HISTORY OF THE

KANSAS STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL PROFESSIONS

 

Originally written & published KSBTP Newsletter July 1997 by Charles A. Stryker P.E.
Last revision March 17, 2008 by F. Glenn Phinney P.E.

The Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) is one of at least ten Boards of Registration that have combined the professions of architects and engineers for registration purposes in the United States. The professions represented in Kansas are Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Land Surveying, although some states having combined Boards only represent two of the technical professions. The Board was combined in 1976 for all four professions, although registration of the individual professions had occurred much earlier.

The Kansas State Board of Technical Professions is currently comprised of two public members, three engineers, three architects, one landscape architect, two land surveyors, one member that is a joint engineer/land surveyor, and one Geologist.  In February of 2008, the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions has 16,354 licenses to practice the professions.   The breakdown by profession is:

Engineers

Architects

Surveyors

Landscape Architects

Geologists

Corporations

10,196 

2,680

777

379

643

1679

The Kansas State Board of Technical Professions was established by the Kansas Legislature to act as the administrative agency for licensing and regulating the professions of Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Land Surveying, and Geology. The legislature has delegated to the Board responsibilities that would normally fall under the obligation of the Legislature to perform itself. As such, the Board has the power to do only whatever the Legislature has given it authority by statute to do. The Board cannot expand that authority by adopting policy or regulation. If the Board wants authority to do something that it does not have statutory authority to do, it would require additional action by the Legislature.

The Board has the legal responsibility to protect the public health, safety and welfare by taking the necessary steps to ensure that only qualified individuals practice the technical professions, and that once licensed, an individual adheres to the strict ethical and performance standards set forth in the Board's regulations. The Board's licensing responsibilities are essentially administrative in nature, however, the Board's enforcement responsibilities, i.e., investigation and prosecution of violations, are judicial in nature. For this reason, our agency is what is commonly referred to as a "quasi judicial" agency. When the Board receives a complaint from an individual or entity alleging a violation of the laws, or if the Board upon its own motion decides that a violation may have occurred, the Board has a responsibility for adequately investigating the circumstances of the case to determine the likelihood of whether or not the alleged violation actually occurred.

The combined board was authorized to begin activities in July 1976 to be responsible for professional registration of Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors and was comprised of nine members.

The largest change in the Board occurred in 1993 when the Board increased its size to the present thirteen members.

Licensing has been in existence for a long time in the State of Kansas. The first profession that was licensed was the Registration Board for Professional Engineers, and its first meeting was July of 1931. It was comprised of five individuals, including the Deans of Engineering at Kansas State and Kansas Universities, a County Engineer, a Consulting Engineer and an Engineer with a structural steel fabrication company; all were appointed by then Governor Harry Woodring on July 2, 1931. Professional Engineer license # 1 was issued to R. J. Paulette.

The Architectural Registration Board held its first meeting in June 1949, after two years of legislative debate before final approval of statutes allowed the creation of the Board. The Board was comprised of five individuals who were in private practice; however, the first temporary Chairman was Charles Marshall, who was State Architect. Architect License # 1 was issued to Charles W. Shaver.

The Board for Landscape Architects was established in 1968 and our records for its initial start are not available. It is known that Ralph Ricklefs of Salina was Chairman of the Board and instrumental in getting the Board established. Landscape Architect license # 1 was issued to Robert P. Ealy, July 21, 1968.

The Land Surveyors were incorporated into the Engineers Board and information about a separate board is not available at the Board office. The first land surveyor license was to Truman Schulp, on January 1, 1969.

On July l, 1999 by Legislative action, the Board began accepting applications for Geologists and on January 29, 1999 the first Geology License was issued to Lee Gerhard.  In June of 2000, the first Geologist was added to the board in place of a public member. The Board remains at a total of 13 members.

The impetus to combine the Boards was primarily driven by State Government consolidating administrative activities. The first meeting to discuss the combined operation of the Boards of Engineering, Architecture and Landscape Architecture was June of 1970. They met again in April of 1972, at which time it was agreed that the Kansas Engineering Society would present a proposed bill to the Legislature in the 1973 session of the Legislature.

It is our understanding that the final action that allowed the Board to be combined was the Kansas University Medical Center project that was widely reported as a scandal within the professions. The principle Legislators during the Legislative Sessions of 1975 and 1976 developed a plan for combining the Boards and the legislation authorizing the Combined Board was completed in 1976.

Charlotte Olander was selected as Executive Secretary in April 1976 and Hal Walker was the representative from the Attorney Generals office. There were three full time staff persons for the administration of the Board.

Based on the issues developed, it is not surprising that the first order of compliance concerned individuals and firms that were heavily involved in the KU Medical Center project. The intense legal activity concerning that project resulted in the Board obtaining its own legal counsel by contract and Mark Bennett was retained as Board Attorney in July 1977. Mr. Bennett continues to serve as Board Attorney.

The Board has had three persons fill the Executive Secretary/Director position of the Board since 1976. After Charlotte Olander, Jean Barbee was hired in late 1979 and in October 1984, Betty Rose was hired and served until March 2008 after 23 1/2 years of continuous service. Jean Boline was hired in March of 2008 and serves currently. The original Board staff of four was increased to six in January of 1998.

Since 1976 there have been changes in the operations of the Board to reflect the improvements to the professions and the makeup of those appointed to the Board. The Board has changed over the years in many administrative requirements and the compliance activities of the Board. The fact that many of the technical professions go beyond the State of Kansas in their practice also means that there are many professionals requesting to be licensed in Kansas who reside in other States. This increase in comity/reciprocity licensing has significantly increased the workload of the Board.

