Messerli participates in ASCE's Legislative Fly-In event

The effort to upkeep essential infrastructure is a daily process. Along with planning, design, and management, Garver takes seriously the roles it plays to secure necessary funding for the highways, airport runways, and water treatment plants that we rely on every day.

To help create and maintain relationships between consultants and those making the policies necessary for these essential projects, each year the American Society of Civil Engineers hosts the Legislative Fly-In program. During the two-day event in Washington, D.C., ASCE members visit with congressional members to advocate for the advancement of infrastructure investment, appropriations, and policies for all varieties of infrastructure topics.

Transportation Project Engineer Austin Messerli, based in Garver’s Austin, Texas office, attended the 2019 Fly-In event held last month, during which he had a chance to meet with federal policy makers on the infrastructure needs on state and local levels.

Attendees met with the representatives of their states and districts, were briefed on active legislation and ASCE infrastructure legislative priorities, and training on how to continue relationships with officials to ensure conversations can eventually lead to policies that are essential to infrastructure improvements.

“Many of us have plenty of experience with state legislatures, and city staffs, but familiarity on the federal level is just as important,” Messerli said. “It’s a team effort among federal, state, and local resources to get many projects to the finish line, and to educate those on the highest level on local projects and policies that could use federal funding, really was a valuable experience.”

Garver is celebrating its centennial year in 2019. To learn more, visit our centennial celebration page.