Board Gathers in Washington, Seats New Chair

Addressing yesterday’s Board of Directors meeting, ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr began her remarks with a nod to Saturday’s Kentucky Derby race. The winner, Golden Tempo, had been at the back of the pack for most of the race before unleashing a powerful late charge just before the finish line. “No one thought he was going to win,” said Darr. “There’s a good life lesson in that.” In sports, as in politics, the only moment that matters is the last one.

Darr then transitioned to the political state of play, with a volatile economy, rising oil prices, and overseas conflict all poised to play a role in the upcoming midterms. Add to that a legislative calendar “bursting at the seams with must-pass legislation,” and you have the makings of congressional paralysis.

But, Darr said, there is opportunity in that volatility, particularly around the surface transportation bill. With IIJA set to expire September 30, Congress is set to debate what comes next. In six months, Americans will head to the polls to vote on every congressional seat and 35 Senate seats. In a deeply divided political environment, infrastructure is politically durable. “Every member of Congress wants to go home with an infrastructure win,” Darr said. “Our message of jobs, safe roads, and clean water is a message that wins campaigns.”

With today’s meeting marking the end of John Rathke’s term as Board Chair, Darr offered words of appreciation for his leadership—and friendship—during the last year. She praised him as a generous and supportive leader who brought clarity and calm to every project and process, but who also was “genuinely fun to work with.” Rathke, she said, was a true partner. “Our Council is stronger for the year he gave us.”

In his valedictory remarks, Rathke thanked the ACEC team, and emphasized how his tenure as chair was rewarding, challenging, and just plain fun. He spoke of expanding ACEC’s member ranks, not just in numbers but in access. “We often talk about giving everyone a seat at the table,” Rathke said. “But you can’t just seat someone and call it hospitality.” He closed his remarks as he started them: with gratitude. “Serving as ACEC Chair has been one of the great privileges of my professional life,” he said. “Thank you for the year and thank you for the trust.”

The torch (and gavel) was then passed to new ACEC Chair Dan Larson, who used his remarks to outline some of his priorities for the coming year. Larson emphasized that he inherits a Council that is strong, agile, and built to win—and he was quick to praise his predecessors for their leadership. He discussed the proposed refinements to the strategic plan (approved later in the meeting), which he said are responses to the priorities and concerns of our member firms. “[The strategic plan] looks at a technology landscape accelerating past the workforce trained to manage it, and it looks at talent gaps widening faster than pipelines can fill them,” Larson said. The challenges of our time, he said, call for a prepared and unified ACEC. “The stakes are too high for anything less than our full collective force. We are stronger together.

“That’s not sentiment. It’s strategy.”