Message from Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC National President & CEO

To the ACEC Community:

We’re closing the books on a very busy September with our thoughts focused on the states throughout the southeast impacted by the devastation wrought from Hurricane Helene. As of my writing this letter, more than 130 people have died from the storm and thousands across multiple states are without power. In the areas hardest hit, especially in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, critical infrastructure has been washed away, leaving thousands more stranded without the ability to access food or clean water.  

Storms like Hurricane Helene prove that no matter how prepared we think we are, nothing can hold a candle to the awesome power of nature. Our thoughts are with the ACEC community affected by the storm – our state executives and volunteer leaders, our firm employees, and their families. Firms are already stepping in to help, and when the recovery effort turns into rebuilding, the people who will be called into service to bring their communities back from disaster will be engineers whose own lives were impacted by the storm. As we honor the first responders currently putting their lives at risk to save others, let’s also honor the engineers and public works officials who work alongside fire, EMS, and law enforcement in helping to determine the safety of buildings and bridges during the recovery effort.

Right now, our neighbors need our support and there are multiple ways you can help. If you are searching for a family member affected by the storm, please fill out this form prepared by the American Red Cross. If you are interested in donating, Send Relief is organizing a region-wide relief effort. For North Carolina, you can donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, United Way of North Carolina or the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, which has a vetted group of organizations accepting donations. For assistance in Florida, the state also has an established disaster fund. On an national scale, you can donate directly to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and Americares. 

Here's a recap of our work during September 2024:

Advocacy:

• Tom Pace, Chair of the ACEC Tax & Regulatory Affairs Committee, testified on the importance of the Section 199A 20% tax deduction to the House Ways and Means Committee Main Street tax team.
• ACEC’s Government Advocacy Coordinating Committee met in September to discuss major strategic issues facing the industry in the next Congress – notably tax reform and infrastructure – and how to position the industry to secure successful outcomes.
• ACEC added two new members to its advocacy team. Jordan Baugh comes from the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee to take over water and environmental issues, while Bradley Saull – a long-time professional in government contracting – will handle federal agency and international issues.
• Participated with the FIDIC Fall meeting, doing presentations on effective advocacy initiatives and moderating a panel discussion on the politics of infrastructure.
• ACEC staff presented on the 2025 tax policy outlook to the ACEC-Ohio/ACEC-Indiana Finance Forum and to ACEC-Missouri, as well as the HR Forum and the Business Development and Marketing Forum.
• Provided advocacy updates for ACEC Pennsylvania, ACEC West Virginia, the ACEC/CA Los Angeles chapter, the Parametrix board, and the Mead & Hunt transportation group.
• ACEC’s Energy & Water/Environment Committees met in Boise, ID bringing together key stakeholders from government officials and the private sector to discuss pressing issues and opportunities in energy, water management, and environmental sustainability.
• Hosted fly-ins at the residence for ACEC/MA, ACEC/NC, ACEC/SC, and SEI Class 30.
• Raised $80,061.27 in September with 3 MOs getting to goal. (ID, CT, and OR)
• Total raised for 2024 is $940,000 compared to $888,000 in 2023 - (Up 6 %)
• Hosted 10 congressional fundraising receptions at the ACEC Residence with 76 members of congress attending, raising a total of $220,000, including "check-drop" events for Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS).
• 5 MOs hosted congressional fundraising receptions (Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina)
• Hosted the SEI Class 30 reception with Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) attending

Communications and Marketing:

• The Engineering and Public Works Roadshow held two events in September. On September 23rd, ACEC Massachusetts honored the East Milton Square Reconstruction Project, located over the I-93 manor north-south interstate in Boston, which won an ACEC/MA Gold Award earlier this year.
• On September 25th, ACEC joined its partner group ASCE to recognize the sustainable green roof at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.  The Roadshow was able to honor executives from the Javits Center along with Barbara Humpton, the US President and CEO of the Siemens Corporation. Our next Roadshow event is scheduled for Tampa, Florida on the 5th of October, where we will spotlight the MacDill 48 Park, which will ease flooding in the city.
• The Engineering Influence Podcast continued its series on digital transformation with interviews ranging from Arup’s Chief Information Officer, to conversations with Kimley-Horn, Stantec, and HDR. We also sat down with Joe Sczurko, WSP’s new US Region CEO to talk about his journey with the firm.

