lacsi newsletter 2010 jan/feb
DESCRIPTION
Newsletter for the Construction Specifications Institute, Los Angeles Chapter for January and February, 2010.TRANSCRIPT
LACSI L
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J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0
Los angELEs ConsTRUCTIon spECIFICaTIons InsTITUTE
www.LACSI.org
NEWSLETTER JAnuAry/FebruAry 2010
Join us Tuesday, January 12, 20102010 Mcgraw-Hill Construction outlookspeaker: Mr. Cliff Brewis, Hon. aIaCCTour the Lutron Experience Center
Join us Thursday, February 25“gREEnIng THE goLDEn sTaTE” LaCsI nITE at the La Marriott Downtown
LACSI
LACSI
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c o n T e n T
Letter FrOM tHe President
Meet tHe LACsi BOArd
VenturA Meeting
sPeCiAL eVent
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8 LAcSI nITe ProducT Show And SemInArS:“greening” tHe gOLden stAte Thursday, February 25, 2010 Marriott, Los Angeles, 333 South Figueroa Street
Here’s a quick introduction to the 2009-2010 LACSI Board of Directors.
Join us Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Program: Historic Preservation in California.
Technical Workshop: High Performance Coatings that Work!
An important Chapter goal last year was to start “walking the walk” of being Green. We hope you enjoy our first e-newsletter and share it with your colleagues.
J A n / F E B 2 0 1 0V o L U M E 5 8 n U M B E r 1
Thursday, February 25, 2010Marriott, Los Angeles, 333 South Figueroa Street
EXHIBIT HOURS: 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
◾ Product Displays. Technical data, samples
◾ Free Seminars (see schedule below)
◾ Catered Hors D’Ouervres and desserts
◾ Door PrizesMeeting: OrAnge CO-LOs AngLes 7
BuCH nOtes 11
gOLF tOurnAMent tHAnks 12
gALLery: gOLF tOurnAMent 13
West regiOn COrner 15
MeMBersHiP neWs 16
CurMudgeOn’s COrner 18
JOe BACk inVitAtiOnAL 22
gALLery : OCtOBer Meeting 6
LACSI Product Show & Seminars
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Kathy Greenway, President
L e T T e r F r o m T h e P r e S I d e n T
2009 brought rough times, but, thru it all, our Chapter is in touch with members and supporting those in need. We will continue this effort in 2010.
An important Chapter goal last year was to start “walking the walk” of being Green! We hope you enjoy our first e-newsletter newsletter and share it with your colleagues. Our Newsletter Committee, Laura Sellmer and Steve Taylor, along with suggestions from the board, are rolling out the fruits of their labor.
The Electronic Newsletter allows links to our website for event registration and gives you the ability to forward this information to your associates and future LACSI members.
We want people to learn about the benefits of CSI, attend our meetings and join our Chapter!
Perhaps, sharing with your management, will allow them to see the value of your involvement. We want you to “spread the wealth” of CSI. I hope you find this Newsletter a tool to let non-members discover the riches of this organization.
The LA Chapter is maintaining a steady membership of 300. A few members leave each year but are replaced with new members. I want you all to understand the value of CSI and what it can do for you. Our chapter has a wealth of experience in its membership. Participation gives you access to accomplished professionals in
the construction industry. You pay dues, and as the President I need to see that the Board responds to your questions and suggestions. We want and need your
participation, no matter how much or how little. It will add the seeds necessary for growth.
CSI is an organization for education. We all understand that. But, do you understand the importance of networking in this economic time, having contacts that can write reference letters for you and give you the support you need to keep your heads high and continue to pursue your dreams? We all have fallen on hard times, and having support from some friendship bonds you have made, may help you thru some sticky times. It is always nice to have someone to bounce ideas and thoughts off of, and not worry what they will think. So, in short, education is great, but so is the bonded friendship of people in your industry you may become acquainted with by attending our meetings, and events.
We start out with a busy year in January, having our Joint Meeting with Orange County January 12th, at the Lutron Facility. Immediately following will be the first official meeting for our newest CSI Chapter, The Inland Empire Chapter!! Their meeting will be held at the Mission Inn in Riverside on January 14th. Dignitaries from Institute will be attending, table tops will be available and a wonderful opportunity to help jump start another chapter off the starting line. Contact Janet Piccola at [email protected] for more information.
January– Eric Loyd is leading up our certification programs. If you are interested, please sign up on our website: www.lacsi.org, or contact Eric for information at [email protected].
February 25th is our CSI Night which Patrick Comerford and Buzz Harwood have been working hard to present a trade show rich with vendor products and educational seminars. We hope you can attend and bring an associate to walk the trade show. Take advantage of the great education sessions offered and an opportunity to SHARE the CSI benefits to a non-member!
