Kevin T. Campbell, PE, LEED AP – PSPE 2016 Engineer of the Year

Kevin T. Campbell, PE PSPE 2016 Engineer of the Year
Kevin T. Campbell, PE
PSPE 2016 Engineer of the Year

The PSPE State Engineer of the Year Award publicly recognizes outstanding engineers based on criteria including professional achievements, civic, political, engineering and educational contributions. The Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers is proud to award Kevin T. Campbell PSPE 2016 Engineer of the Year.

Kevin T. Campbell, PE, LEED AP, is president and chief operating officer of Barry Isett & Associates, a multi-discipline engineering firm headquartered in Allentown, PA.

The immediate Past President of the LV-PSPE, he has coordinated the Lehigh Valley MathCounts since 2010 and was the co-coordinator of the 2016 statewide competition. He will be the coordinator for the 2017 and 2018 events.

He was elected to the Lehigh Valley board of directors in 2008 and quickly rose through the offices of vice president, president, and past president. He also chaired the program committee; during that time the chapter received PSPE’s Outstanding Program Award.  Named the chapter’s Engineer of the Year in 2016, Kevin earlier received the Truman Yeager Award in recognition of his service to the chapter.

Kevin joined Barry Isett & Associates, Inc. in September, 2005 as a staff management analyst – bringing with him twenty years of leadership knowledge and technical experience that would serve to improve the company’s work efficiency and resource coordination in the decade to come. He was named vice-president within his first year at the company and president/chief operating officer in 2011.

Kevin’s executive management, attained from his previous employment with Agere Systems/Lucent/AT&T and Tri-Quint Optoelectronics, is backed by degrees in Metallurgical Engineering (B.S.), Electrical Engineering (M.S.), and Business Administration (MBA). This experience has provided the ideal framework for him to accelerate the company’s productivity by providing operational, fiscal, and strategical oversight – delivered with a transparent respect for the company’s most valuable resource – its people.

Kevin frequently interacts directly with the clients to ensure that projects meet expectations and quality standards.  Under his guidance, the company has expanded its services and geographical reach, but always with commitment to repeat clientele.

Kevin is most proud of the fact that the company has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Lehigh Valley four years in a row. The honor is based solely on employee feedback through a survey conducted by the Morning Call Media Group and WorkplaceDynamics, LLP. The firm received special recognition for Work/Life Flexibility.

In 2015, Barry Isett and Associates was accorded the Societas Award for Responsible Corporate Conduct, presented by the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace.  The annual award celebrates a company in Eastern Pennsylvania that demonstrates responsible corporate conduct in terms of legal compliance, corporate and individual accountability, commitment to stakeholders and social responsibility.

The former chair of the Lehigh Valley Steering committee of the Delaware Lehigh Valley Green Building Council, Kevin has served on the board of Lehigh Economic Assistance Program, and on the MusikFest talent selection committee and is the current treasurer of the American Wine Society – Lehigh Valley Chapter.

Kevin is the father of three children, Matthew, Lindsay and Shannon and the proud grandfather of Riley, who arrived this summer. Kevin and his wife, Michele, live in Zionsville, PA.

Standards of Professional Conduct

Timothy S. Ormiston, P.E., F.NSPE
PSPE President 2015-16

It came to the attention of the PSPE Executive Committee on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 that Matthew P. McTish, P.E. recently pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery in the region of Allentown and Reading, Pennsylvania. Mr. McTish was the President of McTish, Kunkle & Associates, and previously a member of PSPE.

In a statement by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday May 10, 2016:

“Court documents were unsealed today in relation to the guilty plea entered by Matthew McTish, 57, of Orefield, PA.  McTish pleaded guilty on April 28, 2016 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery offenses, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. McTish faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison, a possible fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 2, 2016.

As I have stated before, one of the things PSPE stands for is Standards of Professional Conduct.  The NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers specifically states as one of the Fundamental Canons: “Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.” PSPE is the recognized voice and advocate of all Professional Engineers licensed in Pennsylvania. Our mission is to promote and defend the interests of Pennsylvania’s Professional Engineers. The blatant disregard for ethical practice in this incident compels PSPE, in conjunction with NSPE, to request an investigation of Matthew P. McTish by the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. At this writing PSPE is engaged with making the request.

Additional details of the U.S. Attorney’s news release can be found at the following web address:

[www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/president-engineering-firm-admits-bribing-elected-officials-allentown-and-reading]

Timothy S. Ormiston, P.E., F.NSPE
PSPE President 2015-16

NSPE Recognizes 2016 Class of Fellows

The National Society of Professional Engineers proudly names Timothy S. Ormiston, P.E., as a Fellow member.

The NSPE Fellow membership was established in the year 2000 to honor those active Society members who have demonstrated exemplary service to their profession, their society and their community.  Since its creation, slightly more than one percent of all NSPE members have advanced to this highest volunteer membership rank.

Since joining NSPE in 1985, Tim has served not only NSPE but also his state and local society with the utmost dedication, devotion and commitment, and through this Fellow membership he is also recognized by the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers for his many contributions and achievements.

