Ohio Engineers Legislative Day 

SCHEDULE

8:00 am    Registration & Coffee

9:00am    Welcome
    Fred Tito, PE, President, OSPE
    Joe Warino, PE, PS, FNSPE, VP of OSPE Legislative & Government Affairs

9:10 am    Ohio Public Works Commission - Accomplishments of last 20 Years
    Mike Miller, Director, Ohio Public Works Commission

9:40 am    Bridging Our Way to the Future with Public Private Partnerships
    Steve Mary, Deputy Director, Ohio Department of Transportation, District 8 
   
 10:40 am    10 Minute Break

10:50 am    Good Samaritan Law / Computer Based Testing
    Rep. Louis W. Blessing, III, District 29 

11:20am    Fracking - Regulation & Taxes
    Tom Stewart, Executive Vice President, Ohio Oil & Gas Association
    Scott Miller, Director, Ohio University's Consortium for Energy, Economics & the Environment 

12:20 am    Bill Summary Update
    Joe Warino, PE, PS, FNSPE, VP of OSPE Legislative & Government Affairs
    Holly Ross, Legislative Agent, Ohio Society Professional Engineers

12:30     Lunch & Speaker
     Making the Highway Trust Fund Solvent
    Brian Pallasch, CAE, Lobbyist, American Society of Civil Engineers, Ohio Council 

1:45 pm     Legislative Visits

    TOPICS & SPEAKERS

 Ohio Public Works Commission - Accomplishments of Last 20 Years

Participants will learn:

• Program overview
• Types of projects funded
• Successes of the program over last 20 years
• Future of the program                                                                                                                       
  

Mike Miller, Director, Ohio Public Works Commission
Mike has served as the Director of the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) since being appointed in April of 2008. He has been with OPWC for over 20 years and has served as the Commission's Legislative Liaison as well as a Program Representative. Prior to joining the OPWC, Mike served five years in various staff positions in the Ohio Senate. Mike received a Master of Arts in Political Science - Public Administration from Ohio University in the Spring   of 2002. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Organization Communication from the Ohio State University in the Fall of 1988.

Bridging Our Way to the Future With Public Private Partnerships 

Participants will learn:   

• How the problem with the lack of federal and other funding has brought this construction model to the forefront 
  
• How this construction model deals with Quality Base Selection of engineering
• The benefits of this construction
• Some examples where this construction model has worked
• Effect of this construction model on businesses, especially engineering and construction in Ohio
  

Steve Mary, PE, Deputy Director, Ohio Department of Transportation, District 8

Good Samaritan Law / Computer Based Testing

Participants will learn:

• Changes to PE testing process  (HB 202 - Computer Based Testing) 
  
• Good Samaritan rules during a Governor stated crisis  (HB 379 - Civil Immunity)
  

Louis W. Blessing, III, PE, State Representative, 29th House District, 130th General Assembly
Rep. Blessing is serving his first term in the Ohio House.  His District includes portions of western Hamilton County.  Rep. Blessing has an extensive background in electrical engineering.  He currently works as an engineer at Super Systems, Inc. in Cincinnati and previously worked for Duke Energy and Nova Engineering.  He earned his BA in mathematics and BS in electrical engineering at the University of Cincinnati.  He is a licensed professional engineer and is a member of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers.  He currently resides in Colerain Township.

Fracking - Regulation & Taxes

Participants will learn:

• Status of Oil & Gas tax
• Industry's outlook 
  
• Fracking regulations
• Areas of involvement by Ohio University in the expanding Oil & Gas industry in Ohio
  

Tom Stewart, Executive Vice President, Ohio Oil & Gas Association

Tom Stewart was elected as executive vice president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) in September 1991.  Stewart is the chief executive officer of the Association and its operations; editor of the Association’s publications; an industry spokesman to media   outlets and other forums; treasurer of the Association’s political action committee; and serves as the public policy advocate in Columbus and Washington D.C. on behalf of   OOGA’s members’ interests.  Prior to joining OOGA, Mr. Stewart has fifteen years of formal experience in the oil and gas industry as an oil and gas producer and provider of contract drilling services.  He is the third generation of his family to engage in exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas.

Scott Miller, Director, Ohio University's Consortium for Energy, Economics and the Environment (CE3) at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs

Scott Miller's Consortium puts theory into practice through projects that benefit the state and the nation.   Miller  oversees programs that include research into environmental monitoring and remediation of highly-disturbed lands and waters and energy and environmental policy and energy-related economic development.  He serves on numerous local and statewide boards and acts as a liaison to connect state and federal agencies and local stakeholders to the university’s resources to improve the quality of life of all Ohioans.  Mr. Miller is a National Energy Executive with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado; is the immediate past board chair and current board representative for the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio; and was recently named one of the most influential people in Ohio’s Shale play by Crain’s Shale Magazine.

 Making the Highway Trust Fund Solvent  (Lunch Speaker)

Participants will learn:

• The consequent loss of progress and jobs
• Update and details of congressional action to avoid collapse of highway funding this summer
  

Mr. Pallasch has been responsible for managing the ASCE’s government relations department including federal and state legislative affairs, regulatory affairs, grassroots, and policy development, since 1999.  Pallasch is currently responsible for managing ASCE’s strategic initiatives regarding infrastructure including development of the Report  for America’s Infrastructure.  Additionally, Pallasch serves as the Co-Chair of the Water Resources Coalition. Pallasch holds a MA degree in International Affairs from the American University, and a BA in Journalism and International Affairs from the University   of Southern California.

Cancellation/Change Policy:  Registrants may withdraw from the event with full refund less $25 processing fee provided OSPE is notified in writing at least 72 hours prior to the event's start.  After that time, registrants are responsible for the full registration fee.  Substitutions of attendees may be made at any time.  Schedule and speakers are subject to change.