It’s a start of a great year. I am blessed to have made wonderful friends within CSI and look forward sharing CSI with new people, participating in our education events, and meeting all of you at the chapter meetings in 2010. — Kathy Greenway, CSI, CFM
Welcome to our first Electronic Newsletter
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A President kathy greenway, Csi, CFM
Draper Shade & Screen Company 151 N. Kraemer Blvd., #101Placentia, CA 92870 Phone: (714) [email protected]
B President-elect Patrick Comerford, Csi
Service Oriented Sales (SOS) 1339 Lawrence Dr.Newbury Park, CA 91320 Phone: (877) [email protected]
C Vice President - 1 eric Loyd, Csi, CCs, Leed AP
Construction Specifications Service 3923 W. 6th St., #214Los Angeles, CA 90020-4256 Phone: (213) 380-4478 [email protected]
d Vice President - 2 Mike Pitcher, Csi
Crossfield Products Corp. 3000 E. Harcourt St.Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221 Phone: (310) 886-9100 x302 [email protected]
e secretary Valarie Harris, FCsi, CCPr
Stanley Security Solutions, Inc. 1533 Sierra Bonita Dr.Placentia, CA 92870 Phone: (714) [email protected]
F treasurer Frank Bostrom, Csi, Cdt, AiA
Frank Bostrom AIA - APA 205 Avenue I, #6Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Phone: (310) 540-2066 [email protected]
g Controller Janet Piccola, FCsi
Frazee Paint Company 1515 Shadow Ln.Fullerton, CA 92831 Phone: (714) 936-2890 [email protected]
H director #1 - Professional kathryn Marek, Csi, CCs,
CCCA, AiA, Leed AP, rA AECOM Design 515 S. Flower St., 8th Flr.Los Angeles, CA 90071 Phone: (213) [email protected]
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J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0 m e e T T h e L A c S I B o A r d c o n T I n u e d
LACSI Presidents Left to Right: Ed Buch ..................... 2001-2003 Jan Piccola ................ 2000-2002 Kathy Greenway ......... 2008-2010 Craig Mount ............... 2005-2007 Patrick Comerford ...... 2010-2011 Mike Fuller ................. 2007-2008
i director #2 - Professional teena santiago, Csi, Cdt, Leed AP
Leo A. Daly Company 550 S. Hope St., 27th Flr.Los Angeles, CA 90071 Phone: (213) [email protected]
J director #3 - Professional Carmen Bognot, Csi, CCs
Port of Los Angeles 425 S. Palos Verdes St.San Pedro, CA 90731 Phone: (310) 732-3576 [email protected]
k director #4 - Professional Mitch Lawrence, Csi, AiA, CCCA
5644 Tyrone Ave.Van Nuys, CA 91401-4626 Phone: (213) 880-8395 [email protected]
L director #5 - Professional karen Zaterman, Csi, CCs, Leed
AP, sCiP Moffatt & Nichol 3780 Kilroy Airport Way, #600 Long Beach, CA 90806-2457 Phone: (562) 426-9551 [email protected]
M director #1 - industry William Love, Csi, Cdt
Arto Brick 15209 S. Broadway St.Gardena, CA 90248-1823 Phone: (310) 768-8500 [email protected]
n director #2 - industry steve taylor, Csi
Woodwork Institute 734 W. 23rd St. San Pedro, CA 90731 Phone: (310) [email protected]
O director #3 - industry Buzz Harwood, Csi, Cdt, LeeP AP
Integrated Marketing Concepts, Inc. 1695 Curtiss Ct. La Verne, CA 91750-5848 Phone: (909) [email protected]
P Advisor - immediate Past President d. Michael Fuller, Csi, Cdt, AiA,
Leed AP 747 North Croft Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90060-5303 Phone: (323) 655-3154 [email protected]
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Not Shown: Sue Brown 2003-2005 Steve Izuhara 2000-2001 Joe Back 1998-2000
LACSI
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For a FREE Blueskin VP™ Demo Kit and more information, contact Judy Holleran, RRC, CDT, building science specialist, at (323) 363-3468 or [email protected]
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Next generation technology picks up where traditional polymeric wraps leave off!
www.henry.com
Judy Holleran and Melisa Sharpe.
Karen Zaterman and Stuart Fricke.A great LACSI buffet dinner.
Sommer Lira, Les Long and Mike Fuller.
Rayne Sherman emphasizes his point.
Patrick Bandy, Judy Holleran and
Vince Overmyer.
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LACSI
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J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0 u P c o m I n G P r o G r A m
orAnGe counTy cSI & LoS AnGeLeS cSI AnnuAL JoInT meeTInG
tuesdAy, JAnuAry 12, 2010
5:00 tO 6:30 pm,
tOur LutrOn sHOWrOOM
5:00 to 6:30 pm, Social
6:30 pm, Dinner & Program
Reservations Required by Friday, Jan. 8th, 4:00 pm.
COst
Free to LACSI members with reservations.
$40 to Non Members with Reservations.
$10 For LACSI members without reservations.
$45 for Non Members without reservations.
