Cherie Pinsky is Chief Operating Officer for both the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies. She sat down with Sam Yates, the host of Engineering Florida, to discuss Florida MathCounts and the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute.
What's the difference between the FES and ACEC? We have that answer for you in today's episode of Engineering Florida!
The Florida Engineering Society, Engineering Florida podcast, is produced by Yates & Associates, Public Relations & Marketing. Contact Sam Yates, Sam@Yatespro.com.
Cherie Pinsky is Chief Operating Officer for both the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies. She sat down with Sam Yates, the host of Engineering Florida, to discuss Florida MathCounts and the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute.
What's the difference between the FES and ACEC? We have that answer for you in today's episode of Engineering Florida!
The Florida Engineering Society, Engineering Florida podcast, is produced by Yates & Associates, Public Relations & Marketing. Contact Sam Yates, Sam@Yatespro.com.
Engineers are ingenious professional. Engineers invent, design, verify and qualify. Engineers are the professionals who make our lives and businesses prosperous and safe. The Florida Engineering Society is proud to put our engineering professionals in the spotlight so that they may educate, share information and introduce you to the world of engineering that is thriving in Florida. Here's your host of the engineering Florida podcast. Sam Yates with today's guest Hello, everyone and welcome to another episode of the Florida Engineering Society Engineering Florida podcast. Cherie Pinsky is the Chief Operating Officer at what we call affectionately FES as well as the American Council of Engineering Companies, the ACEC. Now she oversees the daily operations including education, events, marketing, communications, and of course, membership very importantly, so I'm lucky to have her as our guest today for this edition of the Florida Engineering Society, engineering Florida podcast. Welcome to the program.
Cherie Pinsky:Thank you so much for having me, Sam. I'm grateful to be here.
Sam Yates:You know, I always love to start out with getting some tidbits about our guests. So I'm going to ask the same of you. And I'm going to say that back in 2021, you received the FES and ACEC Florida President's Award for outstanding service and leadership. And we're going to talk about those things in a bit of detail. But tell us about yourself.
Cherie Pinsky:Yes, that was a very flattering award that I received. It was very grateful and kind of them. I've been with FES and ACEC Florida for seven years this month. Proud to say very happy about that. started off as the in the education and events department as a meeting planner and advanced to Director of Education at events and now see oh, and I enjoy being here.
Sam Yates:And a little bird told me you are also a Florida Gator.
Cherie Pinsky:Absolutely at a proud one at that. graduated a few years back I won't date myself too much. But I really enjoyed my time there. Got my Bachelors of Arts Degree.
Sam Yates:Go Gators, you know, and I have to say sure. So far we are batting 100% as having guests on that our gators go figure but you know, sometimes those things just happen because gators are so prolific. And a lot of them are in the engineering world.
Cherie Pinsky:And it's hard being our headquarters being in Tallahassee, we do have a lot of seminars around us. But I'm very fortunate that yes, a lot of our leadership, our members are gators, and I'm able to join them in that support.
Sam Yates:Being there where you are. I know that you're involved, as I mentioned earlier in some of the special events, as well as the daily operations and one of the programs that is near and dear to you math counts took place statewide and culminated with the selection of the Florida math counts team to present morada in the National Math counts competition, that it was a big success. And, you know, for those who are not familiar as I am with Mathcounts told me why it's important.
Cherie Pinsky:Mathcounts is absolutely wonderful program that we get to give back to the community. We have this past year, I think we had 233 Students middle school students from throughout the state attend the state competition, which means it means they had to advance from their local chapter to even compete at the state competition that took place in Orlando. It was a absolutely wonderful event that allows us to give younger STEM students and math proficient students the opportunity to travel network with their peers and just be involved in their community. We had a fantastic competition and actually two, we four students actually ended up advancing to the national competition which we're very excited about that will take place in Orlando last year it was in DC. But this year it will be in Orlando so it's not a super far travel for them. But to the students were actually from Tallahassee And the other two from others in the state, but it's, it's just a fantastic event where we get to showcase younger generations and their love for math and the STEM field in general.
Sam Yates:You know, I like the name that they're called. And that's mathletes. There are mathletes are outstanding, because they're going to have skills that they developed in this process that they're going to carry the rest of their lives. Is that a good, strong, fair statement?
Cherie Pinsky:Absolutely. They're the skills that they develop through the education throughout, obviously school. But as well as adding these competitions and giving them the chance to showcase what they can do is just a wonderful opportunity that they have. And that carries with them, we have several of our leaders that were mathletes when they were younger and middle school, because it is a program that is just for middle school students.
Sam Yates:Now, I know that during the math elite competition, there is such an emphasis on math that even at the beginning of the program, it started out with a math joke.
Cherie Pinsky:That is true, there are a lot of math jokes that are said and I only get about half of them. I only understand about but the kids love it. And they love the the camaraderie
Sam Yates:it is it is special. Whenever I listened to the program to the to the competition, and I I was chuckling to myself, I was like, that is really great. I loved it. But let's switch gears a little bit if we can. Another important educational program is designed for the more mature group and that is our engineers themselves. So what is the FES Leadership Institute? And what do the participants take away from that program,
Cherie Pinsky:Fili is, as it affectionately is called, is a wonderful leadership program. That is for our slightly more mature engineers. That really focuses on the networking, the leadership abilities, work life balance and giving back to the community. It is very much a fun, but also serious program that is highly sought after that we're proud to offer.
