MA Designer Selection Board Seeks 1 PE Engineer for Board; MSBA Seeks 2 PEs for DSP

Serving on a state board or commission is a volunteer opportunity; it’s a great way to contribute your professional expertise to improving how public projects are delivered and also a way to build your understanding about how public officials evaluate proposals and ideas from design professionals.

The Massachusetts Designer Selection Board (DSB) is seeking resumes from diverse candidates who are Professional Engineers licensed in and residing in Massachusetts for 1 opening on the DSB.

While their preferences are for an electrical, mechanical or structural PE, they also will welcome resumes from civil engineers.  If your firm does works for DCAMM, designs building projects for municipalities or charter schools and is part of proposals submitted to the DSB, even as subconsultant to a prime designer, you should not apply. 

The Massachusetts Designer Selection Board (DSB) is an autonomous 11 member board that selects designers for public building construction of state facilities throughout the Commonwealth, as well as charter schools.

The DSB reviews designer applications for DCAMM (Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance) work, selects and ranks three finalists. The board then forwards its recommendations in writing to the DCAMM Commissioner who has authority to appoint and contract with the selected firm.

Eight members are appointed by the Governor, three of whom are registered architects, three registered engineers, and two representatives of the public who are not architect designers, engineers, or construction contractors.  Three additional members are appointed by the following professional societies: The Boston Society of Architects (BSA), Design Professionals Government Affairs Council (The Engineering Center Education Trust) and the Associated General Contractors (AGC). Certain officers will have additional specific responsibilities.

This is an important Public Board.  We need PE candidates, licensed in and living in MA, who do not have conflicts of interest to apply for appointment by the Governor.   The candidate selected for recommendation to the Governor’s office will need to go through standard background security and financial checks before appointment. 

The DSB meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 8:30 AM- 12:30 PM via Zoom and in the future at One Ashburton Place in Boston.  If you are interested in applying to serve, please see below for details. Diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Description for the Massachusetts Design Selection Board:

Title: Member, Designer Selection Board
Reports to: DSB Chair
Purpose: To serve the Board Chairman as a voting member; to develop plans, policies, procedures and practices for the operation of the DSB programs and performance. The DSB reviews designer applications for DCAMM (Division of Capital Asset Maintenance and Management) work, selects and ranks three finalists. The board then forwards its recommendations in writing to the Commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Maintenance and Management who has authority to appoint and contract with the selected firm.
Term: 2 years; opportunity for re-appointment for another 2 year term by (Governor, etc.); opportunity to serve as an officer.

Expected Meeting Attendance: 
Regularly attend DSB meetings as scheduled (about 24/year).  Meetings are usually on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 8:30 AM-12:30 PM.  The DSB provides a parking space to Board members for the duration of the meeting. 

Obligations of the Board:

• Establish policy for DSB as a Board member
• Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.  This means that if your firm does works for DCAMM and regularly submits proposals to the DSB, even as subconsultant to a prime designer, you should not apply.   You would need to consult Bill Perkins, the DSB Executive Director, or the State Ethics Commission for more information, but Abbie Goodman can answer some questions about what this means.

Duties for Board members:

• Use best professional judgment to support DSB activities
• Promote DSB participation by encouraging firms to apply.
• Be responsive to requests for information, participation or assistance from DSB Board, DSB staff, DCAMM and/or municipal staff.
• Be an advocate and a spokesperson for DSB in coordination with DSB Executive Director.

Information about Conflict of Interest:

• No member of the Board may participate in the selection of a designer for a project if the member or any immediate family has a direct or indirect present or future financial interest in the selection of that designer or would benefit financially in any way from the project.
• Cannot be a member of the DSB if currently employed by a potential applicant.

If you are applying for the DSB opening, forward your resume, with full home and work contact information on it, to Abbie Goodman by September 1, 2021. Please reference Designer Selection Board.
The following policy was implemented on January 1, 2012:  Be it resolved that in order to ensure the absence of conflict of interest or the appearance thereof, the Designer Selection Board shall not accept any Application which includes as a Member of the Team, an Owner, a Principal, or as an Employee, any person who is a Member of the Designer Selection Board during their term of service and for a period of twelve months after leaving the Board.

More information about the Designer Selection Board 

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (the “MSBA”) is seeking resumes from Professional Engineers licensed in MA for two volunteer openings on their Designer Selection Panel (“DSP”).  These people will be appointed by the MSBA Executive Director. Diversity candidates are encouraged to submit their qualifications.

The MSBA DSP meets twice monthly, generally on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the MSBA offices located on 40 Broad Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA.  If you are interested in applying, please see below for details.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority Designer Selection Panel is made up of 13 appointed volunteer members and three representatives of the local city, town or regional school district who are selected by the District on a project-by-project basis. For current DSP information: https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/about/panels-dsp.  The three members who are representatives of the respective city, town or regional school district for the specific project under consideration includes one member designated by the school committee, the superintendent of schools or his/her designee and the chief executive officer of the city or town or his/her designee.

The 13 appointed members are recruited from recommended candidates of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA), the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA), the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (AGC) and the Massachusetts Building Trades Council (MBTC) as well as MSBA staff, independent design and construction professionals, and a member of the public.

After the review of applicants for a project, the MSBA then forwards a ranked list of three designers to the school district.  The District negotiates and contracts with the selected firm.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Title:              Member, MSBA Designer Selection Panel

Reports to:   DSP Chairman

Purpose:       To serve on the Panel as a voting member; to review and rank designer applicants for the projects funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.  The MSBA then forwards a ranked list to the school district.

TERM:            Subject to the discretion of the Executive Director, each member will serve for a two-year term or until a successor has been appointed to the DSP by the Executive Director.

Expected Meeting Attendance:

Regularly attend MSBA DSP meetings as scheduled (about 24/year). Meetings are held twice a month, generally on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.  The MSBA reimburses for parking and mileage for the duration of the meeting.

Obligations of the Panel:

Established policy for the MSBA DSP as a Panel member is to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.  This means that if your firm does work directly for the MSBA or regularly submits proposals to the DSP, even as a sub-consultant to a prime designer, you should not apply.  You would need to consult the State Ethics Commission for more information (https://www.mass.gov/orgs/state-ethics-commission).

Duties for Panel members:

• Use best professional judgment to support MSBA DSP activities;
• Promote DSP participation by encouraging firms to apply;
• Be responsive to requests for information, participation or assistance from DSP, MSBA staff and/or municipal staff; and
• Be an advocate and a spokesperson for DSP in coordination with MSBA Executive Director.

If you are interested in applying to volunteer on this key public board, please forward your resume with full home (or mobile) and work (if employed) contact information at the top of the page to Abbie Goodman  Potential candidates will be forwarded to the MSBA Executive Director who will make the appointment.

More information about the MSBA Designer Selection Panel

ACTION REQUESTED: If you are applying for the DSP opening, forward your resume, with full home and work contact information on it, to Abbie Goodman by  September 1, 2021.  Please reference MSBA Designer Selection Panel.

Note: If your resume does not have full home (and work, if employed) contact information at the top of the document, we will be unable to forward it to the Designer Selection Board’s Executive Director or the MSBA Executive Director.​