PArking
Free on-site parking.
reserVAtiOns
Call 213-243-6658 Please leave your name, company name and phone number or reserve at www.lacsi.org
Program Chairman Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA
PrOgrAM
2010 MCgrAW-HiLL COnstruCtiOn OutLOOkIs the construction economy in Southern California finally starting to turn around? Join us to hear McGraw-Hill Construction’s thoughts for the economy and construction this year in Southern California.
sPeAker
Mr. Cliff Brewis, Hon. AIACC, Senior Director of Editorial Operations for McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group. Cliff is a nationally recognized speaker on construction economics and a past speaker at CSI events.
BeFOre dinner
Tour the Lutron Experience Center for a hands-on demonstration of the very best in Lutron electric lighting and electronic shading systems. Lutron systems enable you to control lighting, shades and draperies, security, entertainment, everything –at the touch of a button.
LOCAtiOn
LUTRON Experience Center 2458 DuPont Drive Irvine, CA 92612
Thursday, February 25, 2010Marriott, Los Angeles, 333 South Figueroa Street
EXHIBIT HOURS: 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
◾ Product Displays. Technical data, samples
◾ Free Seminars (see schedule below)
◾ Catered Hors D’ouevres and desserts
◾ Door Prizes
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
2:00 – 4:00 pm Tabletop Setup
3:00 – 4:00 pm LEED 3.0 Credential Maintenance Program Requirements. Speaker: Nellie Reid, LEED AP, Gensler & Associates
3:00 – 4:00 pm SPEKT™, Substitution Abuse™ Sounding the Alarm about Substitutions Speakers: Michael & Aaron Chusid, Chusid Associates
4:00 – 5:00 pm High Performance Exterior Building Envelopes Building Enclosure Commissioning. Speakers: Judson Taylor, AIA, CSI, LEED AP, Senior Principal, and Octavian Vlagea, Senior Project Engineer at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger.
4:30 – 7:00 pm Product Show
6:30 – 8:30 pm California Green Building Code Speaker: Steven R. Winkel, AIA, Preview Group, Inc.
Special metro rail/bus service will be provided for new Inland Empire Chapter members who would like to attend this event. Details to follow.
ExHIbIT QUESTIoNS?
Patrick Comerford, CSI
Office Phone: (805) 375-6599 Cell Phone: (805) 402-2167
FAX Number: (805) 375-6599 e mail: [email protected]
“GREENING” THE GoLDEN STATELACSI Product Show & Seminars
LACSI NIGHT 2010- “GREENING” THE GOLDEN STATEProduct Show and SeminarS
Thursday, February 25, 2010, Exhibits 4:30 – 7:00 pm
Marriott Hotel, 333 South Figueroa Street, Los AngelesYou are cordially invited to exhibit at our annual “table top” Show at the beautiful marriott hotel. our show will feature education SeminarS before and after the Product Show, with aia ceS Learning units, and cSi-cen Learning units available on all education seminars presented.
FREE ADMISSION, FREE CONVENIENT PARKING, FREE FOOD AND A NO-HOST BAR
eXhiBitor Set uP time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm Show time: 4:30 – 7:00 pm
Seminar a1 3:00 – 4:00 pm LEED 3.0 Credential Maintenance Program nellie reid, Leed aP, director of Sustainable design, Gensler
Seminar a2 3:00 – 4:00 pm SPEKT™ Substitution Abuse™ Sounding The Alarm About Substitutions michael chusid, ra, FcSi, ccS, SciP and aaron chusid, cSi
Seminars B 4:00 – 5:00 pm High Performance Exterior Building Envelopes Jud taylor, ra, associate Principal, Simpson, Gumpertz & heger, inc.
Product Show 4:30 – 7:00 pm table top displays, technical info, hors d’oeuvres and desserts
Seminars c 6:30 – 8:30 pm California Green Building Code Steven winkel, Faia
ExHIBIT TABLE TOP REGISTRATION COSTS
Before January 15, 2010 8’ table $795.00
after January 15, 2010 8’ table $895.00
i will need 110V electrical r YeS $15.00 (add to fee above.) r no
e tables to be assigned on a first come, first served basis. e Please make sure to bring your own extension cord(s) and power strip.
GOLD EVENT SPONSORSHIP add $300.00 to your exhibit table top fee and include your company logo in a 3-5 minute continuous stream promo (presentation material provided by sponsor) to be displayed at the registration table, on the courtesy transportation bus, on large projection screen at the event, and on signage recognizing our Gold Sponsors. a maximum of 10 Gold sponsors will be accepted. Gold Sponsors will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
QuESTIONS ? Please contact Patrick comerford at 877-767-4636 or email him at: [email protected]
ExHIBITOR REGISTRATION FORM
tables will be assigned in the order that written registration is received. no-ShowS wiLL Be BiLLed.
Please print
eXhiBitor comPanY name __________________________________________________
contact name________________________________Phone ______________________
e-maiL______________________________________FaX ________________________
addreSS _______________________________________________________________
citY/ZiP ________________________________________________________________
SHOW BADGE ORDER
two exhibitors for each exhibit space. there will be a $35 charge for each additional exhibitor attendee.
