“School’s out for the summer.” How many of you know that refrain from the Alice Cooper song? We are heavy into summer now, and this time of year has me reflecting on two totally unrelated items.
CPC Tracking is a valuable free service offered by NCEES that allows license holders to track continuing education in multiple jurisdictions. Have you thought about what else NCEES does?
On behalf of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, Happy New Year. Before we look forward to what 2025 will bring, we should first reflect on 2024.
Renewal for all Professional Engineers licensed in Florida is near, and continuing-education hours for the upcoming renewal period must be completed and reported (emphasis on reported). But no worries, I’m from the Board, and I’m here to help.
Here’s how you report multiple CE credits listed on one certificate using the NCEES CPC Tracking system.
Five years ago, the state’s professional licensing boards were asked to review their rules and make necessary changes to “keep Florida on a trajectory toward continued prosperity.” As part of this review, FBPE has revised its rule regarding experience equivalence that can be counted while earning a graduate engineering degree on a part-time basis while working full-time.
As we thank PJ Shah, PE, for serving as the Board’s vice chair in 2023, let’s look ahead to the new year.
Florida is experiencing unprecedented growth, reaching the coveted position of the fastest-growing state in the country. It’s hardly a secret why, with beautiful weather, beaches, low taxes, great engineers… Florida is where people want to live!
As of June 29, 2023, Rule 61G15-20.0011, F.A.C., has been amended to be more inclusive of professional engineers who clearly demonstrate structural engineering expertise. The most significant update is an amendment of the required post-licensure years of experience from 15 to 5 years.
Let’s take a few moments to clear up some confusion over Florida’s Structural Engineering Recognition Program for Professional Engineers that went into effect on July 1, 2022.
I have heard it said that the past is a wonderful place to learn from but a terrible place to live in, so welcome to the New Year!
At some point in our professional careers, most of us will be challenged by someone who does not trust our professional opinions, who disagrees with our recommendations, or who accuses us of something that does not demonstrate good moral character… whether it is true or not.
It is important to know where we came from as we look to the future. Not that we need to dwell on the past, but there are valuable lessons that we can learn from it.
A late co-worker, who received his Professional Engineer license in 1965, had a license number in the mid-7,000s. He was the only PE that I have ever known with only four digits in his license number. This got me thinking about how engineering licensure has changed over the years.
Happy New Year from the Board! I hope you are looking forward to 2022 as much as I am. The past two years have been full of personal and professional challenges for everyone. We have all learned to adapt to things in ways we never thought we would have to do.
Your Board reviews thousands of EI and PE applications every year. Just like characters in a dusty western, there are those applications that can be approved (the “good”), those that do not comply with the statutes (the “bad”), and then there are those applications that are vague, incomplete, or contain conflicts (the “ugly”).
The COVID-19 coronavirus is still a topic that cannot be ignored in conversation, media, or daily activities. I don’t know of anyone who has not been touched by this virus, and pray that those of you reading this are well and continue to be so.
Happy New Year from your Board. By the time you are reading this, 2020 will be in the rearview mirror, and speaking for myself, I am looking forward to overcoming the challenges of last year in the new.
The certification requirements for the Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings (SI) have gone through a rigorous rule-making process. Though the requirements for the SI certification were not changed, a new class of certification was introduced called SI (Limited).
As life goes on, virtual graduations are everywhere, and newly minted engineers are looking for real jobs. It is important for them to understand the pros and cons of career choices they make and how it affects professional growth. Though most engineers are aware of the four years of required experience for licensure, it appears they are generally not aware of what constitutes acceptable qualifying engineering experience for licensure.
NCEES has canceled the April 2020 PE exam as well as the zone meeting. The next FBPE board meeting in April will be a virtual one. It seems most of us have had to switch to working remotely and I am confident we can be up to the task. One possible benefit of being cooped up in the house, is being able to complete the required continuing education courses.
I would like to begin by thanking Ken Todd, P.E., (pictured) for serving as Chair of the Board for the past two years, as well as serving two full terms as a member of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.
This past August, several FBPE members and I attended the 2019 annual meeting of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) in Washington, D.C.
During a recent meeting, NCEES encouraged engineers to be more proactive in working to ensure licensure of engineers remains in place across the country.
There is a misunderstanding concerning the interpretation of two rules involving final engineering documents submitted to governments. I hope that this article will clear up the confusion and keep a professional engineer who is licensed in Florida and dealing with government entities from having a complaint filed against her or him.
I am very much looking forward to this year, while leaving 2018 behind and all the challenges I had last year. We have now entered a new year, 2019. All Professional Engineers licensed in Florida know what that means. Because it is an odd year, 2019 is a license renewal year. So, I thought it would be helpful to remind all Florida licensed engineers of some key components required as part of the license renewal process.
Not too long ago I brought up the Engineers’ Creed to a young engineer, to which he replied, “I didn’t know engineers had one.” I said we did and that it has had an influence on many engineers, myself included, as to how we practice engineering. His comment reminded me that I, too, was unaware there was an Engineers’ Creed as a young engineer until someone pointed it out to me.
From time to time, it is good to be reminded of the engineer’s responsibility to act in an ethical manner. As the next P.E. renewal cycle approaches, licensed engineers need to have taken one hour of ethics as part of the CEU requirement for license renewal in Florida.
I challenge all experienced engineers: Take time to mentor those young engineers in your company who are recent graduates. They will appreciate it, and it will be quite rewarding for both you as a mentor and your company through increased productivity.
The Florida Board of Professional Engineers celebrated a century of existence this past year. In my first order of business as the Board’s new Chair, I would like to thank the previous Chair, Anthony Fiorillo, for the outstanding job he did in leading FBPE through its 100th year.
It was an honor and a pleasure to serve as the 2017 Florida Board of Professional Engineers’ Chair. I enjoyed my time as Chair, but the distance from Northern Virginia and the demands of a booming economy, made it difficult to allocate sufficient time to serve the position diligently. Therefore, it is time for me to step aside and make way for the new Chair. Mr. Kenneth Todd is that guy!
Hurricane Irma pounded the state in September. The old adage says that hindsight is 20/20, so let’s take a look at a few lessons learned so that we can be better prepared for the next one.
Welcome to summer! We are already at the midpoint of the year. I can’t believe how fast this year is moving along! I suppose that means everyone is busy and having a great time! As I drive throughout the state, I see construction activity everywhere. …
Whew! Licensure and Certificates of Authorization renewals are complete! In total, 31,722 licenses and 4,564 Certificates of Authorization were renewed. Online license renewal opened on Nov. 7 and closed on Feb. 28. More than a third of the total renewals occurred within the final week of the deadline and approximately twice as many as were received in the first two months of the renewal period!
I have had the honor and pleasure of serving on the Florida Board of Professional Engineers with William C. Bracken, PE, SI, CFM since January 2012. During that time, I have grown to admire his diligence, tenacity, and sense of fairness in executing his duties as board member, vice chair, and chair. …
