The ACEC/Michigan Board of Directors gathered for its annual Board Retreat on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Michigan Chamber in Lansing to reflect on a highly productive year, evaluate progress on strategic goals, and chart the course for initiatives that strengthen the engineering profession across Michigan. Following a welcome and introductions from President Chuck Gemayel, the Board reaffirmed its three strategic goals—providing a competitive advantage for member firms, growing and diversifying membership and partnerships, and building a robust pipeline of future engineering talent—choosing to refine the initiatives beneath each goal rather than rewrite the plan.

The Board was also pleased to welcome its newest director, Kamran Qadeer of Fishbeck, who joins the Strategic Goal 1 (Competitive Advantage) group.

A Year of Accomplishments and Organizational Strength

Executive Director Ron Brenke and Deputy Director Troy Hagon led the Board through a review of the past year's accomplishments, highlighting that ACEC/Michigan enters the new fiscal year in sound financial health, with reserves now at roughly seven months of operating expenses.

The year's advocacy record was a standout. Legislative Day on April 30 brought more than 125 engineers, architects, and surveyors to Lansing for meetings with 108 of 148 legislators on infrastructure funding, Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), State Plane Coordinate System modernization, and the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit. The "Engineering Solutions for Michigan's Road Funding Crisis" public awareness campaign generated more than 34,000 constituent calls to legislators, and the September "Save Our Jobs and Fund Our Roads" Capitol rally drew more than 50 ACEC participants as one of the largest rallies in state history. On the legislative front, QBS legislation (HB 4774) passed the House and awaits Senate action, land division reform (SB 23) was signed into law with ACEC-backed improvements, and the council successfully defended professional licensure standards against multiple legislative challenges.

Partnership and education milestones included the MDOT–ACEC Partnering Workshop in February with 830 attendees and renewal of the Partnership Charter, the 10th annual Michigan Infrastructure Conference with ASCE (230 attendees), more than 70 CEUs of business education delivered through trainings and webinars, and the Emerging Leaders Program's 11th year—now with 260 graduates. Workforce outreach reached roughly 1,300 students through the Detroit and Lansing Construction Science Expos, and scholarships increased to $25,000 this year, with nine awarded.

Strategic Goal 1: Providing a Competitive Advantage for Member Firms

Led by Steve Carlisle, with Chuck Gemayel, Jon Kramer, Matt Stacey, and new director Kamran Qadeer, discussions under this goal focused on delivering tangible, demonstrable benefits that drive business success for member firms. Key priorities include:

• Continuing to enhance the Board Observers program, including consideration of expanding to one observer per strategic goal group in a future year.
• Strengthening the value proposition for non-transportation firms—including MEP and structural firms—whose needs are less reflected in current committees and conferences.
• Emphasizing senior-leader networking and partnership opportunities as a core benefit of ACEC/Michigan membership.
• Advancing a new Young Engineer of the Year Award to create another engagement pathway for emerging leaders.
• Supporting ACEC National's leadership on technology and AI resources for member firms, including the national AI-readiness self-assessment tool.

Strategic Goal 2: Growing and Diversifying Membership and Partnerships

Under the leadership of Scott Shogan, joined by Scott Lockwood, Andrew Rossell, Roland Alix, Matt Wendling, and Brittany Pardy, this goal is evolving to place greater emphasis on member retention and engagement alongside recruitment. Key takeaways include:

• Developing a member-value survey to re-baseline what firms value most from their ACEC/Michigan membership and ensure programming is driven by data.
• Establishing a member-outreach function to enable proactive, year-round contact with member firms, complementing a new staff onboarding program for new members.
• Extending engagement efforts to existing members—not just new ones—so employees across member firms better understand the full value ACEC provides.
• Strengthening the PAC and the council's collective political voice as a universal value proposition for all member types.
• Creating an "ACEC: What You Didn't Know About Us" program and highlighting ACEC's value at every major conference.

Strategic Goal 3: Building and Retaining the Engineering Workforce of the Future

Led by Lauren Roller, with Barb Arens, Eric Barden, Steve Crain, Annette Stroman, and Casey Potts, the Board reaffirmed workforce development as a cornerstone of ACEC/Michigan's long-term sustainability. Over the past year the group refined its objective—to support efforts to create and retain a robust pipeline of future engineering talent—organized around two initiatives: increasing the pipeline of potential engineering professionals, and engaging in workforce development efforts that attract and retain talent. Highlights include:

• Recommending the creation of a new ACEC/Michigan Workforce Committee, built on a framework for collaborating with community colleges and supported by data and contacts from LEO and MDOT.
• Partnering with the Saginaw ISD on a career-fair-style event connecting member firms with students in its pre-engineering program, with the goal of expanding to other nearby ISDs.
• Updating the Career Pathways presentation housed on the ACEC/Michigan website, resharing it with member firms, and promoting it on LinkedIn.
• Continuing active participation in the TRAC Bridge Competition, the Detroit and Lansing Construction Science Expos, and the LEO Employer-Led Collaborative.

Committees, Task Forces, and Board Liaisons

A cross-cutting theme of the retreat was reinvigorating committees and task forces as the engine for executing Board priorities and engaging more members—especially younger professionals and Emerging Leaders Program participants looking for a place to plug in. Ron Brenke led a review of the 2026–2027 committee structure, and the Board confirmed that every standing committee will have an engaged Board liaison.

The Board agreed to establish a new Legislative Affairs subcommittee under AESLC to strengthen the council's advocacy structure, and expressed general support for the new Workforce Committee, a formal membership function, and continued exploration of an Emerging Technologies committee in coordination with MDOT.

Legislative Update: Navigating a Pivotal Election Year

The Board received a comprehensive legislative update from Melissa McKinley, President of Kelley Cawthorne, ACEC/Michigan's multi-client lobbyist. McKinley framed the year ahead as one dominated by an unusually consequential election cycle: with the governor's office open for the first time since 2018 and both legislative chambers held by narrow majorities, the entire political landscape is on the ballot this November.

McKinley briefed the Board on the "Michiganders for Money Out of Politics" ballot initiative, which submitted more than 562,000 signatures in May to qualify for the November ballot. The measure would restrict campaign contributions by government contractors with more than $250,000 in annual government contracts—a development with direct implications for engineering firms holding state contracts, and one the council will watch closely.

On priority legislation, McKinley reported that QBS legislation (HB 4774) has passed the House and awaits Senate action, with meetings held with the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee, DTMB leadership, and the Governor's policy team. She also reviewed the council's watch list—including State Plane Coordinate System modernization, permit reform, dam safety standards, and potential water infrastructure funding—and advised the Board to be ready to mobilize members quickly during the post-election lame-duck session. Her message reinforced the council's core value proposition: in an election year with thin legislative margins, a strong, well-funded, and responsive advocacy presence is what protects the industry.

Looking Ahead

The retreat underscored the Board's shared commitment to positioning ACEC/Michigan as the voice of the engineering industry while driving innovation, engagement, and growth. By working collaboratively with educational institutions, government agencies, and industry partners, ACEC/Michigan is taking deliberate steps to secure the future of the profession and the prosperity of its member firms. Members are encouraged to join the conversation at the organization's online Annual Meeting on June 16.

For more information about ACEC/Michigan's strategic priorities and how your firm can get involved, visit www.acecmi.org.