Coalition Leadership in Action: How ACEC’s Experts Are Shaping the Future of the AEC Industry

Across the AEC industry, complexity is rising. Codes are tightening. Talent pipelines are shrinking. And technology is reshaping how firms deliver value. For leaders, clarity and strategy are now core to operations.

That’s where ACEC’s Coalitions come in. These peer-led groups—each focused on a specific discipline or firm size—equip member firms to lead through disruption.

The signal is clear: engineering data storage jumped from 0.9 TB in 2018 to 8.4 TB in 2023 (ACEC Technology Committee & Egnyte, 2024).

This article spotlights the Coalition Chairs who guide firms through today’s top pressures, from workforce to innovation, proving the power of engineering leadership to move firms forward, together.

Designing for Resilience in a Decarbonizing World

MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING COALITION

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers are feeling the squeeze, from tightening codes to climate mandates, and clients expect smarter systems in less time. Firms are being pushed to deliver adaptive designs with leaner teams and tighter schedules.

“The Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Coalition (MEP) is most focused on addressing the challenge of integrated and sustainable building design amid climate goals and complex codes,” says Adam Rickey, Chair of ACEC’s MEP Coalition and Vice President and Facilities Service Line Leader at KCI. “Energy efficiency mandates, decarbonization targets, and the demand for high-performance buildings are driving innovation—and increasing pressure—across the sector.”

That pressure is changing how teams work, who they need to hire, and what their systems have to deliver. MEP professionals must stay fluent in a rapidly evolving tech stack:

• Electrification systems that replace fossil fuel loads
• Smart controls that adjust in real time
• Automation tools that help projects run leaner

Regulatory urgency is only half the story. Market demand is climbing, too.

The Building Automation Systems (BAS) market is projected to nearly double, from $105 billion in 2024 to over $205 billion by 2030, driven by smart systems and AI optimization (GlobeNewswire, 2025).

To help firms stay ahead, the MEP Coalition prioritizes education, offering online education on code compliance, low-carbon design, and future-ready frameworks.

“There’s a significant push toward electrification, decarbonization, and renewable integration,” Rickey adds. “That shift gives our members the opportunity to lead—designing systems that are not only compliant but resilient and forward-compatible.”

That leadership is essential. As of 2021, 42 electrification programs were active across 17 states, creating a fragmented policy landscape (ACEEE, 2021).

The MEP Coalition delivers real-time insight and shared strategies to help firms meet rising environmental targets, without compromising outcomes.

Bridging the Workforce Gap in a Booming Infrastructure Market

GEOPROFESSIONAL COALITION

As infrastructure ages and systems get smarter, the people needed to support both are in increasingly short supply. For firms in the geoprofessional engineering space, the workforce gap is a threat to growth and delivery.

“Workforce was the number one issue discussed at our Geoprofessional Coalition (GEO) Roundtable at the 2024 Fall Conference,” says Andrew Pennoni, Chair of the GEO Coalition and Regional Vice President at Pennoni.

The ACEC Research Institute’s 2024 Economic Assessment of the Engineering and Design Services Industry sentiment study reinforces that concern: 51% of firms reported turning down work due to staff shortages, and 26% even declined profitable projects (ACEC Research Institute, 2024).

Two forces are accelerating the crunch: retirements are rising, and entry-level pipelines aren’t keeping pace. Today, 27% of workers in engineering and design services are over 55, compared to 23% across all industries (ACEC Research Institute, 2024).

Meanwhile, demand is surging. Historic levels of federal investment are stretching firm capacity. “The need to repair and replace aging and deteriorating infrastructure, make our infrastructure more resilient, and increase the capacity of our transportation, energy, and water/wastewater systems will continue to drive investment,” Pennoni explains.

As Pennoni puts it, capital is just the starting line. Projects hinge on the teams that deliver them.

That’s why the GEO Coalition has partnered with ACEC’s Workforce Committee and state Member Organizations to accelerate talent development and share hiring strategies. Through national roundtables, members are exchanging onboarding practices, internal training models, and retention insights.

This isn’t a future threat—it’s a daily constraint. Staying staffed means staying operational.

Engineering Land for an Energy-Intensive Future

LAND DEVELOPMENT COALITION

As infrastructure grows more energy-intensive, the demands on land development engineers are compounding. The rise of data centers, renewables, and hybrid energy systems has introduced new layers of complexity around siting, permitting, and access to utilities.

“One of the most pressing issues the Land Development Coalition (LDC) is focused on is the rapid demand for energy infrastructure to support large-scale land developments,” says DJ Hodson, Chair of the LDC and Managing Principal, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, LLC “It’s about preparing our members to lead in a fast-evolving energy-and-land nexus.”