Tim truly epitomizes the highest ideals upon which the NSPE Fellow program was established – a strong record of unselfish service to his state and national society, a tireless commitment to excellence, and an enduring devotion to his profession. For these and his many notable accomplishments, Timothy S. Ormiston has been selected by the National Society of Professional Engineers to carry the honored title of Fellow and to proudly place behind his name the designation “P.E., F.NSPE.”

Tim joins a distinguished group of Pennsylvania Fellows:

John R. Ackerman PE, FNSPE, DEE, PG

Edward P. Becker PE, FNSPE

Leonard K. Bernstein PE, FNSPE

Joseph F. Boward PE, FNSPE

William J. Bryan PE, FNSPE

Elizabeth A. Catania PE, FNSPE

Jon W. Drosendahl PE, FNSPE

John W. Fisher PE, FNSPE

Harry E. Garman PE, FNSPE, PLS

Ernest U. Gingrich PE, FNSPE, PLS

Harvey D. Hnatiuk PE, FNSPE

Barry E. Isett PE, FNSPE, PLS

John E. Kampmeyer Sr. PE, FNSPE

Donald A. Lazarchik PE, FNSPE, FASCE

Thomas M. Maheady PE, FNSPE

David L. McCullough PE, FNSPE

Walter K. Morris PE, FNSPE

John A. Nawn PE, FNSPE, PTOE

Timothy S. Ormiston PE, FNSPE

Walter J. Poplawski PE, FNSPE

Michel J. Sadaka PE, FNSPE

Donald D. Smith PE, FNSPE

Susan K. Sprague PE, FNSPE

Peter O. Staffeld PE, FNSPE, PhD

Francis J. Stanton Jr. PE, FNSPE

Craig L. Weaver PE, FNSPE

John G. Woods PE, FNSPE

Donn R. Zang PE, FNSPE

PSPE Presidents Message, Engineers Week 2016

Timothy S. Ormiston, P.E.
PSPE President 2015-16

“Engineers Make a World of Difference” is the theme for National Engineers Week, February 21-27, 2016, sponsored by DiscoverE. We know that the world has become a global marketplace for goods and services. The same is true for the engineering profession; interaction between engineers and delivery of engineering services has gone global. In the last year I have interacted directly with supplier engineers in Germany and China. No doubt you have had direct interaction with or have been influenced by engineers from around the world. For the first time DiscoverE has selected February 24th as Global Day of the Engineer during National Engineers Week. Visit www.discovere.org/global-day to find more details.

DiscoverE is promoting many other programs for Engineers Week including: Future City Competition National Finals (Feb. 15th), Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (Feb. 25th), Family Day in Washington, DC (Feb. 27th) and Global Marathon (Mar. 8-10).

Traditionally National Engineers Week is celebrated in the week containing the birthday of President George Washington (February 22nd), considered be the nation’s first engineer. Although President Washington had no formal education, his accomplishments in surveying are well noted, in addition to his interest and actions to promote engineering in 18th Century America[1]. NSPE started National Engineers Week in 1951 to call attention to the contributions engineers make to society.

In Pennsylvania there are several PSPE chapters and other organizations that will conduct Engineers Week activities.  In eastern Pennsylvania the Philadelphia Chapter PSPE (Feb. 27th) and Delaware Chapter PSPE (Feb. 17th) PSPE, and the Delaware Valley Engineers Week Committee (Feb. 19th, 23rd, 25th) will hold celebration events. The Central Pennsylvania Engineers Week Council sponsors an awards banquet on February 24th in the Harrisburg area.  In western Pennsylvania the Pittsburgh Chapter PSPE (Feb. 27th) and Beaver County Chapter PSPE (Feb. 26th) PSPE and Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania (Feb. 18th) will hold awards dinners.

February is also the month for one of the most successful NSPE/PSPE programs: MATHCOUNTS. Many of the 22 regional competitions are complete as I write this. The state MATHCOUNTS competition will be held in Harrisburg on March 18-19, 2016. The Pennsylvania team will move on to the National competition in Washington, DC on May 7-10.

February into March is the special time to promote engineering to the public through regional, state, national and worldwide events. Get out and participate with your colleagues, friends and family in these and other events. Through your personal actions, non-engineers will know that “Engineers Make a World of Difference”

[1]”Washington – Engineer and Engineer Advocate,” Fort Leonard Wood Web Page, http://www.wood.army.mil/engrmag/JanMar2003a.htm

 

Copyright Infringement – What a Volunteer Needs to Know

You may recall a few years ago that one of the PSPE Chapters experienced a case of copyright infringement. The chapter web-volunteer found photos online and used them in the chapter site. The photographer regularly used a reverse image search to keep an eye on their work, and the chapter website popped up. Fortunately, the chapter came to a less-than-debilitating agreement with the author.

“Taking Images and Articles from the Internet – Is Your Association Committing Copyright Infringement” written by Katharine Foster Meyer, GKG Law, P.C.,  speaks to the situation exactly. She addresses both photos and articles.