Sam Yates:And I think on one of our previous programs, Carlos Pennine told us a bit about some of what philia had accomplished. But it is not a program a sidebar, if we could for a second, it's not a program that anyone can participate in it. It actually is one that members apply for. And for the 2023 I believe only 59 candidates applied and only 14 were selected to take part. So there is a bit of competition to get into the field program.
Cherie Pinsky:There is a stringent selection process that the committee does go through to make their selection, they found that if there are more than 40 people in a class, it really kind of helps. I mean, it doesn't help it breaks apart that tight knit bond relationships. So they really try to keep it at that 40 person level. So that it can the people in the class can form those tighter relationships and come together.
Sam Yates:We look forward to following along with that program. And as they come up with the things that they're going to accomplish, we'll be spotlighting them here on the Florida Engineering Society podcast as a just a little note for our listeners. You know, I sometimes get way ahead of myself and at the onset of the program, I mentioned that you are wearing dual hats there. So I wanted to talk a little bit about what you do is the C O for not only the Florida Engineering Society, but the American Council of Engineering Companies, two separate organizations closely aligned. Tell us about the Council of Engineering Companies.
Cherie Pinsky:Both associations are work fantastic together but they're also great on their own. For ACC of Florida. They have several programs and several initiatives to get involved with the community to be a presence within the engineering industry. Are you and part of my job is to help make sure that they're successful at it, we have several programs. For example, ACC of Florida, right after, I guess, two or three years now, they are now working on a program called FTO. T Connect, which connects engineers with software programs for designing transportation pieces, sorry for lack of a better word, whether it be bridges, pond drain design, drainage design, and things of that nature. ACC also sponsors construction career days throughout the state of Florida, giving students the opportunity to be more involved and learn about engineering, in the construction capacity. ACC is for involved in several other things as well. But those are just a couple that popped into my head.
Sam Yates:And obviously, one of the reasons that we're doing this program is to educate engineers and also attract engineers. For both organizations. Since you're wearing two hats. How can someone get more information and ultimately become a member,
Cherie Pinsky:We have a fabulous website that we utilize for membership, we have a list of our membership benefits on there along with digital applications. Going online, just entering in your basic information, we have wonderful membership team that will review the application, if you're applying as an individual member, the process is a little quicker. For ACC of Florida, the firm membership is a little bit takes a little bit longer about a week to get all the ducks in a row. But we do have a wonderful website that does give you a clearer picture of what we are as FBS and ACC of Florida, and what each organization has to offer.
Sam Yates:I do have another question before we go on with a couple of more minutes into the program. I'm watching the clock to make sure we stay on time. Can you come back for another program in the future?
Cherie Pinsky:Absolutely. I'm really enjoying being here. And we have so many things that we're involved in that we could talk about. Events, marketing, you know, there's just we're just in the field so much getting involved with the community. And as as representative, I'm very thankful and blessed to be a part of it.
Sam Yates:What are the big things that that I know that comes under the big umbrella and it I want to say it's successful. And that's your new magazine. And it's a great looking publication. So you guys are doing a great job on that. Oh, thank
Cherie Pinsky:you so much. We are extremely proud of this new magazine, and all of our editorial partners that we worked on with it. One really neat thing about it is we were able to partner with other associations in the engineering industry to bring about this wonderful new publication and we couldn't be prouder.
Sam Yates:You know, before we wrap up, though, hurricane season really is upon us by the time we blink, it's going to be here. Last year, hurricane season was horrible for Southwest Florida. And we don't know how bad the season is going to be back to my days of of wearing a cap with a big red cross on it and helping communities out. We always like to remind folks, it only takes one hurricane and you've got all sorts of problems. But from your vantage point, engineers have always been right on the front lines of preparation, tropical storms, hurricanes, recovery efforts. How do you as FeS and ACC, help keep members up to date help to keep them safe, help them with information that they can help keep their community safe. How do you do that?
Cherie Pinsky:You know, we had a lot of experience with that this year by sharing outlets of first responders and businesses and companies that were available for emergency relief, sharing that with our engineering community sharing it with our board and getting those details from them as well. It is very much about the connections that you make and being able to provide those that information those details to a further outreach than you thought possible. It we've certainly reached out and have made it assisted different schools and communities with hurricane relief, Fili this year donated to Operation barbecue relief down in the Fort Myers area, which was wonderful. And we just we just want to be there as much as we can and share that information to help people recover as quickly as possible to get what they need from the basics of food to something like, you know, repairs and having a place to stay during the time. So it's, it's, it's important, it's extremely important. And we're certainly looking to the future as this hurricane season approaches, like you said, since we have a great basis that we developed last year, we'll have it ready to go for this year, just in case, you know, obviously, we hope we don't have to use it. But, but But it's ready and waiting.
Sam Yates:I don't want to steal any thunder from the philia announcement of what their special project is this year. Although I have to say one of our past guests touched upon it a little bit. But I think people will be very, very impressed as they learn more about what Fili is doing. So I know you said you would be glad to come back. And so we'll talk about that. And another you touched on briefly is the FTO T training lab. So I'd like to invite you back to go into more details on both of those. And ladies and gentlemen. She said she would be back. I'm gonna hold you to it.
Cherie Pinsky:That's right Sam. Thank you so much for having me and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sam Yates:So until our next episode of the Engineering Florida podcast brought to you by the Florida Engineering Society. I'm your host, Sam Yates. Have a great day everybody. Thanks for listening to another informative episode of the engineering Florida podcast. Our goal is to help educate and inform everyone who listens to our podcast about our members and topics of interest to the Florida Engineering Society. On behalf of the Florida Engineering Society, and the Engineering Florida podcast, have a great day everybody