.
Stay well!