1. name____________________________ 3. name ___________________________
2. name ____________________________ 4. name ___________________________
amount Paid $________ includes: r electricity r Gold Sponsorship r Booth no._____
r enclosed is my check payable to Los Angeles CSI.
mail check and form to: LoS anGeLeS cSi, 1145 oBan driVe, LoS anGeLeS, ca 90065,or register by credit card on-Line at the LacSi website: www.lacsi.org
= electrical available.
LACSI
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J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0 u P c o m I n G P r o G r A m
VenTurA meeTInG
tuesdAy, FeBruAry 2, 2010
5:00 tO 6:00 pm, teCHniCAL WOrksHOP
6:30 pm, Dinner
7:00 – 8:00 pm, Program
Please reserve before 4:00 pm, Friday, January 29, 2010
COst
$40.00 for non-LACSI members.
LACSI Members: Free with advance reservations.
No show reservations will be billed.
PArking
Self parking is free.
reserVAtiOns
Call 213-243-6658 Please leave your name, company name and phone number or reserve at www.lacsi.org
Program Chairman Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA
PrOgrAM
Historic Preservation in CaliforniaOur after dinner presentation will be by Mr. Charles Kibby of Preservation Arts, a Los Angeles based historic restoration & conservation firm. Over the course of its 25 years in the historic restoration and consulting business, Preservation Arts has worked on many landmark structures in California. These include the Los Angeles Central Library, the Huntington Library & Museum, Kerckhoff Hall at UCLA, Oakland City Hall, San Francisco City Hall, the Million Dollar Building, the Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, the Hollyhock House, and numerous others.
Using his signature projects, Mr. Kibby’s presentation will illustrate restoration techniques used on various historic architectural materials including terra cotta, masonry, mosaic tile, stone, and other decorative materials.
teCHniCAL WOrksHOP
High Performance Coatings that Work!
Corrosion protection, abrasion resistance and ultra-violet resistance add up to coating performance beyond traditional architectural paint. The workshop will discuss high performance attributes of acrylic emulsions, alkyds, performance epoxy primers, industrial urethane finishes, polysiloxanes and field applied fluorinated-polymer systems. Our presenter, Mr. Nye Miller, is a principal of Pacific Southwest Coatings, a representative for several coatings companies including PPG Protective and Marine Coatings (Amercoat and Sigma Coatings), Precision Coatings, and Prime Coatings.
LOCAtiOn
Four-Points sheraton Hotel 1050 Schooner Drive Ventura, California 93001
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I purchased a copy of Phillip Ball’s book, Universe of Stone, A Biography of Chartres
Cathedral, hoping it would provide insight into design and construction in the medieval era. While the book did not disappoint in this, it also made clear that to write a history of anything, you need historical records. In the case of Chartres, as well as other buildings of the time, very few written records or drawings exist. There’s also a good probability that they may never have been created in the first place. Imagine, building something as large and complex as a gothic cathedral without drawings. The history of Chartres as presented in the book is based mostly on what’s observable in the physical presence of the cathedral today plus additional indirect references to the era written by historians describing work on other cathedrals. The names of the builders of Chartres are not known nor is there any first hand written record of how it was built.
It took 66 years to build Chartres, 1194 to 1260. This was during a 300 year period when over 80 cathedrals and 500 large churches were built in France alone. Construction of the cathedral began on top of the 11th century crypt of an earlier
Romanesque church. It proceeded in phases, apparently without a clear idea of what the final design would be. The author deduces this because of the many asymmetries and discontinuities that exist in the finished cathedral. They must have planned it as they went.
The master masons who lead the design and construction, (and who also had to deal with donors, the clerics, finding suitable stone, finding and keeping stone cutters, stone carvers, carpenters, metal smiths, and laborers), probably had at most a rudimentary knowledge of geometry
and mathematical proportion. These were their only design and layout tools. A unit of measure had to be established for the project. They probably had only a very sketchy idea about the design of the finished cathedral. Drawings were rarely used due to the lack of drawings tools and paper. Parchment was available but it was expensive and often had to be scraped clean and reused. More commonly, crude models were built to show the design, but it’s difficult to imagine these had sufficient detail for use in construction.
The author’s principal objective in the book was to explain the intellectual basis for the design of Chartres, not so much the nitty-
gritty of how the design and construction were implemented. He describes the Gothic era as the “first renaissance”, hundreds of years before Leonardo de Vinci or Michelangelo, a time when thought from the Greek and Classical eras was resurrected. The aesthetic foundation expressed in the Gothic churches was order and geometry based on Plato’s philosophy of “abstract over material”. This was a major change in western thought and religion, from the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, toward a logical and rational world and was the start of society based on scientific thought.
The book contains chapters describing the work of medieval stone masons, a good description of Gothic construction principles vs. those used in Romanesque period, and a long chapter on the stained glass windows at Chartres. The windows are probably the most stunning feature of the church, certainly for worshipers in the 13th Century, and even for a visitor to the church today.
