Orange County Branch Newsletter

March 2023

ASCE OC Publications

ASCE Legislative Fly-In and Policy Week 2023

By Marionne Lapitan, EIT, ENV SP | Publications Committee Editor-In-Chief



Earlier this month, from March 1st to 3rd, I had the incredible opportunity to advocate for infrastructure and represent ASCE Orange County, the state of California, and my CA-44 district during the 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers Legislative Fly-In and Policy Week in Washington, DC!

Alongside other civil engineering professionals from states and territories across the nation, we discussed with Members of Congress at the Hill the following key legislative priorities: 
• Continued support of all investment levels set by IIJA, CHIPS, and the Science Act. 
• Reauthorization of FAA programs, NDSP, and NEHRP before they expire on September 30th.
• Investments and policies that support infrastructure resiliency.

ASCE Region 9 / California 2023 Delegation

ASCE Younger Members at the 2023 DC Fly-In

With billions rolling in through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this year’s DC Fly-In focused on advocating for the investment’s optimal implementation, including workforce development— expanding the K-12 pipeline, University Outreach, and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) initiatives to ultimately support the next generation of professionals who will play a critical role in delivering these projects!

Thank you to California’s Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Dianne Feinstein, CA-44 Congresswoman Nannette Barragan, and other Members’ staff for meeting with our delegates to discuss infrastructure topics that are all timely and relevant to our communities today and in the future!

Thank you to the ASCE Government Relations staff and the outstanding ASCE members who volunteered for this year’s Fly-In! You all made this experience memorable.


About the Author:

Marionne Lapitan is a Civil Associate in the Traffic/ITS Department at Michael Baker International, an MSCE Graduate Student at Cal Poly Pomona, and a CSU Long Beach Alumni. She is currently the ASCE OC Publications Committee Editor-In-Chief and the ASCE OC YMF Communications Committee Co-Chair. Actively involved in various professional organizations, she is passionate about designing and building communities, both structurally and socially. She aims to make a difference in the world through civil engineering in hopes of building a brighter future for the next generation. She also enjoys traveling, graphic designing, and reading books in her free time. Marionne can be contacted via marionne.lapitan@mbakerintl.com or LinkedIn.


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