As ACEC/Michigan closes out another fiscal year and begins FY 2027, the organization is reflecting on a year of significant legislative wins, record-setting events, and continued growth — and looking ahead to an ambitious agenda for the year to come.

Membership Continues to Grow

ACEC/Michigan now represents 95 member firms and 24 affiliate members, accounting for more than 8,500 employees across the state. Member firms collectively added over 200 employees this year, a strong signal of the health of Michigan's engineering industry.

Dues invoices for FY 2027 (July 2026–June 2027) were emailed to firm representatives on June 29, based on employee counts provided in May. The Board of Directors approved a modest dues increase at the State (3%) and National (2.7%) levels to help offset inflation. Firms with questions, or whose designated billing contact has changed, are encouraged to contact ACEC/Michigan staff.

Members are also reminded to log in to the Member Center (Info Hub) at www.acecmi.org to confirm that contact details, firm rosters, and communication preferences are current — ensuring no one misses event notices, advocacy alerts, committee opportunities, or member resources in the year ahead.

Advocacy Highlights: A Landmark Year

FY26 delivered some of the most consequential advocacy outcomes in recent memory:

Road Funding. ACEC/Michigan helped secure an additional $2 billion per year in new transportation funding — a historic achievement. The effort was powered by a $70,000 Minuteman Fund grant supporting a public relations campaign that generated 34,181 constituent calls, with 6,428 patched directly to legislators. Members also turned out in force for the September 3 Capitol Rally for Road Funding, one of the largest rallies ever held at the State Capitol.

Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). HB 4774, which would require QBS for all State agencies, passed the House and awaits Senate action. ACEC/Michigan continues its engagement with DTMB and the Governor's team.

Land Division Reform. Senate Bill 23 was signed into law, increasing allowable parcel splits from 4 to 10 with delayed implementation. ACEC secured a key amendment lowering the originally proposed 20 splits to 10.

Licensure Protection. The Council defeated a proposal that would have lowered education standards for PE licensure, preserved the 51% licensed principal ownership requirement against a bill that would have eliminated it, and testified in opposition to legislation allowing school additions and remodels up to $5 million without oversight by a PE or licensed architect.

PAC and Legislative Engagement. More than 208 contributors from 53 firms raised $38,000 for the State PAC and $29,000 for the National PAC. On April 30, more than 125 design professionals met with 108 legislators at Legislative Day, and Michigan maintained a strong presence at the ACEC National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.

Partnerships and Signature Events

The MDOT–ACEC Partnering Workshop (February 5, 2026) drew 830 attendees across 46 breakout sessions. The Partnership Charter was renewed and signed by the MDOT Director and ACEC/Michigan President, and the Partnering Charter Award went to the MDOT Ancillary Structures Program and HNTB.

The Michigan Infrastructure Conference (May 7, 2026), hosted in partnership with the ASCE Michigan Section, welcomed more than 230 attendees to 16 breakout sessions, featuring State Budget Director Jen Flood and keynote speaker Bill Burke.

Education and Emerging Leaders

ACEC/Michigan delivered 7 major in-person events and trainings, 28 joint MDOT classes, and 10 webinars — more than 70 total PDHs offered. The Emerging Leaders Program marked its 11th year, bringing its total to 260 graduates; registration is now open for the next session. The Council also awarded $32,000 in scholarships to engineering students at the Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala.

Celebrating Excellence

The 61st Annual Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala, held March 7, 2026, honored outstanding work across the profession:

• Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award: NTH Consultants — Large-Diameter Sewer Rehabilitation Project
• Surveying Eminent Conceptor Award: Nowak & Fraus Engineers — Aloha State Park LiDAR Survey & Study
• Large Firm of the Year: OHM Advisors
• Small Firm of the Year: Williams & Works
• Vernon B. Spalding Award: Mark Kramer, SME
• Felix A. Anderson Award: Laura J. Mester, former MDOT CAO

Leadership Updates

ACEC/Michigan welcomes its incoming officers for 2026–2027:

• President: Chuck Gemayel, PE (SME)
• President-Elect: Matt Stacey, PE (Wade Trim)
• Treasurer: Eric Barden, PS (Spicer Group)
• National Director: Jon Kramer, PE (OHM Advisors)
• Past President: Barb Arens, PE (Cincar Consulting Group)

Kamran Qadeer, PE (Fishbeck) joins the Board as a new Director. The Council also announced that Cindy Schmitz, a valued member of the ACEC/Michigan staff, will retire at the end of 2026 after 22 years of dedicated service.

Looking Ahead to FY27

The year ahead will be guided by ACEC's strategic priorities: advocacy, digital transformation and AI readiness, licensure protection, workforce strengthening, and expanded member engagement. Two new member committees — Workforce and Legislative Affairs — are launching to broaden involvement across the membership.

Engagement is what makes membership valuable. Members are encouraged to attend conferences, roundtables, committee meetings, webinars, and advocacy events throughout the coming year.

📹 Watch the Annual Report Video for a quick look at how ACEC/Michigan worked for you this past year — from the Capitol Rally for Road Funding to record-setting events and member milestones.