The book has 322 pages including photographs, some useful drawings, and a lengthy bibliography. It was published in 2008 by HarperCollins.
It’s the Dear Joe font and it has permission problems. Create Outlines.
J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0
Imagine building something as large and
complex as a gothic cathedral without
drawings.
CSI FALL CLASSIC AnnuAL GoLF TournAmenT
T hank YouTo Our SponsorsGolf Sponsors
Golf Hole Sponsors
AnGeLuS BLoCkConTrArIAn meTAL reSourCeSDrAper (muLTIpLe TeAmS)GenerAL poLymerSInGerSoLL rAnDInTeGrATeD mArkeTInG ConCepTS
omeGA proDuCTSSherwIn wILLIAmSSoSSpeCIFIeD DeSIGn SySTemSSTonhArDVISTA pAInTw.h. STeeLewooDwork InSTITuTe
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FLoorSeAL TeChnoLoGyPUttinG Contest
FrAzee pAInT & zInSSerBeVeRAGe CARt
Tournament Sponsors
Craig Mount,
LACSI Golf Tournament Committee Chairman
LACSI
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A n n u A L c L A S S I c G o L F T o u r n A m e n To C T o B E R 2 3 , 2 0 0 9
B R o o k s I D E C o U n T R y C L U B
pa s a D E n a
www.vistapaint.com2020 E. Orangethorpe Ave. , Fullerton, CA 92831
Mark Brower, CDTCell: 323-397-9000Fax: 323-883-0275
email: [email protected]
LACSI golfers enjoy a beautiful day at Brookside Country Club.
LACSI
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A n n u A L c L A S S I c G o L F T o u r n A m e n T- c o n T I n u e d
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o C T o B E R 2 3 , 2 0 0 9
B R o o k s I D E C o U n T R y C L U B
pa s a D E n a
Patrick Comerford, Chris Schuman, Rich Wild and Max Morgan.
Sommer Lira, Natural Stone Veneers International
Larry Muth, Ed Fuentes, Buzz Harwood and David Authenrieth.
Penny Balogh, Sherwin Willliams
Rayne Sherman, Toby Pugh, Jeff Fuller and Jay Nordsten.
Ken Silverman, Peter Griffis, Rom Ligrano and Ralph Hattenbach.
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w e S T r e G I o n c o r n e r
What a year we have had in the West Region. A new Virtual Chapter was started in Redwood Empire in 2009, and the Inland Empire Chapter will be inaugurated on Jan. 14, 2010. We have a great West Region conference to look forward to this fall and the programs almost in place. For all you Industry members, be on the look out for Fresno Product show discounts when signing up for both the annual spring product show and conference product show later in the Fall.
I have searched my mind for what to say for my New Years article. Duane always seems to have plenty to say and I wish I had his gift of gab, (sorry Duane). Anyway I have decided to tell a story about the economy. Here goes.
once upon a time...there was a hotdog stand on a busy highway. This hot dog stand was known around the country for having best
quality hotdogs at the best price. People came from far distances just to have a great tube steak.one day a man came in to find out if all the rumors were true. After inhaling two or three great hot dogs he called the proprietor over to ask a few questions. “How in the world can you serve such high quality hot dog at such reasonable prices?” he asked the proprietor. “Don’t you know there is a recession going
on? How can you afford to do this”? After the man left, the hotdog stand owner started to think about what he had said. Maybe this guy was right. Maybe he should raise the prices, and maybe he should buy lesser quality hotdogs to cut expenses. So, he made the changes with the idea that he
could probably keep the stand in business and weather the economic storm. He reasoned that he could always go back to the old ways when the economy improves.As days went on, business started to fall off. At first slowly, and then gradually picking up to where now it became hard to pay the bills. He had to layoff his help and do all the work himself. As he was sitting one evening after closing time, he thought to himself. “You know, that fellow was sure right about the recession.” THE EnD
Sometimes we need to think critically about what we hear and how affects us. Do we believe everything we hear? I recognize that the global economy is in a real economic down turn today, but maybe the economic concern should compel us to question what we hear and reach higher for solutions. The story reminds me of an old saying, “Get told enough times something is happening, and sure enough it will happen”.
Let’s remember that we are the ones that will bring back the business. Those who can, need to take the steps to keep things moving along. We need to believe in our future and keep our friends in business by continuing to buy the things we need and want. So, let’s get out there and keep the world turning.
I wish you all a Happy and Safe New Year, and I look forward to serving you all in the year ahead.
¤¤¤¤¤
BMI Productsof Northern California, Inc.990 Ames AvenueMilpitas, CA 95035-6303Tel: 408.293.4008Fax: 408.293.4103
Cell: 408.595.2031Phone/Fax: 530.885.6828
Jerry L. Pozo, BS ,CSI, CDTArchitectural/Technical Consultant
Stucco690 PlasterTile MortarMasonry MortarAcrylic Finishes
I can’t believe I am writing an article for January 2010.
