Fall 2021

NSPE Today
Firms Support Employees’ Professional Growth with Enterprise Membership

What do the Adams County Public Works Department, Huitt-Zollars Inc., and Rowe Professional Services have in common? They are all organizations that see the value of supporting the career development of their engineers through participation in NSPE’s Enterprise Membership Program.

The Enterprise Membership Program offers the benefits of NSPE and state society membership while providing companies a competitive edge to recruit and retain top-notch talent. Membership benefits include access to free webinars, discounted courses through the PE Institute, leadership development opportunities, and support for ethical professional practice. An organization can work with NSPE to customize a benefits package that fits their specialized needs.

Rowe Professional Services is committed to investing in employees by paying for professional memberships. The Enterprise program makes it easy for Rowe staff to not only access continuing education to pursue or maintain licensure, but also build relationships with peers and gain leadership development through volunteer roles.

“Because we annually review who are current and proposed members, it creates space for conversations to occur on what it means to be an engaged member and how it can benefit them as individuals and in their career at Rowe,” says Leanne Panduren, P.E., F.NSPE, CEO and president of the Michigan firm.

The Enterprise program also simplifies the accounting process for organizations. “Rowe has always paid for our staff’s membership costs so the savings were a plus, but it was also very convenient to have all costs tallied in one location,” says Panduren. “We are able to pay it with one transaction instead of having each individual member submit a unique invoice for payment or reimbursement.”

While many Enterprise program participants are AEC firms, municipal departments are also joining the program to access professional development for staff that is beneficial and cost-effective.

If you visit the Adams County Public Works Department website, you’ll see a pledge to “protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents through superior engineering, maintenance, operations, and administrative services related to roads and drainage facilities.” The department in Colorado enrolled in the program in 2019 to help its workforce obtain the regular, quality training needed to maintain this level of service.

“The membership ensures that we are keeping up with industry standards and best practices to deliver quality workmanship on our projects, which in turn, contributes to the safety and overall satisfaction of our residents,” says Samantha Brumage, ACPWD’s administrative coordinator.

John Ho, P.E., F.NSPE, a vice president at the Dallas-based Huitt-Zollars, believes the greatest benefits of NSPE membership are the ability to network with peers across the nation and to grow professionally through ample local, state, and national leadership opportunities. “I was introduced to NSPE by a former supervisor and mentor who invited me to a local chapter meeting,” recalls the past president of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. “That experience stuck with me and has informed how I encourage both engineering students and young professionals to get involved.”

For more than five years, Huitt-Zollars has participated in the Enterprise program. The administration of the program simplifies the maintenance of memberships, a plus for firms with a large number of participants, says Ho, who serves as a point of contact for the firm. The NSPE connection also serves as a unifier in the company that has offices located throughout the nation.

Huitt-Zollars’ mission is to deliver professional services with the highest level of quality and integrity with an added commitment to constantly improve the quality of life in the world. An alignment with NSPE, an organization committed to protecting the integrity of the PE in service to the public, is fitting. “If a company has an Enterprise membership that means it’s committed to the profession and the mission of NSPE,” says Ho. “This will encourage more professionals, especially young engineers, to get involved. This speaks volumes.”

Why Should Your Organization Enroll in the Enterprise Membership Program?

Employee Benefits

• 15 free webinars to help maintain the PE license;
• Access to continuing education through the PE Institute and the Professional Engineers Conference;
• Access to licensure, industry, and professional practice content through PE magazine, NSPE Update, and Daily Designs;
• Opportunities for leadership development as well as local and nationwide networking;
• Community and volunteer service opportunities; and
• Professional recognition and peer support.

Employer Benefits

• NSPE fights to ensure that the PE license is respected and valued as the highest qualification in engineering.
• NSPE provides employees with in-person, online, and on-demand continuing education that meets requirements for license renewal.
• Enhanced employee benefits lead to greater competitiveness and employee retention.
• NSPE benefit partners offer savings on professional liability premiums.

Learn more by visiting www.nspe.org/enterprise