Meetings, Events, and Awards:

It’s October and that can only mean one thing: The ACEC Fall Conference is nearly here!

• Registration is still ahead of last year’s pace with 897 registrants signed up to convene in New Orleans. Join them to participate in the industry event for the business of engineering.
• Just announced – new panel: Countdown to Election 2024: Impacts and Implications - ACEC Chair Gary Raba and EVP Steve Hall will be joined by former Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) for a panel on what is possibly the most consequential election of the last century. From bellwethers to battlegrounds, hear what these Washington insiders will be watching for on Election Night, and get their insights into what both potential outcomes could mean for our firms, our industry, and our nation.
• Also, check out the new Rapid-Fire Sessions – hot topics presented by industry in our new exhibit hall theater. With each session only 15 minutes, you can fit them into your packed schedule and never miss a beat. Check out the online schedule for all educational offerings, committee meetings, roundtable discussions, exhibitor hours, and more.
   
  You won’t want to miss this year’s Conference – REGISTER NOW.

Membership, MO Services and Education:

• Five hundred thirty-eight finance, human resources, IT, business development and marketing professionals, along with participants in the new women's leadership forum, gathered September 22-24 in Denver for the All Forum event. The Forums have seen tremendous growth since 2022. Business Development and Marketing grew by 53%, IT by 31%, HR by 28% and Finance by 24%. More than 70 attended the inaugural Women’s Leadership Forum event.
• Class 30 of the Senior Executives Institute (SEI) kicked off in Washington, DC at the Brookings Institution. The session featured a briefing from ACEC’s Advocacy team and an engineering economic and market update from the Market Intelligence team. More than 40% of the thirty participants in this SEI class hold executive, principal, or CEO positions at their firm. SEI is ACEC’s longest running and most successful leadership development program.
• Fifty-three members are participating in the Essentials of Risk Management for Consulting Engineers, an eight-module fundamentals course taught by legal experts.
• Twenty-four members attended an online seminar on ASHRAE 241, which establishes new standards for controlling airborne infectious aerosol transmission in buildings, focusing on enhanced ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning requirements. The education session was presented by the Coalition of American Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (CAMEE).

ACEC Research Institute:

• The ACEC Research Institute released a new report in early September that finds that using a lump sum contracting method to pay for engineering services benefits clients and engineering firms.
• Over 30 industry leaders composed of Institute Board of Directors, nABLE members, and the Industry Insights Team gathered in Boston to continue the framework for the Firm of the Future Initiative. Facilitated by Dr. Phil Bernstein, Deputy Dean and Adjunct Professor at Yale University, attendees worked within the previously identified scenarios to prioritize research, as well as identify research questions to inform the Institute research agenda.
• The ACEC Research Institute Board of Directors held its Fall Board Meeting in Boston. The board approved its FY2025 budget, reviewed progress on fundraising activities, and received updates on several research projects. They spent the majority of the meeting focused on next steps from the Firm of the Future workshop conducted the previous day.

Thank you to several early contributors to the Institute who completed their initial commitment and recently renewed/expanded their financial support, including:

Founder Circle

• Benesch
• CMT (from President)
• Kimley-Horn

Chair Circle

• Anonymous Donor
• Chen Moore (from President)
• ECS (from President)
• KCI (from President)
• Lamp Rynearson (from President)
• Mead & Hunt (from President)
• Merrick (from President)
• Pennoni
• Sargent & Lundy
• Wade Trim (from President)
• Woodard & Curran (from President)
• Jay & Ann Wolverton

President Circle

• CH
• Kenneth & Sheri Smith 

Have a great week,