David A Willis, West Region Vice President
J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0
Sometimes we need to think critically
about what we hear and how it affects us. Do we believe
everything we hear?
LACSI
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m e m B e r S h I P n e w S n o V / d e c 2 0 0 9
retireMent neWs
EVERETT NELMS, Woodwork Institute, Director Of Architectural Servicessoutheastern California, southern nevada, & arizona
December 31, 2009 - After nine years with the Woodwork Institute (WI), Everett Nelms has retired from his position as the Director of Architectural Services for the Southeastern California, Southern Nevada, and Arizona. Since joining WI in 2000, Everett was responsible for the inspection of millwork using WI standards for certification. He worked closely with Architects and many LACSI members knew him personally. With 40 years experience in architectural millwork, Everett brought his knowledge of design, specifications, estimating, manufacturing and installation of cabinetry and millwork. Everett was active in many chapters of the Construction Specification Institute including Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. LACSI wishes Everett the very best for a great retirement.
neW MeMBers
David Stokes, CSI, Quatro Design ÐGroup
Megan Koons, CSI Ð
Ken Dandrea, CSI, Frazee Paint Ð
Michael French, CSI, SunBrook ÐPartners
Nick Campbell, CSI, Green & ÐCampbell, LLP
Scott Anton, CSI, Door Components ÐInc.
Ð
Ð
Ð
Ð
Ð
Ð
From left to right:
Matthew McCuffee CSI; Acentech Inc. Ð
Nick Campbell CSI; Green & ÐCampbell
Jeannie Alderson-Parkman CSI, CDT Ð
Bruce Morrison CSI; Los Angeles ÐDepartment of Water and Power
Rex Revard CSI; Mapei Ð
Welcome to all these new members! We look forward to meeting you at chapter activities
MeMBer reCOgnitiOn
Congratulations to all these members who joined in January and February and have maintained continuous membership.
MOre tHAn 40 yeArs AgO:
Albert Grossman, CSI, Member ÐEmeritus
Jerry Orland, FCSI, Orland Consulting ÐGroup
Ali Alimento, CSI, Member Emeritus, ÐAlimento Consulting Associates
Morely Simon, CSI, Member Emeritus, ÐConsulting Archtiect
Eugene Trotter, CSI, Member Emeritus, ÐBuilding & Construction Specifications
(Continued on page 17)
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m e m B e r S h I P n e w S n o V / d e c 2 0 0 9 Continued
J a n / FE B 2 0 1 0 (Continued from page 16)
5 yeArs AgO:
Ð Frank Bostrom, CSI, CDT, Frank Bostrom AIA-APA
Jerry Pozo, CSI, CDT, BMI Products Ðof Northern California
Ardie Tavangarian, CSI, Arya Ð
need A MeMBersHiP BAdge?
Many thanks to Vince Overmyer and Melissa Higgins of Merlex who have taken on the challenge of ordering badges. A message went out to the email list based on the information in the Institute Member Directory. If you don’t remember getting an email, please check your membership listing at www.csinet.org or call Member Services at 800-689-2900. If you need a badge contact [email protected].
AnnOunCing “tHe JOe BACk inVitAtiOnAL” MeMBersHiP COntest
As winner of last year’s Craig Mount Invitational, Joe Back has graciously offered to continue the tradition. The winner
will be the person who brought in the most new members between November 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Joe will personally select a bottle of wine to be presented at the July dinner meeting. He says Craig set the bar really high, so it should be a good one. Both Craig and Joe would be glad to share some of their membership recruitment ideas with you– just ask.
neW MeMBer OrientAtiOn
Wednesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:00 PM prior to the monthly meeting. Learn how to get the most from your membership, get your questions answered and hear about all the things that CSI is involved in at the Chapter, Region and institute. Not only for new members, everyone is welcome.
ideAs!
Do you have an idea for something that the chapter could do to make membership even more valuable? We’d love to hear about it. [email protected]
We can always use more help, our chapter is all volunteer. To help or share your ideas, just contact our President, Kathy Greenway, CSI, CFM or Membership Chairs, Valarie Harris, FCSI, CCPR and Teena Santiago, CSI, CDT. See pages 4-5 for contact information.
18
c u r m u G e o n ’ S c o r n e r
by Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA
Scrooge was an old man, set in his ways. And why not? He had been doing things the same way for many years, and the resulting success was sufficient evidence of the wisdom of continuing in that path. Whenever it was suggested that change might be a good thing, “Bah, humbug!” was his response. “I like things the way they are! I started this business, I’ve been doing things the same way for fifty years, and I don’t see any reason to change!”
One evening, a strange series of events befell our dear Mister Scrooge. Having had a particularly trying day, he tried to enjoy a rich repast and a few glasses of wine in an effort to forget his problems. As he fell asleep, he was thinking of how much fun he had in his youth.
tHe First sPirit
“Wake up, Scrooge!”
“Who is that?”
