It’s hard to believe I just celebrated my three-year anniversary as President of ACEC Ohio. What a great year it has been, thank you for your support! This year, we implemented our chapter integration plan creating synergy between our four chapters and the state organization. We also had incredible success with our legislative advocacy goal of increasing infrastructure funding in Ohio. As a founding member of the FOR Ohio coalition, ACEC Ohio advocated for an increase in the motor vehicle user fee in the transportation budget bill (HB 62). Thanks to strong support from Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and legislative leaders the bill was signed with a 10.5-cent motor fuel user fee increase and a 19-cent diesel fuel user fee that will generate $865 million in new funding for infrastructure improvements. In addition, the transportation budget bill also added registration fees for electric and hybrid vehicles at $200 and $100 respectively along with a permissive $5 license tag fee allowed at the county level raising the maximum fee levied from $25 to $30. Thank you to all our members who engaged in this advocacy effort!
Below is an overview of ACEC Ohio's year in "numbers", as well as in “pictures” if you click here.
6- Board Meetings
57- Committee Meetings (added Rising Leader and Scholarship committees)
28- Subcommittee Meetings
5-ACEC Ohio Liaison Meetings with Executive staff at state agencies
29-Chapter meetings
17- New Member Firms
1-Membership Video produced (click here to view)
4- QBS “wins”
23- Engineering Excellence Award entries; 5 Ohio projects moved onto National ACEC
1- ODOT/ACEC Ohio Partnering Conference—8th annual
4-Professional Forums held (HR, Finance, IT, Energy)
1-Rising Leader Program created
4-ACEC Ohio Regional Scholarships awarded
1-ACEC Ohio Scholarship recipient awarded National ACEC Scholarship
1-Online/On-demand Ethics Training Course developed
1- Salary & Fringe Benefit Survey
1- Member Survey
1- Annual Meeting
30+ Pieces of legislation in Ohio monitored
1-Indemnification Bill introduced on behalf of ACEC Ohio
1-Payment Assurance (commercial property lien) bill introduced for design professionals
2-Gubernatorial candidates with their Lt. Governor candidates attending ACEC Ohio sponsored events
13- Congressional Member Meetings during ACEC Annual Convention in D.C.
4- PAC events -100+ ACEC Ohio Members attended and over $21,000 raised
10- PAC checks delivered by ACEC Ohio Members to Congressional Members in Ohio
3rd- time met ACEC PAC goal after 10-year hiatus
Thank you for your support of ACEC Ohio as we strive to be the leading authority that advocates, protects and promotes Engineering Business in Ohio. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
~Beth