GBA is thrilled to share that Past-President (2017-2018) Charles “Charlie” L. Head, P.E., P.G. (Sanborn, Head, & Associates Inc.), has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Professional Practice Ethics & Leadership award, presented jointly by GBA and the American Society of Civil Engineers. This award honors the accomplishments of a licensed professional engineer who displays outstanding engineering ethics and leadership.

“I can’t think of an award I’d be more honored to receive than an award for ethics and leadership,” Head said. “It’s been both a thrill and pleasure to serve in a number of leadership roles throughout my career and to give back to the profession wherever and whenever possible.”

Charlie founded Sanborn, Head, & Associates Inc. with three colleagues in 1993 and currently serves as that firm’s Chair of the Board of Directors. Sanborn Head has grown from a company of four to 170 employees. He is proud to have been a champion of the firm’s unique culture all along the way.

   “Throughout my career, I’m constantly amazed at the dedication of the professionals that I meet and work with,” Head said. “Their passion for what they do and the commitment to always doing the right thing has been inspiring. I can’t think of a richer or more rewarding career.”

Mr. Head’s leadership reaches far beyond Sanborn Head, as he has served on multiple non-profit boards  in New Hampshire and is a graduate of the highly selective Leadership New Hampshire, Class of 2017. He volunteered his time for 14 years on the Advisory Board of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and served as the Founder and Chair of the inaugural UNH Alumni Conference in 2010, a biennial event that brings alumni, students, and faculty together for a multi-track conference, and is still successfully being held today.

As GBA President in 2017-18, Mr. Head led the association’s adoption and launch of a new strategic plan that propelled GBA forward. Charlie’s tenure focused on finding ways to create new value in GBA membership; producing highly relevant educational and reference materials; and developing training modules and customized coursework.

Charlie was appointed to GBA’s prestigious Council of Fellows in 2020.

“GBA has provided the strong foundation for what I’ve been able to accomplish throughout my career. My peers – including many GBA leaders – have made the defining difference in my career.”

Recently, Head demonstrated his continued dedication to leadership by developing and facilitating Sanborn Head’s inaugural Leadership Program in 2022-23. He is dedicated to leading the two-year program again beginning in 2025.

“Leadership can be both bold and visible or it can be quieter and more supportive,” Head said. “But either way, it provides an opportunity to really give back and make a difference. And I’ve always found, what you get in return will be as much or more than what you give.”

Mr. Head received his bachelor’s degree in geology from St. Lawrence University, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of New Hampshire, and a master’s degree in civil and groundwater engineering from Colorado State University.

“This award should be dedicated to the many professionals who have provided me with such great support and mentorship,” Head said. “It should be also dedicated to my family, including my three kids and my wife Lindy, who showed patience, love, and support throughout my career.”

Guy Marcozzi, P.E., D.GE, LEED AP BD+C (Verdantas)

As a reader of NEWSlog and GBA NEWS, there’s a pretty good chance that you are one of our core members and we appreciate your commitment to GBA. Thank you for all you do for us and for this opportunity to serve as your President this year.

May begins the new business year for GBA. In GBA’s long history we’ve had 54 prior Presidents including some of the iconic figures in our industry, each trying to lead the organization for current and future relevance in delivering for our member firms. Through the years, GBA has been driven and nimble in tackling the big business issues we all faced including finding viable professional liability insurance, risk management best practices, as well as business optimization including leadership and ownership transition, commoditization, and most recently recruiting.

I’ve personally benefited from more than 30 years of meeting attendance, Peer Review, FOPP, and lots of other ways and welcome this opportunity serving on the Board to try to repay the efforts of so many others that made my experience special. I’m humbled to be part of it and promise to do my best to help GBA remain strong and deliver relevant and timing content and services for you.

Under recent former presidents Thomas Blackburn, P.E., G.E., F.ASCE, F.ACEC (Blackburn Consulting) Leo Titus, P.E. (ECS Group of Companies), and Matt Moler, P.E. (S&ME) we largely completed the goals of our prior strategic plan with tangible outcomes, including expanded engagement through our committees and the launch of our “Career Continuum,” which assures that every GBA member will be able to find and engage in activities and materials directly relevant to their career stage.

