Momentum at a Time of Change
As we go to print this November afternoon, we do so against a dramatically changed political backdrop. After a bruising and deeply polarizing presidential campaign, Donald Trump was elected our nation’s 47th president. And while it is far too early to unpack the full freight of Decision 2024, we know that change can bring opportunity. ACEC is in the business of being prepared for whatever the political winds may bring. In a year marked by “firsts”—some good, some not—it is all but certain that the fates have for us more change in store. History does indeed love to surprise, to take its zigs and zags.
But despite a year in which political fortunes shifted overnight and the very fabric of our democracy was tested in unprecedented ways, 2024 was a momentous and successful year for ACEC and for the business of engineering. Within these pages, you will find some of those success stories—from our cover feature on engineers making a difference in the halls of Congress to dispatches from the ACEC Fall Conference in the Big Easy that saw record-shattering attendance.
As our firms continue to contend with workforce shortages, more and more are ramping up their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) programs in an effort to cast a broader net for qualified workers. Although pockets of resistance to DEI&B programs remain in some quarters, there is a compelling business case to be made for such programs.
Our workforce is changing but so, too, are our firms. Whether it is the effects of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and its legal and ethical ramifications or the growing influence of private equity, the very nature of engineering is being redefined.
This issue is the last print edition of Engineering Inc., ACEC’s award-winning business magazine. In mid 2025, the publication will evolve into a new digital version. Members will continue to receive the latest business and industry news, along with insightful features, but the website will provide more interactive and engaging content and the ability to update the content in real time, enhancing our members’ overall experience. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting transformation.
Dr. Gary W. Raba, PE, ACEC Chair
Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC President & CEO
