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To the ACEC Community,
In this week’s letter, we take a look back at a very eventful start to 2025. Of course, the headline item for the month was the change in power in Washington. From the moment President Trump assumed office, we saw a historic amount of executive action, in the form of pronouncements and executive orders. To help our members keep up on the latest news from the White House, we have developed a website to track executive and agency actions that directly affect the engineering industry. I encourage you to bookmark the page and to check back frequently. We will update it in real time as events continue to unfold.
That said, I want to emphasize an important point: EOs are stakes in the ground. They are not immutable fiats. EOs are an opportunity for a new administration to follow through on campaign promises and to communicate priorities. Between judicial challenges, potential counterweighing legislation and, not insignificantly, the power of public opinion, it is important to remember that signing an EO is a first step. Changing policy is a long haul.
Closer to home, we held our orientation for newly elected national volunteer leaders last month in our DC offices. The orientation is a great way to introduce our incoming members of the executive committee to all of the parts that keep ACEC moving. These dedicated leaders will lend both their time and talent in service of our Council, ensuring that ACEC remains focused and forward-looking. We look forward to working with these new executive committee members when they officially begin their roles at our Annual Convention in May.
Meanwhile, the countdown to the February 16, 2025 kickoff of Engineers Week continues. Themed “Design Your Future,” this year’s E-Week is an opportunity to spotlight the limitless possibilities of engineering. Last Spring, when we held the strategy session that ultimately led to forming the Engineering Workforce Consortium, the biggest takeaway was that our industry must tell the story of engineering and spotlight its impact on society if we are ever to solve our workforce challenges. We have put together a webpage of resources that includes suggestions for how your firm can participate in E-Week. Please consider doing so. It is a great opportunity to inspire a new generation who may not be fully aware of how essential engineering is to our future – and to theirs.
Speaking of spotlighting the value of engineering, next Friday the Engineering and Public Works Roadshow will be in Miami to celebrate the Signature Bridge and the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design Build Project. In addition to becoming an iconic landmark, the project also includes 33 acres of vibrant community space and reconnects neighborhoods that were once divided. As this project demonstrates, infrastructure improves communities. Learn more and watch the event live at infrastructureroadshow.org.
Advocacy:
- Hosted Incoming Chair John Rathke, Incoming Chair-Elect Dan Larsen and new PAC Chair Ralph Guida during the presidential inaugural weekend including a meeting with Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), dinners, presentations, tours and Balls and Galas.
- The Energy Committee held an educational session on the nuclear energy market and policies featuring key industry leaders from TerraPower, Holtec International, and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
- Supported Senate confirmation of key presidential cabinet appointees, including Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
- Hosted meeting with ACEC large firm lobbyists featuring presentation from ACEC’s outside tax advocacy firm – Capitol Tax Partners.
- Circulated guidance to ACEC state leaders on various Executive Orders and OMB memos.
- Provided advocacy updates to ACEC-TN, ACEC-IL, a joint call with ACEC-SC, ACEC-NC, ACEC-VA and ACEC-MW, and presentations for executives with member firms: COWI, VHB, Atlas, and KCI.
- WRDA was signed into law on January 4th.
- Attended over 30 open houses in Congressional offices during the swearing in of the 119th Congress.
- Filed the FEC report which recorded $1,407,077.01 raised in 2024 – a new record.
- $104,737.50 was raised in January (compared to $71,884.93 in January 2024).
- ACEC/Indiana achieved goal January 1st, the first state organization to do so in 2025.
Communications and Marketing:
- Began a series of meetings with the communications staff of newly elected T&I Committee members on the Hill
- Assisted several MOs with their website development under the ACEC domain
- Team developed a website with resources for the promotion of Engineers Week 2025
- Coordinated a series of blogs covering the immediate actions of the new Trump Administration
- Launched a website to serve as a clearinghouse for Trump executive orders, tariff information, and congressional resources
- Began scheduling Engineering and Public Works Roadshow events for 2025, starting with an event in Miami on 2/14
- Assisted the ACEC Research Institute in developing online resources for its Firm of the Future initiative
- Recorded podcasts with the newly elected National Officers during their orientation in the DC office
- Secured ACEC ownership over the “Future Forward” column in Informed Infrastructure magazine, starting with the February issue
ACEC Research Institute:
New Donors: We are thrilled to welcome Martin/Martin, MSA Professional Services, and Weston & Sampson who joined the Chair Circle. Thank you to JMT for renewing and expanding their commitment to the Founder Circle.
nABLE (National Advisory Board for Leadership in Engineering): The Institute’s nABLE board welcomed four new members at its brief virtual meeting in January. During the meeting the group received an update from Institute Chair Mike Carragher on the Firm of the Future initiative. They also discussed several possible future research topics that will be the focus of their in-person meeting in June.
New nABLE Board Members
- Rizwan Baig, P.E., Chief Engineer, Port Authority NY/NJ
- Michael Luu, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Risk Officer, CA Water Services Group
- Nicolas Mangon, Vice President, AEC Strategy, Autodesk
- Denise R. Simmons, Associate Dean Workforce, Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering, University of Florida
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors had their winter virtual meeting during which time they elected four new members who will be publicly announced when they start their term on May 1, 2025.
- Incoming Vice Chair: Greg Kelly, CEO, STV
- Affiliate Member: Marcus Quigley, Partner, Technology and Innovation, EFCG
- Firm Member: Lisa Robert, COO, RS&H
- NAECE Representative: Adam Jones, President, ACEC-SC
Mike Carragher also announced two new co-chairs of the Institute’s Fundraising Committee: Kennedy Jenks CEO Keith London and CHA Chief Growth Officer Jay Wolverton.
Firm of the Future: During the Institute’s winter meeting they reviewed and approved a multi-year research agenda for Firm of the Future. A new webpage has been added to the Institute’s website dedicated to the Firm of the Future initiative, showcasing videos, photos, testimonials and a timeline of the project to date. More resources continue to be added.
Membership, MO Services and BRE:
- Registration is now open for ACEC’s new AI Strategy Bootcamp for Small Engineering Firms. This online course, offered in partnership with YegaTech, begins March 12th and helps CEOs, executives, principals, and other decision-makers in small engineering firms break AI down into manageable steps, helping them to focus on practical applications and avoid unnecessary complexity. Click here to learn more and to register.
- Back by popular demand, Project Management 101: Laying the Foundation for Superior Project Managers kicked off its 14th session, offering an opportunity for PMs to strengthen communication skills with practical information and real-world case studies to build project management confidence and adapt to their firms' unique workflow specifications.
Meetings, Exhibits & Awards:
- The EEA National competition received 194 entries from 23 MOs. Judging will take place this month, with 16 Honor and 8 Grand Awards chosen, as well as the Grand Conceptor Award winner.
- Registration is open for the 2025 Annual Convention & Legislative Summit, scheduled for May 18–21 in Washington, DC. The Early Bird Deadline is April 17. With the new administration in place, the Convention is a must-attend event focused on new policies that will impact the engineering industry for years to come.
Have a great week,
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