On the first of each month, GBA Executive Director Joel Carson provides an inside look at the latest GBA member resources, events, and news. These short and information-packed videos will make you and your firm smarter, stronger, and more successful!
Summary
Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. The final episode of GBA's 12 Days of GBA series reveals 2025's most downloaded document: Crane Pad and Working Platform Design and Inspection. This isn't a technical design guide—it's comprehensive risk reduction guidance developed collaboratively by Geotech and CoMET committees. The document addresses preventing catastrophic crane and drilling rig failures by defining clear roles across all parties: geotechnical engineers, contractors, inspection firms, crane operators, and engineers of record. Key topics include thorough geotechnical evaluations, information sharing protocols, liability limitations, field observation templates, and reinspection requirements after weather events. Bottom line: reducing risks, clarifying responsibilities, and ensuring everyone goes home safe. Members-only download available.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. GBA's conferences are where the magic happens—Ryan and Tiffany share why these events are annual highlights. Spring Conference features the Business Snapshot for industry pulse-checks, legendary keynote speakers (Jim Abbott, Rob Samuels, John Acuff), and the invaluable round tables where 6-10 peers tackle real challenges with practical solutions across experience levels. Amazing locations include Phoenix (2026) and Vancouver BC (2027). The Stay and Play tradition caps each conference with memorable adventures—from St. Augustine boat tours to exploring new cities. Fall Leadership Summit focuses on committee work and shaping industry future. Bottom line: connections, content, inspiration, and fun.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. GBA's Business Briefs deliver short, focused reads on timely topics—free for members. Ryan and Tiffany highlight three standouts: Crystal Ball Workshop 2025 (co-authored by Tiffany and Matt Van Rensler) covering AI guardrails, innovation culture, data hygiene, and pricing strategies; Utilizing Artificial Intelligence examining five insurance policies (cyber, general liability, professional liability, D&O, EPLI) and their AI-related coverage gaps; and Beyond gINT, a practical comparison table of geotechnical data management software that Ryan used to evaluate gINT replacements. These briefs provide actionable insights—from talking with your insurance broker to selecting the right technology. Stay updated through GBA's NewsLog, where new Business Briefs are always highlighted.
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Summary
Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Born from Emerging Leaders Class 4 during COVID, the GBA podcast has evolved into a powerful member benefit amplifier. While episodes are free to the public, GBA members unlock the real value—downloadable resources, best practices, contract clauses, and tools referenced in each episode. Ryan and Tiffany explore how the podcast supports different learning styles when paired with downloadable documents, making lunch-and-learns more effective. Featured series include Encore Performances with keynote speakers, GeoHeroes interviews, DEI discussions, and Case Histories. What's next for the podcast -- expanded video content and a geotechnical startup series.
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Summary
Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. GBA's Peer Review—named by Engineering News Record as one of 125 most innovative developments in 125 years—provides structured, confidential assessment of firm management practices. Tiffany deep-dives into the process, explaining the nine core components: business management, facilities/technical resources, HR, professional development, project management, financial management, marketing/sales, electronic resources, and image/culture. Firms choose onsite or virtual reviews, supported by staff and client surveys. Many insurers offset costs. Recommended cadence: every 4-5 years. The process includes oral feedback plus written reports—actionable improvement tools without grades or certification. Special thanks to David Sauls and Bob Rabeler.
Linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsaulspe/)
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. GBA's Taboo Words document gets its own spotlight because words in your report matter as much as the work itself. Tiffany shares how this resource shaped her writing since 2006. The eight risky words aren't "evil," but opposing counsel can broaden your intent in claims. Ryan and Tiffany deep-dive on "inspect" versus "observe," explaining how legal interpretation can imply authority you never accepted. The takeaway isn't to never use these words, but to choose deliberately and define scope clearly. Simple exercise: highlight these words in a report, rewrite two sentences, instantly level up your team's risk management.