The Board has been fortunate to obtain dedicated professionals and public members to be Board members over the years. The effort by these professionals has allowed the Board to maintain the level of high standards that the State of Kansas has for its professionals. It is well known that the State of Kansas enjoys one of the highest levels of expertise for Engineering in the United States and has an excellent reputation for the other professions as well. We have included a list of the Board members that have served on the Board since 1976. As you can see, some of the Board members have served for 12 years. As a professional, if you are aware of those that have served as Board members, let them know that you appreciate them taking time away from their professional careers and businesses to help keep your profession at the high level it enjoys in Kansas.

KANSAS STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL PROFESSIONS BOARD HISTORY BOARD MEMBERS 

1976 TO 2007

 

Howard Blancard, AIA

  Deceased

2 years

1976-1977

Chairman 1976

Douglas Flatt, PE

4 years

1976-1979

Chairman 1977

Edward Saiguero, PE

3 years

1976-1978

 

Henry Neely, Jr., PE

6 years

1976-1981

Chairman 1978

Ralph Ricklefs, LA
  Deceased

3 years

1976-1978

 

Robert Evans, LS

3 years

1976-1978

 

Roy Calvin, AIA
  Deceased

4 years

1976-1979

 

C. James Balderson, AIA

9 years

1976-1984

 

Mary Kopp, Public Member

1 year

1976

 

Dan Metz, Public Member

3 years

1977-1979

 

Robert McCully, AIA

4 years

1978-1981

Chairman 1980

Craig Roberts, PE, LS

9 years

1979-1987

Chairman 1981 and 1983

Frank Smith, LA

4 years

1979-1982

Chairman 1982

Gail Bierly, PE, LS

Deceased

4 years

1979-1982

 

Joe Carmichael, AIA

12 years

1980-1987 

1993-1996

 

Gus Fairbanks, PE

Deceased

9 years

1980-1988

Chairman 1987

Jan Montgomery, Public Member

2 years

1980-1981

 

Mike Conduff, PE, LS

8 years

1982-1989

Chairman 1985 and 1989

Dale Dronberger, AIA

9 years

1982-1990

Chairman 1984

Richard McAnany, Public Member
Deceased

6 years

1983-1988

 

Steve Perry, LA

5 years

1983-1987

 

Leu Lowrey, PE, LS

5 years

1983-1987

 

Henry Schirmer, AIA
Deceased

6 years

1985-1990

Chairman 1986 and 1988

Wm. I. Shafer, PE, LS

4 years

1988-1991

 

Thomas Colgrove, LA

4 years

1988-1991

 

Charles A. Stryker P. E.

Deceased

12 years

1987-1999

Chairman 1993, 1994 and 1996

Carl Knop, PE

4 years

1989-1992

Chairman 1991

Nancy (Macy) Peterson, Public Member

4 years

1989-1992

Chairman 1990

Joe Johnson, AIA

4 years

1989-1992

Chairman 1992, 1999

Joe Johnson, AIA

Currently serving

1997-

 Chairman 2006

Rod Fogo, PE

4 years

1990-1993

 

H. D. Woods, AIA

3 years

1991-1993

 

Carl Ossmann, AIA
Deceased

3 years

1991-1993

 

Murray L. Rhodes, LS

Currently serving

1992-

Chairman 1998

William Winslow, LA

12 years

1992-2003

Chairman 1997

Howard H. Depew, Jr., PE

5 years

1993-1997

 

Darrell D. Hammond, PE, LS

4 years

1993-1996

Chairman 1994

Frank Hirons, Public Member

1 year

1993

 

Harry Perry, Public Member
Deceased

4 years

1993-1996

 

Terry S. Uhl, PE, LS

8 years

1993-2000

 

Fortunato Bonilla, Public Member

4 years

1993-1996

 

Stan Peterson, AIA

12 years

1994-2005

Chairman 1995, 2001

Rich Sternadori, Public Member

3 years

1994-1996

 

Mike Thompson, PE

4 years

1994-1997

 

Joe Vanderweide, AIA

12 years

1994-2006

Chairman 2004

Arthur G. Griffiths, LS

4 years

1996-2000

 

F. Glenn Phinney, PE, Public Member

8 years

1996-2004

 

Richard Porter, Public Member

4 years

1996-2000

 

Donald E. Rathbone, PE, Public Member 

Currently serving

1996-

Chairman 2000

Larry Hole, P.E. 

Deceased

6 years

1998-2004

Chairman 2003

Kenneth J. Vaughn, P.E.

Currently serving 

1998-

Chairman 2002

Cecil Kingsley, P.E. 

Currently serving 

1999-

 Chairman 2007

Tom Mulinazzi, P.E. , L.S.

Currently serving

2000-

 Chairman 2005

Richard Moberly, Geologist

Currently serving 

2000-

 

Tex L. New, L.S. 

Deceased

4 years 

2000-2004

 

Philip Meyer, L.A.

Currently serving

2003-

 

George Dean P.E.

Currently serving

2004-

 

George Barbee, Public Member

Currently serving

2004-

 

Timothy R. Sloan, L.S.

Currently serving

2004

 

 David L. Hoffman, Architect

Currently serving 

 2005

 

Vincent Mancini, Architect

Currently serving

2006

 

 

 

 

KANSAS STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL PROFESSIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 

1976 TO 2008

Charlotte Wilcox (Olander)

3 years

April 1976 – November 1979

Jean Barbee

5 years

November 1979 - September 1984

Betty Rose

23 1/2 years 

September 1984 - March 7, 2008

Jean Boline

Currently serving

March 2008 -

 

 

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