We have another cyclical opportunity this year to continue repositioning GBA members for current and future success as we are entering a strategic planning year. Our world is changing rapidly, driven by technology and demographics, such that some of the old paradigms may no longer be effective, requiring us also to change. But how? Change is hard for lots of reasons, not the least of which is recognizing that change is here and seeing through our normal environment to view change objectively with its challenges and opportunities. These circumstances are best addressed together in a group, as no one single individual or organization has a broad enough perspective to do so. It’s in these situations that GBA has excelled because of our nimble size, trusting peer to peer relationships for sharing best practices. and a tradition of not hiding from the hard things.

Your Board will dedicate its Summer Board meeting in early June towards the facilitated development of our next strategic plan. We have already started this process by conducting a poll of members in the late fall on what they see as future challenges and opportunities. Additionally, we solicited Big Ideas from our leaders who participated in the Winter Leadership Summit in February 2024, where we engaged a facilitator to challenge our thinking.

We always welcome new ideas and if you have some and would like to share, please  feel free to reach out to me at guy@verdantas.com.

In the meantime, we will keep delivering useful and timely content and opportunities to engage with your fellow geoprofessionals! Thanks for your membership and engagement.

Construction Materials Engineering and Testing Business Committee

ACI Standard 301-10, Specification for Structural Concrete, sets forth ambiguous requirements for initial curing of concrete test specimens in the field, requiring the contractor to “provide space and source of electrical power on the project site for facilities to be used for initial curing of concrete test specimens as required by ASTM C31/C31M, for the sole use of the Owner’s quality assurance testing agency.” Does “space” mean that the contractor must set aside an area at the construction site where the construction materials engineering and testing (CoMET) consultant or some other party will place or construct initial curing facilities? Or does “space” mean “an environmentally controlled space” for initial curing in the field?

Because uncertainty and confusion are common precursors of delays, disputes, and claims, and because CoMET consultants are likely to be blamed for any that occur, consultants need to take appropriate action to help the project team avoid related problems.

It’s far better to do what you can to avoid problems than it is to document the fact that you’re not responsible for causing them, although both actions usually are recommended. After all, the real issue is not who provides the facilities, nor is it the importance of correct initial curing in the field; it’s about serving the owner’s interests well by addressing known risks before they can become problems.

Developed by GBA’s Construction Materials Engineering and Testing Business Committee, this GBA Best Practices publication provides valuable guidance to becoming a trusted advisor and eliminate risks, headaches, and wasted time before they arise.

This is the updated version of a previously published Practice Alert.

DOWNLOAD UPDATED BEST PRACTICES: INITIAL CURING OF CONCRETE TEST SPECIMENS IN THE FIELD

The GBA Best Practices series of documents, available to members only, provides guidance on geoprofessional business-practice issues. As indicated by the name, Best Practices is a combination of great ideas and proven actions our members have gathered through collaboration into one document.

GBA Best Practices documents are free for all members.

Relive all your favorite, most inspiring moments from GBA’s 2024 Annual Conference as you prepare to CHAMPION EXCELLENCE in the geoprofessions.

Watch, listen to, and learn from our lineup of speakers on your own schedule as they discuss engagement strategies, inspiring students to join the profession, driving innovation, curiosity as the ultimate competitive advantage, overcoming challenges, and more.

These videos are available for all GBA members on-demand at your convenience.

WATCH CONFERENCE RECORDINGS

Here’s a brief look at what you’ll get when you login with your GBA membership:

Why Curiosity is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Best-selling author Diana Kander delivers a keynote on how to institutionalize curiosity by asking better questions to stay competitive and relevant to customers; how to determine blind spots within your organization; and how to create a more innovative culture that leads to results and drives growth.

What’s in it for Them? Engagement Strategies in Changing Times
GBA President Guy Marcozzi, P.E., D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, F.ASCE (Verdantas) raises your awareness and understanding by championing new interaction strategies to experiment with that will enhance success and overall fulfillment by providing new takes on empathy and effective engagement.

GBA Meets Reality TV – Emerging Leaders Class 5
You have heard of “Shark Tank” – now get ready for a special presentation from Emerging Leaders Class 5 as they put on their entrepreneur hats and make their pitch in the “Tiger Cage.”