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Summary
Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. GBA's best practices (or "monographs") are short, focused guides that save you from learning lessons the hard way. Tiffany highlights Change Order Management—emphasizing early communication to prevent client surprises—and Straight Talk About Profitability, which reveals that labor utilization matters more than just raising rates. Ryan counters with non-financial favorites: Avoiding Absolutes (one "always" can haunt you forever), Taboo Words, Mentoring Programs, Software Validation, and Documentation practices. Through a lightning round, they showcase resources covering Go/No-Go decisions, insurance basics, e-communication, depositions, and presentations. The takeaway: Pick one best practice your firm already pays for and actually use it this week. Small changes, big payoff.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Risk management is GBA's "love language"—woven into nearly everything they publish. Ryan and Tiffany break down their "greatest hits playlist" across three tracks: contracts and legal risk (featuring the Contract Reference Guide and Third Party Reliance resources), reports and client education (including important information insert sheets and confirmation-dependent recommendations), and training with peer learning (like the "Avoiding Absolutes" best practice). Each track includes Monday-morning actionable takeaways—from standardizing contract language to attaching client education documents to building repeatable communication habits. These resources aren't just defensive; they improve margins, reduce rework, and strengthen client relationships. Start small: pick one resource and make it standard practice.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Discover GBA's comprehensive leadership training opportunities that span your entire career journey. Ryan and Tiffany share their personal experiences, including how they met through the Emerging Leaders program—an 18-month cohort experience that launched the GBA podcast. Learn about the Early Professional Class featuring 10 interactive virtual sessions led by adult learning expert Brock Simmons, the Fall Leadership Summit bringing committees together with world-class keynote speakers, and specialized peer groups for CEOs, CFOs, practice leads, and more. From committee leadership roles to annual conference keynotes, GBA offers authentic, engaging programs that build lasting professional networks and practical leadership skills.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Discover why GBA's NewsLog is your essential biweekly connection to the geoprofessional industry. Ryan and Tiffany break down what makes each edition valuable—from member news ("the tea") covering acquisitions and leadership changes, to handpicked industry headlines on AI adoption and infrastructure trends. You'll learn about featured multimedia content, including the GBA podcast's 24,000+ downloads, plus community features like photo contests and book clubs. Don't miss the special extras: new best practice documents, leadership program opportunities, and exclusive resources. If you're not reading NewsLog, you're missing the tools and insights keeping the profession moving forward.
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Discover why GBA committees are the essential lifeblood of the association in this engaging episode featuring clips from committee leaders across the organization. Ryan and Tiffany explore how committees bring members together—from newcomers to 30-year veterans—to collaborate, solve shared challenges, and create valuable resources for the profession. Hear directly from most of the committee chairs from Multimedia Delivery, Business Practices, Legal Affairs, BizTech, Environmental, CoMET, Geotech, Inclusion Advancement, Peer Review, and Emerging Issues & Trends committees. Whether you're interested in technical content, business practices, or forward-thinking initiatives, there's a committee waiting to help you grow your network and give back meaningfully to geoprofessionals.
GBA Committees
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Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. This debut episode features case histories—one of GBA's most popular offerings. They randomly selected 13 case histories (bonus!), used AI to generate summaries, and shared highlights covering topics from environmental contamination to foundation failures and residential disputes. The case history receiving the most downloads by February 1, 2026 will become a full podcast episode. Each summary provides insights into real-world engineering challenges, risk management, and professional liability lessons valuable for lunch-and-learns or training.
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Summary
The city retained the Member Firm only for periodic bay-water-sampling services for its “showcase” brownfields project. Different out-of-town firms performed the Geo and Env services. A construction-contract specification made the Member Firm the city’s environmental inspector radically altering what the Member Firm had proposed. Unaware of this change to the “boilerplate” language, the Member Firm signed the contract and forged ahead. Problems during construction led to a suit that was settled through mediation which included monetary payments by all three consultants. The city paid nothing.
Our Hosts:
Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues.
Abi is a Project Consultant at SME experienced in managing a variety of steel, concrete, coatings, and nondestructive testing projects. She specializes in managing projects related to DOT fabrication quality assurance reviews but also supports project managers throughout SME’s various service groups.
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Summary
Member Firm is responsible for observing the construction of drilled shafts for an extension of a shopping center project. The OSHA inspector cited several violations at the jobsite. The Member Firm arranged a hearing with their attorney and reduced the fines. A good attorney can really be your “12th Man”!
Our Hosts:
Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues.
Abi is a Project Consultant at SME experienced in managing a variety of steel, concrete, coatings, and nondestructive testing projects. She specializes in managing projects related to DOT fabrication quality assurance reviews but also supports project managers throughout SME’s various service groups.
