News

Today, Nov. 5, is American Society of Civil Engineers Day, celebrating the Society’s founding on Nov. 5, 1852. On this day, 173 years ago, 12 esteemed engineers gathered at New York City’s Croton Aqueduct to launch what would become the American Society of Civil Engineers. ASCE Day commemorates our profession’s rich history, collective impact, and limitless future, one devoted to serving the public good every day.

BRPELS Board member Dave Peden, PE, SE, spoke to about 40 members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Seattle, Younger Member’s Forum (YMF) at the University of Washington campus, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

Dave talked about the YMF group helping to promote STEM, the importance and process of professional licensing and ethical obligations as a PE. Dave also gave an example of an ethical decision, after an engineering mistake was discovered, mid project.

 If you would like to request a… Read more

Board Member Mike Harney, PE, spoke to about 60 total engineering students in two classes, at Washington State University, Pullman, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Mike explained the importance of professional licensing, the licensing process and ethical obligations as a PE. He also reviewed the NSPE and ASCE codes of Ethics.

Finally, Mike walked the students through a real-world ethical situation, where an engineering company made a mistake, the decision to admit to it, and correct it.

 If you would like to request a speaker for your group, please… Read more

BRPELS joined with Washington State University’s ASCE Student Chapter, to host a “Meet & Greet,” for engineering students, local engineering leaders, WSU professors and BRPELS Board members and staff. About 60 students attended the event, learning about possible internships, jobs and earning an EIT certificate and eventual PE license. The gathering was held Wednesday evening, October 15, 2025.

“This was an chance for students to get direct answers to their questions and perhaps build a relationship with a mentor or future employer,” said BRPELS Director,… Read more

BRPELS announces a new Board member, Jon P. Warren, Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), has been appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson to a 5-year term. He has 35 years of public and private sector projects, department management and personnel experience. The governor has also reappointed Board member Dave Peden, PE, SE of Spokane, to a second 5-year term.

The University of Washington Tacoma announced Monday the establishment of the “Strickland Fellowship for Career Pathways,” named in honor of Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland’s contributions to education and workforce development in Tacoma and the South Sound.

The program provides students with hands-on experience working on municipal projects in Tacoma city departments, helping them prepare for engineering careers close to home. The fellowship’s name was unveiled during a ceremony recognizing Strickland, who helped shape the program’s vision while serving as Tacoma’s mayor.

Staff at BRPELS and the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) had an idea to help improve both agencies. How about a mid-day workshop to compare business best practices, for licensing, compliance and regulation? Subjects discussed included licensing trends, interstate license mobility, electronic records, exams, and outreach and communication.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to compare notes and examine ways both agencies could learn from each other,” said Kris Horton, PLS, BRPELS Deputy Director.… Read more

National PE Day was launched by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in 2016 to celebrate and raise public awareness of the contributions of licensed professional engineers in the United States.

The idea for Professional Engineers Day started with Tim Austin, PE, a professional engineer from Kansas who served as president of NSPE in 2015–16. Austin believed attention should be paid to NSPE's core principle which says "Being a licensed professional engineer means more than just holding a certificate and possessing technical competence. It is a commitment to hold the… Read more

Here are the latest exam and licensing maps from NCEES’s Member Board Administrator (MBA) Committee. They show how each state handles renewal cycles, options for meeting the NCEES Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) standard, the home state rule for CPCs, methods of approving FE/PE and FS/PS exams and whether they’ve decoupled the PE and PS exams. The maps reflect data from 2023.

… Read more

The Board is looking for your input on proposed amendments to Chapter 18.43 RCW – Engineers and Land Surveyors. These amendments include previously proposed amendments and recently approved proposed amendments. The recent proposed amendments were approved by the Board at the June 17, 2025, Annual Board Meeting. 

We're holding 3 virtual workshops to gather comments about the amendments. 

Date:  July 23, 2025

Time:  12:00 p.m.

Date:   July 24, 2025  

Time:  4:… Read more