Next KSPE Louisville Meeting - Friday, September 17, 2010

Are weather patterns changing in Louisville?

John Gordon of the National Weather Service will be making a return visit to speak on the topic at the next KSPE Louisville meeting.

Please Note: If you pre-register for the meeting before Tuesday the week of the meeting, the cost of the luncheon is $15. If you do not pre-register, or register after the cut-off date, the luncheon cost is $20.

Sign up for the meeting by clicking the link below:

Meeting minutes from past KSPE Louisville meetings are available HERE.

Engineer John Beyke to Retire After 35 Years of Service to the Louisville Community
- Former City Engineer for Louisville and Chief Engineer for MSD

John Beyke, a civil and environmental engineer with 35 years of service to the Louisville community has announced his retirement from Stantec Consulting on July 7, 2010. Mr. Beyke began his career as a staff engineer with Johnson, Depp & Quisenberry Engineers where he served until his appointment as City Engineer for the City of Louisville, a post he held from 1981 to 1985. He then served as Chief Engineer for the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) from 1985 to 1999, during a period of significant growth and accomplishment for MSD. Under Mr. Beyke’s leadership, MSD constructed regional wastewater treatment plants, developed master plans for new sewers throughout Jefferson County and established one of the nation’s premier stormwater utilities.

Following his career at MSD, Mr. Beyke joined Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott & May Engineers, now Stantec. As a senior associate with Stantec, Mr. Beyke has provided professional consulting services in planning, civil and environmental engineering, and project economics and management.

Mr. Beyke received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1975 and is a licensed professional engineer in Kentucky and Indiana, as well as a licensed land surveyor in the state of Kentucky.

Throughout his career, he has maintained a number of memberships and affiliations with professional and community service organizations, including:  the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Engineers and Surveyors, the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors, the National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management, the Society of American Military Engineers, the Water Environment Federation and the American Society of Civil Engineers. His civic involvement includes the March of Dimes, the Louisville Area Youth for Christ, and committee/council services with his local parish. During his years of service, he has received numerous honors and distinctions.

“We recognize the formidable legacy John has built in both his engineering career and service to the local community, and we extend our heartfelt wishes for a long and happy retirement,” says Scott Murray, Stantec’s regional leader for the US East.

KSPE Louisville - KSPE's "Most Active Chapter"

The KSPE Louisville Chapter was awarded the Most Active Chapter Award at the 2010 KSPE Convention.  Thank you to KSPE Louisville officers, committee chairs and volunteers whose work has resulted in this recognition.

Help Team KSPE in creating a world free of MS!

The number of people living with multiple sclerosis increases every hour of every day. This astonishing rate is not going to slow down, let alone stop, until we've found a cure. Research has made some incredible advances recently, but the world can still only offer MS management drugs and therapies to the 400,000 people living with MS in America.

We formed Team KSPE in 2006 after Bambi Guthrie (Derek’s wife) was diagnosed with MS and our team participated in the Bike MS Ride sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  The National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds more MS research than any other private organization. In addition to supporting studies which hope to reveal the cause and cure, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society also provides much needed education, programs, and services to everyone who is affected by MS - including the diagnosed, their friends and families, and the healthcare professionals who work with them.

Please consider joining Team KSPE in our 5th season for the Bike MS 2010: Bike the Bluegrass held June 5th and 6th.  Bike the Bluegrass is a two-day cycling adventure through Kentucky's beautiful horse country! Anchored by two of the country’s most renowned racetracks, Bike MS offers an exciting challenge to both the seasoned cyclist and the beginner.

No matter your cycling abilities, we can accommodate you.  Bike MS offers various levels of training throughout the season, including bike handling and group riding classes. Multiple route options, including *25-mile, 60-mile, 75-mile and 100-mile (Day One) & *25-mile, 50-mile and 75-mile (Day Two). Regardless of their chosen route, riders will experience a fully-supported picturesque ride with rest stops every 10-13 miles and SAG (Support And Gear) vehicles all along the way.

If you are new to bicycling, there are training rides available in Louisville and Lexington to get you ready.  As most of the Louisville rides are on Sunday mornings, I personally plan to join the Louisville Bicycle Club Slow and Easy rides most Saturdays leaving from Waterfront Park, yellow lot at 9:00.  If you aren’t up for the ride, you can support Team KSPE as a volunteer, or support us by making a donation online!

Thank you for your continued support, and thank you to the following companies for donating to our team jerseys: Sherman-Dixie (gold sponsor); Palmer Engineering; Flynn Brothers; Staggs & Fisher; Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz; and St. Matthews Cycle Shop.

More information about Bike MS 2010 is available on the Fast Facts page.

Team KSPE 2009.  L to R: Lisa Brandenburg, Dan Mattingly, Dirk Gowin, Wes Sydnor, Ray Rush, David Bader, Mike Harris and Joe Farrell.  (Not Pictured: Neal Bailen and Jim Silliman)

Searching for Past KSPE Louisville Officers and Committee Chairs

In an effort to document and recognize contributions of past board members, the Louisville Chapter is compiling a list of past chapter leadership.  If you have old records of individuals who have served on the chapter's board in the past, please let us know by contacting Kelly Meyer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

American Society of Certified Engineering Technicians - Technical Conference

KSPE Louisville is invited to attend the ASCET Technical Conference this June.  ASCET's primary goal is to promote continuing education opportunities primarily to NICET certified engineering technicians among others.

Opportunities exist for engineering companies and professional organizations to advertise in the conference program, sponsor a portion of the conference or provide promotional items for attendee gift bags.

Please consider helping ASCET with this event as well as challenging other firms and organizations to do the same.

See the conference website (www.ASCET.org) for additional information or you may contact Wade Abbott directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 859.224.4476.

Outreach for Haiti

Your KSPE Louisville Chapter is pleased to announce their support of Edge Outreach in their efforts to bring clean drinking water through portable systems to earthquake survivors in Haiti.  KSPE Louisville's $5,000 pledge will go towards sponsoring a portable water treatment system and travel expenses for the volunteer installation team.

KSPE Louisville Meeting Speakers

KSPE Louisville will announce speakers who will be presenting at our upcoming meetings.  If you would like to recommend a luncheon speaker, please contact one of our chapter officers or speaker recruitment coordinator Chris Dickenson.

KSPE Louisville Email List

KSPE Louisville is in the process of updating our email list!  If you would like to sign up to receive our emails (updates on chapter events and meetings), please sign up!