FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Chapter 20 President: Brian Mielke
I first want to thank you for the opportunity to serve on our chapter board and for sending this first message as the new Chapter 20 President for 2022/2023. It’s an honor to know so many strong professionals and see us working together.
2022/2023 is shaping up to be a great year! Some examples include our free member event and August 3rd in Duluth, a golf and member meeting planned for Sept. before the MnDOT conference in the Brainerd area, continuing and expanding our college outreach and scholarship program, and some great project related speakers and discussions! We’re also going to be hosting the Region 3 spring forum and have started putting together an outline of that event. Stay tuned for details as they become available at https://irwa20.org/.
The first of those events is on August 3rd; we’ll be discussing the Twin Ports Interchange project and MnDOT’s John Hinzmann as the speaker. John’s wealth of knowledge in so many areas, along with the unique and interesting aspects of this project, will make for an EXCELLENT topic and touch on MANY aspects we are all directly impacted by and also can help with! The board meeting will be at 1:00 followed by the member meeting and speaker with snacks at 2:30. The meetings will be at the Sheraton Duluth and followed by a dinner cruise aboard the Vista Queen (and an opportunity to watch the sailboat races while on board!) planned. Come join us for this free meeting and event! Please sign up at https://irwa20.org/.
In the spirit of education and member opportunities, our next course will also be held following the August 3rd event and will also be in Duluth on August 4th and 5th. The course is # 218, Right of Way Acquisition for Electrical Transmission Projects with accommodations available at the Marriott Duluth, the same location as the course. This course is applicable to so many types of projects and for so many of us-please check it out. Additionally-FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FREE COURSES AS A 2022/2023 CHAPTER SPONSOR, HERE’S YOUR FIRST IN PERSON OPPORTUNITY-TAKE ADVANTAGE! 😊
Lastly, we want to give a special thank you to our 2022/2023 Sponsors! They are:
- Acquire ROW Services, LLC - Bronze
- Valbridge Property Advisors - Silver
- WSB - Platinum
- ProSource - Platinum
- SRF - Silver
- Fredrikson and Byron, PA - Gold
- HDR - Platinum
- Great River Energy - Gold
- Ulteig - Bronze
- Henning Professional Services - Bronze
- Patchin Messner Valuation Counselors - Bronze
To close, I hope you’re all enjoying our MN summer! I’ve been embedded in soccer, softball, wood splitting and (not enough) fishing and riding motorcycle with my kids; I hope you’re all enjoying it as much as me and also get some time to relax. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve and I hope to see as many of you as we can on August 3rd!
2022 - 2023 SPONSORS
Platinum
- WSB
- HDR
- ProSource
Gold
- Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
- Great River Energy
Silver
- Valbridge Property Advisors
- SRF
Bronze
- Acquire ROW Services, LLC
- Ulteig
- Henning Professional Services
- Patchin Messner Valuation Counselors
2022 - 2023 EXECUTIVE BOARD
- Director: Matthew Hagelin, SR/WA
- President: Brian Mielke, SR/WA, R/W-NAC
- President Elect: Sean Lawler, SR/WA
- Treasurer: Faye Gillespie
- Secretary: Joe Haefner
AUGUST BOARD AND MEMBER MEETING
Mark your calendars for our next Chapter Meeting which will be on Wednesday, May 18th in the 2nd Floor WSB University Conference Room at WSB. Their office is located at 701 Xenia Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55416
- Location: Sheraton Duluth Hotel, 301 E. Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802
- 1pm board meeting
- 2:30 member meeting and speaker
- Vista Cruise starts at 5:30pm
- Speaker: John Hinzmann, MnDOT District 1 Land Management Supervisor - Twin Ports Interchange project
- John is licensed as an Engineer and Land Surveyor He has 45 years of experience in Engineering, Land Surveying, and right of way for the private sector and MnDOT and has built a wealth of knowledge in many areas. The topic will be the Twin Ports Interchange project. This project will provide some great improvements to the area but also carries unique challenges in both construction and real estate areas. John will be able to discuss how MnDOT’s teams are working together to address several of these challenges, including how coordinating with other parts of a project team is critical to right of way’s success and how their coordination with right of way is also important for project success.
- To Register, click here!
We look forward to seeing you!
THE 68TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE RECAP
IRWA held their 68th Annual International Education Conference in Cleveland, OH June 5th - 8th. The conference was held as a hybrid option and included the RWIEF/CRWEF Monday Night Event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Tuesday Golf Event at Stonewater Golf Course. Thank you to the RWIEF/CRWEF for putting together two amazing events.
