New Member Spotlight: Will Wheeler

Will Wheeler

Gray & Associates

Where do you work and what’s your position? Brief Description of company.

I work at Gray & Associates.  Gray & Associates is a land development-focused civil engineering firm with 22-yrs of history in Central Texas. My position is Director of Operations and Marketing.

Where is your hometown?  Where did you go to school?

I was born and raised in Newport Beach, California.  I graduated from Newport Harbor High School and obtained a BS in Civil Engineering from California State University Pomona.  I met my wife (Lori) of 29-yrs at college.  We have two grown daughters, one a CPA in Austin, the other in grad school in San Diego.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies? 

Hobbies include:

• Hiking with my wife and two dogs.
• Backpacking and Mountain Climbing
• Fly Fishing
• Golfing
• Finding new Austin Restaurants

What prompted you to join SMPS Austin?

From a personal standpoint I joined SMPS to get to know more people in Austin.   From a business perspective SMPS is a good place to network within our industry.

Photos from Austin SMPS June Luncheon

View all photos from the June Luncheon

Photos from SMPS Austin Networking Happy Hour

New Member Spotlight: Susan Vaughan

Susan Vaughn
Encotech Engineering

Where do you work and what’s your position? Brief Description of company.
I work at Encotech Engineering Consultants as Business Development/Marketing Manager.

Encotech Engineering Consultants is a full service MEP and Structural Engineering design services firm.

Where is your hometown? Where did you go to school?
My hometown is Houston. I earned my BA in Mass Communications at Texas Tech University in
Lubbock and my MS in Applied Cognition at The University of Texas at Dallas.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies?
I enjoy travel, movies and dining out.

Top 5 Coffee Shops!

Austin Java - 4 ****

1608 Barton Springs Road • (512) 482.9450
http://www.austinjava.com/

Austin Java has 7 locations throughout Austin, but the surprising sprawling Barton Springs coffee spot is conveniently close to downtown without the parking headache. AJ has a full menu with everything from omelets to sandwiches that beat Starbucks’ grab and go any day. Great for a business meeting with good coffee choices, ample seating and various eats.

Parking: Convenient, garage with tickets validated by your server

Area: Barton Springs

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Caffé Medici - 4.5 ****

1101 West Lynn • 512.524.5049 • http://caffemedici.com/

Café Medici’s coffee is rivaled by few, and the only drawback to their convenient Clarksville location is the limited parking. CM has that unique Austin vibe, and discounts your order if you pay with cash. Their fresh French press brew alone is worth the visit.

Parking: Limited lot, street parking

Area: West Lynn/Clarksville

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Jo’s - 3.5 ***

242 West Second Street • (512) 469.9003
http://joscoffee.com/

Jo’s Coffee’s downtown location is right in the mix of the re-urbanization of 2^nd Street. With a menu of varied coffee and eats, it’s a good option if you want to visit a spot that is somewhat unique but still has the convenience of downtown. The indoor seating area is somewhat dark and un-invigorating, but the outdoor patio is ample and great for people watching.

Parking: street parking

Area: 2^nd Street District

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Quack’s Bakery/Coffeehouse - 4 ****

411 R. 43^rd Street • (512) 453.3399 • http://www.quacksbakery.com/

Quack’s is a Hyde Park gem, somewhat off the beaten path from downtown, but a great in-between stop if you need a central meeting place. Great coffee and a great bakery selection – the cookies are a must!

Parking: Plenty, lot parking

Area: Hyde Park

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Mozart’s - 4.5 ****

3825 Lake Austin Blvd. • (512) 477.2900
www.mozartscoffee.com/

Mozart’s is an old Austin favorite, with a great location right on Lake Austin. Friendly staff, a great coffee selection and sweet treats, it has ample indoor and outdoor seating. If you need a meeting spot convenient to downtown but want to enjoy the best of Austin’s outdoors and your coffee, Mozart’s is your place.

Parking: Limited lot

Area: Lake Austin

Provided by: Erin Bettison, CPSM, LEED GA - Austin Commercial

Vino! Vin! Vini! Wine!

Please join SMPS Austin Chapter for our 8th Annual Wine Tasting and Networking event! This year, we’re taking a tour across the world with a presentation on international wine pairings. Join fellow A/E/C professionals to taste great wine and food while networking in a relaxed setting.

This event is always the highlight of the summer programming and fills up quickly. Register now to reserve your spot.

Registration ends on Friday, July 13th.

When: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Where: Max's Wine Dive Austin
207 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, TX 78701

Attire: Business

Event Registration Fee:
Member $30.00
Non-Member $45.00

RSVP Friday, July 13, 2012

SMPS Golf Recap

SMPS Austin Chapter held their First Annual Golf Tournament at Grey Rock Golf Club on April 19^th, 2012. The tournament was a huge success with just over 50 players in attendance. The players had the unique opportunity to play alongside several esteemed guests representing leaders in our Central Texas Community including Jim Bechtol and Kirk Clennan with the City of Leander, Jimmy Disler with LISD, Mark Fowler with Trammell Crow and Rob Roy Parnell with Texas State University System.

Tournament play was followed by dinner, networking and awards ceremony.  A portion of the proceeds was given to the SMPS Foundation to support their research and education efforts promoting the value of marketing in the A/E/C industry.

On behalf of SMPS Austin, I would like to extend a special “Thank You” to our tournament sponsors and hard-working volunteers that helped make this event a reality. We look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Ross H. Eubanks, PE – CJG Engineers

2011-2012 Sponsorship Director