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Summary
A GBA-member firm was hired to evaluate and design the repair of a sheet pile dock at a food processing plant. The owner was pleased with the design but did not have the capital to construct the full repairs and tasked the engineer with devising a temporary solution.
In the early morning hours on the first day of mobilization for the project, the dock collapsed and the project immediately shifted from repair to replacement. Daily, it seemed, new problems or concerns arose, and the geotechnical engineer was on-site to make observations, answer questions, and present solutions.
Through the extraordinary efforts of the contractor and trust from the owner, the project was completed before the plant’s operating season began and the geotechnical engineer was made to look like a hero.
Our Hosts:
Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues.
Abi is a Project Consultant at SME experienced in managing a variety of steel, concrete, coatings, and nondestructive testing projects. She specializes in managing projects related to DOT fabrication quality assurance reviews but also supports project managers throughout SME’s various service groups.
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On the first of each month, GBA Executive Director Joel Carson provides an inside look at the latest GBA member resources, events, and news. These short and information-packed videos will make you and your firm smarter, stronger, and more successful!
Summary
A GBA member firm conducted a Phase I and Phase II study for the developer AND later did work directly for a former tenant of the same site. After things got even more complicated, the member firm decided to try small claims court for a resolution (where they had already been for at least 60 different projects). This practice did NOT make perfect.
Our Hosts:
Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues.
Tim is the Chief Operating Officer of Geoprofessional Services at BSK Associates, an employee-owned engineering firm. With over 30 years in materials testing and inspection, he oversees six Northern California offices and chairs BSK's Board of Directors. Tim is Past-President of the California Council of Testing and Inspection Agencies.
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About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Ryan White, PE, GE, F.ASCE, principal geotechnical engineer at Apex, chair of the GBA Multimedia Delivery Committee, and GeoHeroes podcast producer, from accidentally discovering geotechnical engineering through misunderstandings about what different engineers actually do, to losing his job in the 2008 crisis, Ryan's unconventional path reveals how setbacks often become catalysts for growth. Now leading a thriving team, he shares hard-won insights on transitioning from technical expert to strategic leader, why doing what others won't do creates opportunity, and how the profession is evolving into a technology-driven future. Plus: his surprisingly competitive approach to giant pumpkin racing.
About Our Guest
Ryan White, PE, GE, F.ASCE, is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Apex in Portland, Oregon. With 28 years of experience in the geoprofessional industry Ryan leads Apex's geotechnical practice in the Pacific Northwest, growing the team to eleven professionals while focusing on strategic client service and integrating technology into traditional engineering practices. Ryan is an active member of GBA and chair of the multimedia delivery committee. In partnership with Guy Marcozzi, Ryan has produced the GeoHeroes podcast series, showcasing the diverse stories and wisdom of geoprofessionals across the country.
Our Host
Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.
First break: Collapsed lung from sneezing (!) prevented travel, led professor to connect him with startup GeoDesign
First risk: Left secure job with 2-month-old son to join mentor's 3-person startup company
2008 crisis: Lost job when economy tanked, devastating to ego
Key realization: "Never thought about our business as being a people business. It was a math and science business to me"
About This Episode
In this episode Ryan White, PE, GE, F.ASCE, turns the tables in this interview of GeoHeroes host Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, former GBA president, who shares his journey from suburban Delaware kid to geotechnical engineering CEO. Guy reveals the surprising truth behind most successful careers: there was no grand plan. From collecting payments on his childhood paper route to leading Duffield Associates, Inc. as CEO, Guy's path was shaped by persistence, listening, and seizing opportunities as they arose. He reflects on launching the GeoHeroes podcast, what he's learned from interviewing industry legends, and why not having everything figured out might be the best career advice of all.
About Our Guest
Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.
Our Host
Ryan White, PE, GE, F.ASCE, is a principal geotechnical engineer at Apex in Portland and the geotechnical engineering group manager. Ryan has over 28 years of geotechnical engineering experience leading groups, teams and managing projects. He has managed projects throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida. He has experience with commercial and municipal development, design for low- to mid-rise buildings, bridge foundations, roads, landslide evaluation and stabilization, retaining wall design and construction, solar energy and land development. Ryan is the current chair of GBA's multimedia delivery committee and one of the committee's founding members. Ryan helped develop the GBA Podcast as part of class 4 of the Emerging Leaders.