Business Snapshot Summary
Geocomp Inc. Executive Vice President and COO Gary Torosian shares the results of the most recent GBA survey on the state of the economy and the greater geoprofessional industry and reviews important trends to help you assess how your firm is performing.

ADAPT: Overcoming Adversity to Become a Champion and Role Model
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Abbott shows how you must be willing to adapt, change, and mold yourself to meet challenges in your own unique way as you continue toward your goals.

Becoming a Champion of Our Profession for Future Geoprofessionals
Hear from GBA Board Member Carrie Foulk, P.E., G.E. (BSK Associates) about how you can help increase the pipeline of students interested in the geoprofessions and be a part of the solution to staffing shortages and record project backlog.

Into the Unknown: How Leadership, Ingenuity, and Perseverance Put a Rover on Mars
Aspiring rock star turned rocket scientist Adam Steltzner – chief engineer of the Mars 2020 Project – shares his innovation challenges, leadership struggles, and flawless execution to show you how to overcome daunting obstacles in times of uncertainty.

These session recordings are available free to all GBA members.

GBA Business Technology Committee

In the ever-evolving landscape of the geoprofessional industry, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to drive innovation, efficiency, and curiosity. GBA’s Business Technology Committee is producing a six-part series to educate GBA members on the implications of AI on the geoprofessions. The articles, written by Enrique Farfan, Ph.D., P.E. ENV SP (HDR), explore how this technology works and its potential uses.

The second article focuses on large language models (LLMs) – what they are, how they work/generate content, and examples of their use and “understanding” of the geoprofessions. Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is one of the most popular and powerful LLMs, but there is an extraordinary technology race taking place. ERNIE 4.0 and Gemini from Google have emerged as ChatGPT competitors.

As AI continues to evolve, its integration into specialized fields like the geoprofessions not only enhances current methodologies but also opens avenues for unprecedented solutions, making the mastery of AI communication an indispensable skill for the future.

READ “HOW LLM WORKS” NOW

See the previous articles in the series:

AI Unveiled: The Wizardry Behind Chatbots and Intelligent Systems

The Ghost in the Machine: Hallucinations

GBA Nominating Committee

Guy Marcozzi, P.E., LEED AP BD+C (Verdantas) is the new President of the Geoprofessional Business Association. Mr. Marcozzi took office during ceremonies at GBA’s annual meeting held on April 19, 2024 in Anaheim, California.

Mr. Marcozzi will serve as GBA’s President and Chair of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Other directors who will serve during GBA’s 2024-2025 fiscal year are:

President-Elect: Teresa Peterson, P.E., C.M.E., LEED AP O&M, ENV SP (Gannett Fleming)
Secretary/Treasurer: Dan Schaefer, P.E. (Froehling & Roberston)

Directors-at-Large are:

• Kent Bannister, P.Eng. (TREK Geotechnical)
• Elizabeth Clarke (Structure Groups)
• Vic Donald, P.E. (Terracon)
• Carrie Foulk, P.E., G.E. (BSK Associates)
• Jeff Jaros (NTH Consultants)
• Stu Thompson (CTL|Thompson)

GBA is grateful for the service of outgoing board members: Immediate past-President Matt Moler, P.E. (S&ME) and Brad Melocik, P.E., P.H. (DOWL).

The GBA Fiscal Year is May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025.

Learn more about President Marcozzi’s geoprofessional journey in this director spotlight.

Learn more about each GBA Director.

Left to right: Jeff Jaros, Kent Bannister, Stu Thompson, Vic Donald, Dan Schaefer, Elizabeth Clarke, Carrie Foulk, Teresa Peterson, Guy Marcozzi.

GBA Conference Committee

GBA invites dynamic and engaging speakers to submit an abstract for our 2025 Annual Conference – where the geoprofessional industry comes together.

Speakers can contribute to the elevation of the geoprofessional industry and form powerful partnerships while sharing best practices for risk management.

As a presenter, you will gain visibility and credibility; create new relationships; and generate awareness of your expertise in our industry.

GBA is seeking speakers on presentation topics such as:
• Setting high standards
• Promoting environmental responsibility
• Prioritizing health and safety
• Setting industry standards
• Empowering employees to be guardians of the earth.

