Letter from the President – FELI

It has been an extraordinary honor and privilege to be a part of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI), Class of 2022. FELI is a leadership program, hosted jointly by Florida Engineering Society (FES) and American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC), that puts training into practice. It was created to transition engineering professionals into community professionals and leaders within our societies, communities, and workplaces.

Through its 10-month class, FELI enhances the leadership skills of its participants and sets out a clear pathway to put these skills into practice serving our profession and our communities. One of my favorite sessions included the opportunity to participate in Engineering Legislative Days at the State Capital. The two-day event included legislative issue discussions, networking, and meeting with legislators.

Each FELI class engages in a community project as part of their program. Our class teamed up with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Feeding Florida, and MATHCOUNTS to build bunkbeds for underprivileged children and feed the hungry. We hosted four build days in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach building a total of 87 beds and raising over $60,000. Building materials and bedding were ordered through Sleep in Heavenly Peace using the money raised during fundraisers. The KEITH Team, pictured above, volunteered their time and muscle to build beds for our local communities.

To engage the next generation of engineers, FELI has worked alongside local MATHCOUNTS Chapters and mathletes at each build. Additional proceeds from these fundraisers have been donated to local Feeding Florida food banks.

This truly has been an amazing experience and I encourage you to get involved with organizations that support community along with helping empower you personally and professionally. I now have 40 new life-long friends and look forward to the years to come as we all grow and support each other in the industry.

Learn more about FELI: https://fleng.org/education/florida-engineering-leadership-institute/

Alex Lazowick, PE, PMP, ENV SP, President