06/23/2022

Message from Beth -- June 23, 2022

This past year at ACEC Ohio was one of trying to find the new normal, and we could not have done that without the support of our members, thank you! While the Council tried to get back to pre-pandemic activities, variants of Covid caused some disruption to our programming. The key to this year was to be flexible and adapt our approach to providing education, conducting committees, and serving our members at ACEC Ohio.

As part of our long-range strategic plan, ACEC Ohio continues to work to be your resource for business needs including standing up a highly rated Rising Leader Training program for the third year in a row, graduating 20 young professionals trained in the skills needed to move up as a leader in their firm. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee presented a four-part training program to build personal and organizational inclusive intelligence to over 200 member firm employees. This year, we added a partnership with PSMJ to bring the Project Manager Bootcamp training to Ohio.

Our strategic plan also includes a goal of increasing the diversity of member companies by size, location, and discipline. To facilitate this, the State Public Works Committee was re-branded to the Vertical Development Committee with an updated mission to advocate for ACEC member firms to entities that procure professional engineering services for projects in the vertical construction market (Education, Health Care, Office, Commercial, Manufacturing, Lodging, Public/Private Infrastructure and/or Government Facilities) to achieve fairer procurement policies, contractual terms, as well as improved standards and funding.

We continued to offer a “private sector forum” highlighting key business segments in the private/vertical market space as well as the energy sector. Along with the other professional forums including human resources, marketing, and IT, the Council continued to serve the full breadth of our member firm’s needs.

An advocate on behalf of the industry, ACEC Ohio pushed legislation that will limit public authorities use of broad indemnification clauses and opposed a bill to reduce the gas tax. Monitoring over 45 pieces of legislation, we worked to prevent bills that would change the qualifications-based selection process and dilute professional licensure.

The organization is lucky to have an engaged Board of Directors, strategically discussing issues during our meetings this year including wage pressures, finding talent, vaccine mandates, and the implementation of the infrastructure bill.

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

The ACEC Ohio year by the numbers:

• 6 Board Meetings
• 40 Committee Meetings
• 12 Subcommittee Meetings
• 9 Liaison Meetings w/ Executive Staff at state agencies (ODOT, OFCC, OTIC)
• 25 Chapter Meetings
• 6 Professional Forums (HR, IT, Marketing, Private Sector, Energy)
• 13 New Member Firms
• 1 Rising Leader Program completed by 20 participants
• 1 PSMJ Training
• 5 Regional Scholarships awarded & 1 CIWP Scholarship awarded
• 26 EEA submittals
• 1 EEA awards luncheon
• 2 Salary & Fringe Benefit Surveys
• 1 Member Survey
• 1 Annual Meeting
• 1 Partnering Conference with ODOT
• 1 Partnering Workshop with OTIC
• 1 PAC Appreciation Event
• 1 PAC Kick Off Event
• 1 Meeting with Ohio Senate Leadership
• Numerous meetings with elected officials advocating for the Engineering Industry