The abstract submission deadline is Friday, August 2, 2024.

2025 Annual Conference Theme: Guardians of the Earth

The 2025 Annual Conference theme underscores the critical role of geoprofessionals in protecting human health and safety through their expertise in understanding and managing Earth’s resources, hazards, and environmental conditions. It highlights geoprofessionals’ dedication to identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring the resilience of infrastructure, and promoting sustainable development practices.

While gathered in Savannah, Georgia, we will highlight the vital contributions of geoprofessionals to innovation, progress, and sustainability across all aspects of society underscoring the importance of recognizing the ethical responsibility of geoprofessionals as they tackle complex challenges and pave the way for a brighter, more resilient future for all.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM

LEARN MORE

GBA Business Technology Committee

Drones offer geoprofessionals a means to enhance their reconnaissance or basemap quality. While free aerial photos are widely accessible online, there are instances where a higher resolution or improved shadows are necessary for specific presentations or gaining a different perspective of a site. Drones provide a cost-effective solution for achieving these requirements. They not only capture aerial photography of customized areas and viewpoints but also offer thermal imaging and laser mapping capabilities, revealing details otherwise concealed, even from a bird’s eye view. However, understanding key tips can give you a strategic edge when acquiring such imagery.

In the context of working on an eroding bluff, the accompanying photos illustrate a geologist mapping geological units to aid engineers in repair selection and assist contractors in bidding for the installation of anchor systems. Detailed oblique aerial photos describing the geological terrain prove valuable for contractors in comprehending the work area’s limitations. In this specific scenario, the geologist redirected city crews engaged in thermal drone imagery for analyzing the unhoused population to also collect oblique photography of the eroding bluff from multiple angles.

A comparison between public domain imagery and drone imagery underscores the advantages of the geologist’s choice of drone imagery as the optimal representation of the erosional feature. Drones also give the geologist the flexibility to choose lighting direction, altitude, and pitch for the photos. Therefore, consider the optimal time of day for desired shadows, maintaining a consistent altitude, ensuring photo overlap, and consider the benefits of thermal or laser capabilities when selecting drones. Cloud-based applications provide additional processing options, enhancing the overall efficiency of data utilization.

GBA’s Business Technology Committee is dedicated to disseminating the technology of the geoprofessional industry. Learn about GBA committees and how to join one HERE.

GBA has a long history of sharing the painful and sometimes expensive lessons its member firms have learned through its popular GBA Case History series. Member firms can also learn from one another from projects that turned out successfully.

In the newest Case History – #116 – a GBA member firm was hired to evaluate and design the repair of  a sheet pile dock at a food processing plant. The owner was pleased with the design but did not have the capital to construct the full repairs and tasked the engineer with devising a temporary solution. In the early morning hours on the first day of mobilization for the project, the dock collapsed and the project immediately shifted from repair to replacement.

Through the extraordinary efforts of the contractor and trust from the owner, the project was completed before the plant’s operating season began and the geotechnical engineer was made to look like a hero.

GBA Case Histories provide unprecedented real-world learning examples related to project and business management. Learn where others went wrong, how they handled their problems, and how you can learn from their experiences to avoid the same problems in the future.

Case Histories are FREE for all GBA Members.

Download Case History #116 HERE.

View the GBA Case History Digest or search the GBA resource library to find other learning opportunities for your firm.

Get a glimpse into the Winter Leadership Summit in this special video  recap by GBA President Matt Moler, P.E. (S&ME, Inc.) as he shares how the event helps GBA committees drive the organization forward.

In his message, Moler highlights the contributions of GBA’s volunteer leaders – members of the Board of Directors, committees, and task forces.

GBA is grateful to everyone who contributed to the resounding success of this productive, collaborative, and enjoyable occasion. Explore GBA’s calendar of events for more opportunities to engage with us and your fellow geoprofessionals.

GBA recognizes that we must adopt different platforms to communicate membership value to our members. Traditionally – like many organizations – we’ve used written publications. We’ve recently adopted audio and video elements to our communication channels through The 1st Word video series, the GBA Podcast, and other multimedia resources.

WATCH MATT’S MESSAGE NOW