Looking forward to seeing you in Denver in 2023.
SEPTEMBER BOARD AND MEMBER MEETING RECAP
We had a great meeting at the WSB offices in Minneapolis in May. Thank you WSB for hosting our board and member meeting. We were able to hold our board member elections to elect our 2022/2023 board. We also were able to hear Richard with BNSF share their work and their collaborative efforts with federal, state, and local agencies to implement infrastructure projects to drive safety and service outcomes. Thank you Richard for a great presentation!
IRWA CHAPTER 20 SURVEY
I respectfully ask for your participation and genuine feedback. We will be taking the feedback and discussing at the next few Chapter 20 Board meetings where we will begin to outline any necessary steps to ensure to that purposeful action turns to meaningful member value. We have something special here at Chapter 20 and we want to continue to build on all the great years we’ve experienced. Survey is 12 questions – should take 5 minutes or so to complete. To complete the survey, please click here!
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Please welcome our newest members to Chapter 20:
- Connor Puff from WSB
- Sara Kenjalo from Border Resources
- Stephanie Schuver from Otter Tail Power
- Anthony Stucchi from Carver County
- Derick Teich from Dakota Electric
Please extend a warm welcome to them. We look forward to their participation in Chapter 20.
If you have any questions about your membership, please feel free to contact Ben Barker at 612-581-6572 or bbarker@wsbeng.com.
RWIEF - THE SKINNY ON SCHOLARSHIPS
Most of us know that the Right of Way International Education Foundation is the non-profit funding mechanism for right of way education, providing funds for new courses, updates of existing courses and other education initiatives. Not as many of us remember that RWIEF supports three scholarship programs, click here to get the skinny!
UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
- Course 600 - Environmental Awareness – December 6th, 2022 - Golden Valley, MN
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- Course 604 - Environmental Due Diligence and Liability - December 8th, 2022 - Golden Valley, MN
- Course 101 - Principles of Land Acquisition - January 24th - 25th, 2023 - Golden Valley, MN
- Course 700 - Introduction to Property Management - February 21st - 22nd, 2023 - Golden Valley, MN
For more information on our upcoming education opportunities, visit our Chapter's Education Page or contact Chapter 20's Education Chair, Shawn Zepper.
Candidacies/Designations
“Without change, there would be no butterflies.” – Maya Angelou. A revamped SR/WA designation pathway took flight in July 2022. Coursework requirements in all three levels Right of Way Agent (RWA), Right of Way Professional (RWP) and Senior Right of Way Professional (SR/WA) have increased to 272 total credit hours. The new look SR/WA pathway has been thoughtfully designed to help members acquire more advanced knowledge from several right of way discipline areas. Members currently pursuing RWA, RWP, SR/WA designations must take action by selecting one of two options:
- Stay on Current Industry-Specific Pathway: Members currently pursuing the RWA designation are required to complete and submit a Declaration of Industry-Specific Candidacy Form by December 31, 2022 to remain in your current industry-specific pathway. Members who have already obtained an RWA or RWP will not have to declare their candidacy. No fee will be charged for this initial declaration of candidacy. Members will have five years from December 31, 2022 to complete all the requirements for the industry-specific pathway.
- Migrate to New SR/WA Pathway: Members currently pursuing the RWA, RWP or SR/WA who would like to migrate to the new SR/WA pathway are required to complete and submit a Declaration of New SR/WA Pathway Candidacy Form and pay a $25 fee for RWA and RWP and a $50 fee for SR/WA.
Chapter 20 understands that additional coursework requirements means additional education costs to our members. A Scholarship Fund has been established to assist Chapter 20 Members with continuing education costs. If you are in need of financial assistance to help cover the rising costs of education, please contact Chapter 20 President Brian Mielke bmielke@wsbeng.com to submit a scholarship application. Look for the Chapter 20 Scholarship Application on the Chapter’s website in the coming weeks.
Declaration of Candidacy Forms can be submitted to Chapter 20 PDC Chair Sean Lawler at sean.w.lawler@xcelenergy.com. If you have any questions about the revamped SR/WA pathway or the Declaration of Candidacy Forms, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to helping you navigate the new and improved SR/WA pathway and achieve your credentialing goals.
CHAPTER 20 BLOG
Chapter 20's Blog was created to foster meaningful communication and sharing of information between our Executive Board, Committee Chairs, Chapter 20 Members, and all others who wish to participate. Please visit the Blog often as Committee Chairs and Executive Board Members post updates, news, and other relevant information pertaining to the Right of Way profession.