Aaron Frits, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE
Region 7 Society Director
As a leader long dedicated to student engagement in ASCE, my vision is to enhance connections for students at the local level through engagement with sections, branches, and younger member groups, facilitated by ASCE Region leadership. As a conduit between Society level and local programs, I will champion a culture of collaboration and communication, furthering opportunities that connect students with their local members and leaders.
A key component of this vision is ensuring students are well-prepared for their future careers. I am committed to connecting students with the extensive range of people that work in the civil engineering industry, bridging the gap between academia and the professional world. By providing students with the skills, experiences, and networks they need to seamlessly transition into the workforce, ASCE will stay relevant and continue to be their professional engineering home. My goal is to foster strong relationships between student members and industry professionals, driving an increase in ASCE membership by delivering value to existing members, welcoming new professionals, and smoothly transitioning student members into full members upon graduation.
Focusing on students, retaining current members, and adding new members will allow ASCE to thrive financially and maintain its position in the world as trusted advisors. By nurturing our student members and fostering a strong sense of community, we will ensure the continued growth and success of our organization, while upholding the values and standards that make ASCE a respected and influential force in the civil engineering industry.
Jen Bates, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (IA/SD; Iowa)
While promoting the field of civil engineering has been a priority throughout my career, my passion for promoting the profession to the younger generations, including K-12 outreach, college outreach and younger member outreach has always been at the top of my list. Continued encouragement and knowledge at every step of development is how we grow our profession and our membership, not only in quantity but in quality.
Jordan Pettibone, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (Eastern Missouri; St. Louis)
I believe recruiting future engineers with pre-college outreach, fostering and supporting our college students majoring in Civil Engineering, and providing mentorship and guidance in the beginning of our young engineers’ careers should be one of our Society’s primary mission. As the interim St. Louis Region 7 Governor I will make executing this vision my priority. I will be a resource willing to speak with our Student Chapters and provide support and guidance for our Sections' outreach efforts.
Ben Ware, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (Kansas and Western Missouri; Kansas City)
Throughout my career and involvement in the ASCE, I have been an advocate for advancing our profession and nurturing young engineers. My strong background in pre-college outreach programs demonstrates my commitment to fostering interest in civil engineering from an early age. I plan to leverage my 12 years of experience to enhance student engagement within our region. This focus on students is crucial for the future of ASCE and the continued growth of our profession. As a passionate advocate, I understand that student engagement is not only about attracting young minds to the field but also about nurturing and developing them throughout their careers. By emphasizing this aspect, I contribute significantly to the long-term success of civil engineering.
Ernie Longoria, P.E., PTOE, M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (At-Large; Kansas City)
Having traveled around the world, I’ve seen how Civil Engineering affects everyday life - as Civil Engineers anything we do affects so many people for good or harm. As a Governor of Region 7, I share my experiences how we are all connected, inspire the next generations of engineers to learn as much as they can, work with young professionals to seek out new challenges, chat with seasoned professionals to learn how things were done and how they share their knowledge. ASCE's career development, technical education, and network potential is unmatched by adjacent organizations.
Tim Brugger, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (Nebraska: Wyoming)
Having actively participated in ASCE at the state level for the past 5 years, I look forward to contributing to the Wyoming and Nebraska Sections in the capacity of a Region 7 Governor. My primary objective is to foster and maintain effective communication between the Region 7/Society level and both state sections, including their associated student sections. Through close collaboration with the Wyoming and Nebraska State Sections, my goal is to assist in their expansion and enhance the benefits provided to ASCE members. Additionally, I will promote the development of meaningful connections, recognizing it as a key avenue for delivering value to our members at both state and student levels. Another high-priority focus is on supporting the student sections. Recognizing that the future of our profession lies in the hands of these emerging engineers, it is imperative to provide them with the necessary encouragement, resources, and guidance to shape the next generation of leaders in civil engineering.
Aaron Leopold, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (Colorado)
Caleb S. Stock, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 7 Governor (Colorado)
As a Governor I envision my role being a communication pipeline between Branches and Sections to the broader Region 7 and Society as a whole. This will involve open communication with Branches and Sections as well as the Board of Governors to ensure all voices are being heard to benefit Region 7.
Succession Planning Matrix: Region 7
Region 7 New/Potential Governor Onboarding Documents
Are you interested in running for a term as a Governor for Region 7? Or wondering what you need to do now that you've been elected? Read more about the expectations in these two documents: Presentation style summary
Full-length (10 pages) document