Fall 2023
NSPE Now: Outlook
The Power of Networking and Building Community
By Bill Atkinson, P.E., F.NSPE, President 2023-24
I was recently lucky enough to attend an event put on by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers to recognize individuals that earned their professional engineering license. GSPE Executive Director Amanda Henley, GSPE President Mitch Paulk and his wife, Julie, state licensing board members, and many other volunteers did an amazing job with this celebration. This occasion provided an opportunity for society members to spend time learning about these new PEs and introducing them to others in the room who shared both personal and professional commonalities.
This type of event is important for our profession because it allows different generations of members to engage and connect. Some of the newest members of our community may have had their first exposure to the power of networking. I was glad to hear that several of them reached out following the event and are already looking for ways to give back to the profession.
I was also excited to learn how many of the attendees had either taken a nontraditional engineering route or were employed in positions where a professional engineering license is not required to practice. We often think that new professionals follow the more traditional routes and disciplines and take straight line paths to becoming a PE, but that’s not always the case. As we all work to grow the profession and ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare is protected, it is valuable to learn how and why individuals pursue licensure in areas where it is not a requirement.
Listening to the stories and reasons that the honorees pursued the PE license was the true value of the event for me. These stories can help us as we navigate our own careers in so many ways. Understanding how people got to where they are helps you understand their drive, motivations, pride, sense of connection, and the list goes on. As employers, managers, and team leaders, the more you can listen to and understand those around you the more successful we will all be.
Here are just a few of the stories that I was able to hear….
One gentleman retired after a career in government working for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). After retiring, he decided that he wanted to become a consultant. He got his license in agricultural engineering and is providing his services to the USDA.
One young man works in a segment of construction where an engineering license is not required, but he recognized that getting his license would set him apart from others in his line of work. Because he works remotely and has very little interaction with other engineers and technicians, he was looking for camaraderie and local contacts within engineering. The event provided him with a perspective on what it means to get involved with GSPE.
Another new PE works in an area where there is a licensing exemption for the electrical manufacturing industry. He works on the side as a consultant and has begun the process of starting his own business now that he is licensed. This young man, who is a person of color, had exceptional charisma, and is very interested in sharing his story with others who may not have thought this career path was possible.
I witnessed the pride of one person who signed his fiancée up for the event to celebrate her accomplishment of getting her license, which helped instill in her the honor and pride of being a professional engineer.
One woman was struggling to connect with others in the room, but once introduced to peers in the manufacturing industry, she started to open up and make connections. She works in an industry with a licensure exemption, however, her product designs that get shipped to Canada by her company need a PE to sign off on them. This motivated her to get her license because she didn’t want another engineer listed as the engineer of record on her designs. She is the first one in her family and office to become a professional engineer.
An individual working for a precast concrete manufacturer said that he pursued the PE license to help show his children that there were things worth studying for and working toward.
Each of these stories helped reinforce and solidify for me the value and power of the license beyond the requirement that may be put on us by regulatory bodies. As we work to encourage and retain the next generation of engineers, the exercise of listening to people’s stories and helping to guide them to those that can help support them in their journey is critical for the future of our profession.