“It is I, the Spirit of the Past. Come, let us revisit those wonderful days!” As the words were spoken, they were transported to a city long ago. They stood in the midst of a group of young men busily engaged in excited discussion.
“Good Heaven!” cried Scrooge, looking about. “I know these people! They are specifiers, one and all! Oh, what a marvelous
time that was, with the construction industry expanding, and so much work to do.”
“Yes, it was. Do you recall why these people met, what they planned to do?”
“It comes back to me now! We were a group
of specifiers who were unhappy with the haphazard way specifications were done. Not surprising, considering we worked for the government! We met and decided specifications could be improved, and we formed an organization to work toward that end. We thought that, by working together, we could improve the practice of writing specifications, make them simpler and easier to understand, standardize
government agencies’ documents, standardize building codes, and bring greater efficiency to the industry as a whole. Ah, those were exciting days!”
“You certainly were enthusiastic, and set some lofty goals. And in the early days, you made significant progress.”
Although it seemed to Scrooge that he and the Spirit remained stationary, the scene around them shifted and changed; different locations came into focus, and vivid images of people and documents materialized, then faded away.
“There is Carl Ebert!” Scrooge exclaimed. “He was there from the beginning - Institute President, first editor of the Construction Specifier, charter member of the DC Chapter. I see Ben John Small, a founder of the New York Metropolitan Chapter, and author of a column in Pencil Points. He was a great promoter of the value of good specification writing. And J. Norman Hunter! When he was president, we added twenty-two new chapters!”
“Once you started growing, what did you do to address the issues that brought you together?” asked the Spirit.
“Why, isn’t it obvious? Look there - it’s the CSI Format for Construction Specifications. The industry needed organization, and building designers quickly began using it
(Continued on page 19)
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“Once you started growing, what did
you do to address the issues that brought you
together?”
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to bring order to their specifications. It was so useful, it was also used for filing information about products, and it became the industry standard MasterFormat. And see there? It’s SectionFormat. We didn’t stop with an overall grouping of information, we also established an order for the information for a specific product! Or “work result” as today’s young whippersnappers say! There again, we saw the need for better communication through standardization, and we responded. And what about PageFormat? Once more, we created a standard for the industry!”
“Yes, you did all of that - and you created a forum where design professionals, product manufacturers and installers, and contractors could meet and discuss problems and solutions. CSI grew from a handful of people to a nationwide organization of nearly twenty thousand. Indeed, those were the good old days!”
Suddenly, the Spirit disappeared, and Scrooge found himself wondering if he had seen the Spirit, or if it was just something he ate for dinner. He took a couple of antacid pills and went back to sleep, remembering the way things were, so many years ago.
tHe seCOnd sPirit
“Wake up, Scrooge!”
“What is it this time? Are you real, or am I having indigestion?”
“I am the Spirit of the Present. It isn’t your dinner, though you really should watch what you eat. You seemed to enjoy your visit with the first Spirit, so let’s take another journey.”
“If it’s like the last one, it will be fun. Let’s go!”
Once again, Scrooge and the Spirit were surrounded by changing scenes of places and faces. But it wasn’t quite the same.
The construction industry was even stronger than before. Despite a few economic setbacks along the way, there were many more design professionals, contractors, and building product manufacturers than ever before. The industry appeared to be moving ahead at a frantic pace, with plentiful new construction and renovation of existing buildings, seemingly without limits. Projections of future work indicated more work would be done in the next several years than ever before.
The results of Scrooge’s earlier work were evident. That part of the construction industry involved with buildings was making good use of CSI’s Formats: manufacturers included MasterFormat numbers on their literature; design professionals and contractors alike knew where to look for whatever information they needed; and,
even though specifications often ignored the rules established in CSI’s venerable Manual of Practice, communication was much improved over that which existed before CSI’s standards existed. And, where before specifiers were forced to create their own documents, there were now several commercial master guide specification systems, some of them automated to the point that the user no longer had to worry about section numbers or titles, cross references, or all of the other nagging minutiae that consumed so much of a specifier’s time in the past.
Scrooge was delighted, thinking he would continue on and become even more successful. Still filled with such thoughts, he was taken aback when the Spirit showed him a smaller part of the industry - his own business. “Whatever is happening?” asked Scrooge. “The industry is growing by leaps and bounds, yet my own part of it is not keeping pace! There are so many fewer members, and the chapters that once were thriving and growing have lost their vigor! Is it possible I am mistaken? How could I have missed such ominous portents?”
Sadly shaking his head, the Spirit replied, “What you see is what now is. From the time of your visit with the first Spirit, your membership has decreased by a quarter. Many of your chapters seem to have trouble understanding what they are to do. And,
(Continued on page 20)
(Continued from page 18)
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c u r m u d G e o n ’ S c o r n e r c o n T I n u e d
in the comfort of your middle age - I’m trying to be kind - you lack the energy and purpose of your youth. You have become complacent, satisfied with your great accomplishments of days gone by.”
