ASCE-NCS May Section Meeting: Washington DC Boundary Stones: History, Current Status, Preservation, and Fence Restoration Effort
May 15th, 2012 - Arlington

As the ASCE-NCS representative and acting co-chairman of the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stones Committee (NACABOSTCO), Stephen Powers is responsible for interfacing with representatives from over 25 local groups, governments, and interested parties in a combined effort to preserve, promote, and protect the 40 sites that are home to 37 of the original stones from the 1791-1792 Andrew Ellicott survey of the boundary layout of Washington, DC.  Stephen's twin passions for DC history and civil engineering sparked a seven-year campaign to perform condition and photographic studies of the stones.  Following that campaign, Stephen has led the ASCE-National Capital Section (NCS) effort to restore the fences which protect the stones since May 2010.

Mr. Powers will present a brief history of the original survey, the 20th century preservation efforts, and the current status, location, and ownership of each stone/site.  In addition, the goals, responsibilities, and involvement of the members of NACABOSTCO will be described, including NCS's current effort to nominate the Boundary Stones for designation as an ASCE Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and the Section's progress with the Fence Restoration Effort.

A native of the Washington, DC area, Stephen currently is employed by AECOM and assigned to Parsons Management Consultant (PMC) as a Senior Resident Engineer at Dulles International Airport where he oversees construction of Capital Development Projects for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.  He has been with PMC for over 17 years and has worked on a wide array of projects including the restoration of the Historic 1941 Terminal.  Prior to joining PMC, Mr. Powers worked for six years as a project manager for Shirley Contracting Corporation.  He earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech University.  Stephen is a current member of the ASCE-NCS History & Heritage Committee.

The May NCS meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at the Hilton Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street in Arlington, VA, on the second floor in the Gallery Ballrooms.  Parking is available at the hotel ($8), at the Ballston Mall garage ($1 after 6 p.m.), and on the street (free after 6 p.m.).  This location is in the same block as the Ballston Station on Metro’s Orange Line.  Registration and networking will be from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner.  The program will conclude by 8:30 p.m.  The cost will be $10 for students, $35 for those who preregister, and $45 for walk-ins.  Please RSVP by May 10, 2012.  One Professional Development Hour will be awarded to attendees.  or questions, please contact John Casana at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (703) 377-8980.

ASCE-NCS Boundary Stones Restoration
May 19th, 2012 - Alexandria/Arlington

ASCE-NCS Spring 2012 Fence Restoration Project will be our 5th effort to complete work on all the fences.  We will be working on the Southwest Leg of the 10 mile square in Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia.  In addition to the work on the fences, ASCE-NCS is planning a BBQ catered picnic at Ft. Ward in Alexandria, so come ready to work and be hungry as well!

Depending on the number of volunteers we are hoping to restore at least 6 fences on May 19th and will break up into teams.  Start times to be determined and they will be staggered, but figure on 8:30 am, 9:30 am, and 10:00 am.  With the picnic planned for noon, the goal would be to have most of the work completed prior to lunch, and returning after lunch when the primer has dried to put on the final coat.  Details to follow once the volunteer groups are put together. 

Please consider joining us in helping to preserve the Boundary Stones, which are the oldest federal monuments in our country! To date we have had over 130 volunteers participate in restoring 14 fences.

For more information, contact Stephen Powers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Annual Awards Banquet – April 10^th, 2012 – Hilton Arlington

The Annual Awards Banquet featured a keynote address by ASCE President-Elect Greg DiLoreto, and numerous awards/recognition for local projects, engineers, and students.  See event summary under upcoming events and newsletter lead article for details.

Thanks again to our 2012 Banquet sponsors!

Engineering Management Committee - Recap

The Engineering Management Committee has a new homepage.  See it here. 

Recap of the Engineering Management Seminar: Bridging Skills from Engineer to Leader can also be found on the homepage.