“You have been, perhaps, too successful, and, pleased with that success, failed to see the opportunities to further improve communication in your industry. You have continued to concentrate on paper documents, even though the problems of the past have been solved, and little remains to be done with them. It is in electronic communication that today’s challenges lie.”
tHe LAst sPirit
The second Spirit vanished, only to be replaced by yet a third Spirit.
“Judging by what has gone before, am I correct in assuming you are the Spirit of Yet to Come? If so, I fear what you may have to say. And yet, I sense that the visits by you and your kin are meant to help, and I am ready to listen.”
Scrooge and the third Spirit were transported to an indefinite, yet not distant, future. Around them appeared a group of young people, engaged in serious conversation.
“I thought CSI was a TV show way back when!” exclaimed one.
“Well, yeah, but there was this organization with the same name, that had a huge impact back in the latter part of the twentieth century. They did some really cool stuff, like organizing construction information - back when it was all on paper. You wouldn’t believe how crazy construction documents were before they came along.”
“So what happened to them? If they had so much going, how did they let it slip away?”
“I don’t understand it. What they did for paper later needed to be done with electronic documents. Maybe it was just a case of turning into a bunch of old farts, who didn’t understand computers and couldn’t see the new problems.”
“Didn’t they do a lot with education and certification?”
“They did, but they were so busy telling each other how important they were that they forgot to tell anyone else. Here’s a funny thing: After all the good things they did, and not telling others how important those things were, other groups came along, and in just a few years each convinced government agencies across the country that what they did was the most important thing. First it was energy-efficient buildings, then accessible design, commissioning, design-build, construction management, “sustainable design”, and somewhere in there was “partnering”. All of which should
have been done by design professionals all along. In the end, the things CSI did were absorbed by other organizations, and they didn’t have anything to do anymore.”
“I bet it was pretty sad in the end, when it was just a bunch of the same old people getting together, reliving the good old days, waiting for each other to die.”
Scrooge cried out in agony, “Spirit, please tell me that what you have revealed is only what might be, rather than what is destined!”
After a pause, the Spirit replied. “It’s not that you no longer do useful things. Your work with interoperability and global standardization are truly worthy efforts, and will one day make the industry better - but those things are of no immediate concern to your existing members, and they won’t bring in new members. You have not accepted the possibilities of the near future, when the value of information itself will far outweigh the value of explaining it in words - a process that continues to demand less and less expertise.”
“Some have said that all professional organizations have suffered loss of members and inability to connect with younger people. That may be true in most cases, but it is not an excuse to relax. Those organizations that survive will have found something of value that will attract
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(Continued on page 21)
(Continued from page 19)
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new members. You claim to represent all those involved in construction, yet you have done little to attract most of them. They represent an untapped resource of knowledge and challenges that can carry you into the future.”
“You do have much to fear, and much to do if you are to avoid the future we have seen this evening. That is but one possible path, though it is one that becomes more likely with each day you do nothing to avoid it. It is possible to regain your former stature, but only if you look to the future. What was it that made you great? It was your ability to see the needs of communication in the construction industry and to provide solutions for those problems. Yes, certification has become more important in the construction industry, but if that certification is not required, it has minimal value. And yes, education is important, but there are many well-established sources of education, and you have little chance of displacing them.”
tHe end?
We leave Scrooge on the verge of waking. What will he do when he wakes? Will he regain the intensity of his youth, or will he be content to rest on his laurels, meeting old friends until they are no more?
Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA © 2009, Sheldon Wolfe
pecialty
uilding
omponents, INC.
Main Office:562 / 821-0170
San Diego: 619 / 562-7762
Las Vegas: 702 / 454-3437
ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS
DAVID H. PEBLEY, CSI, President Visit us on the web at . . .
www.specialtybuilding.com
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iMPOrtAnt nOtiCe FOr Cdt CAndidAtes
Spec Guy’s CDT One Week at a Time! study tools are now in their eigth year of national use. If you can’t attend local classes or are looking for extra study help, use our CDT One Week at a Time! online, on-demand recorded webinars. Our 12-session series includes slide handouts, study handouts, and quizzes for each session. Details are on our website: www.SpecGuy.com
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(Continued from page 20)
LACSI
22
MissiOn
The Mission of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Construction Specifications Institute is to provide its members the opportunity to share information about materials and methods of construction, and to promote improved preparation, delivery and use of construction documents.
The Chapter fosters the professional development of its members and provides service to the construction industry by promoting education, research, certification, recognition of outstanding accomplishments, and networking opportunities within the Chapter, Region, Institute, and construction industry.
Newsletter Editors
Laura Sellmer and Steve Taylor.
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The Los Angeles Chapter of CSI Membership
Committee presents
The Joe Back Membership
Invitational 2009-10
Simply bring in the most new members to the Los
Angeles chapter from November 1st to June 30th
and win a very good bottle of wine. The prize will
be carefully selected by Joe and presented at the
July Dinner Meeting.
Just let Valarie Harris know when you refer new members.