That demand is measurable. The U.S. data center construction market is projected to more than double, rising from $48 billion in 2024 to over $112 billion by 2030 (Arizton, 2024). And this pressure isn’t isolated. It extends into hybrid energy systems as well, where infrastructure complexity is surging. As of 2023, more than 460 hybrid plants larger than 1 MW were operational in the U.S.—a 21% increase year-over-year (EDP, 2024).

To support members in navigating the energy-land intersection, the coalition is leading several initiatives:

• 2025 Winter Meeting focused on renewable resiliency, battery storage, grid constraints, and strategic site planning
• Cross-sector roundtables with the ACEC Energy Committee and private developers to foster direct knowledge exchange
• New educational programming designed to close gaps around resilient infrastructure design and permitting pathways

“This convergence of technology, energy, and land development opens up new opportunities for our members to shape the future of critical infrastructure,” Hodson adds.

By coordinating across sectors, LDC continues its legacy as a cross-disciplinary integrator, ensuring that energy infrastructure planning remains executable, resilient, and grounded in permitting realities.

Raising the Bar for Structural Engineers

COALITION OF AMERICAN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

Structural engineering is facing a talent bottleneck. Licensure pass rates are falling, and the profession isn’t replenishing fast enough.

For the Coalition of American Structural Engineers (CASE), the SE licensure exam is a top concern. Since the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) shifted to computer-based testing in 2024 with four 6-hour exams, pass rates have dropped sharply, raising questions about the pipeline’s future.

“Concern with the SE licensure exam and the significantly reduced number of examinees passing since the format change is top of mind,” says CASE Chair Tina Wyffels and Principal at BKBM Engineers. “It’s become a barrier to entry for the profession when we can least afford it.”

The numbers tell the story:

• 14% of first-time takers passed the SE Vertical Depth-Buildings exam during both the 4/2024 and 10/2024 tests
• For the Lateral Depth-Buildings exam, 16% passed on their first try in the 4/2024 test and 23% passed on their first try in the 10/2024 test
• Breadth pass rates were higher at 51% (4/2024) and 39% (10/2024) for the Vertical exam and 45% for the Lateral exam during both the 4/2024 and 10/2024 tests (NCEES, 2025)
• For comparison, the average pass rates under the previous two-day 16-hour format that was administered from 2011-2023 were 44% for the Vertical exam and 35% for the Lateral exam https://williamsgodfrey.com/2016/03/01/se-historical-pass-rates.html

Alongside advocacy for licensure reform, CASE is building tools to help firms operate more effectively. “We’re developing publications and updates that include a PDH tracker, contract templates, and performance review frameworks,” Wyffels explains.

These resources support risk management, operational consistency, and growth, especially important in a talent-constrained environment.

CASE also leads programming on business risk, offering sessions on liability, contracts, and leadership transitions at ACEC and structural industry events.

In a profession facing regulatory shifts and operational stress, CASE is both watchdog and workshop—helping structural firms lead, scale, and adapt.

Strengthening the Surveying Profession from the Inside Out

COALITION OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS

The surveying profession is shrinking—too few are entering, and too many are aging out.

For the Coalition of Professional Surveyors (COPS), the issue runs deeper than recruitment. It’s visibility. Many still don’t understand what surveyors do—or why their work matters.

“There’s a clear trend in labor shortage in the surveying profession,” says Ray Liuzzo, COPS Coalition Chair and Vice President, Survey and Business Management at C.T. Males Associates. “We’re seeing the average age of licensed surveyors rise, and not enough younger professionals entering the field to replace them.”

The numbers are telling: nearly 60% of licensed land surveyors are over 40, and only 13% are under 30. (Zippia, 2024). About 1,000 retire each year, while only half as many enter the field (WTOV9, 2024).

The result? Delayed timelines, leaner teams, and rising pressure to automate just to stay on track.

COPS is working upstream. In partnership with the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), the coalition is building exposure and entry points through:

• Career pathway outreach and training pipelines
• Collaboration on the Certified Survey Technician (CST) program
• Educational content built for younger audiences

“We’re most excited about current and future efforts to close the labor gap,” Liuzzo adds. “That includes collaborating with NSPS and strengthening technician-level education pathways.”

COPS also helps shape ACEC’s national credentialing policy, ensuring standards reflect real-world conditions.

For firms, these aren’t nice-to-haves. They’re operational necessities, and the urgency is only growing.

Building What’s Next for Small Engineering Firms

SMALL FIRM COALITION

In small firms, decisions about people and processes shape the firm’s future.

For the Small Firm Coalition (SFC), two priorities lead the agenda: succession planning and scalable growth.

“Succession planning continues to be the biggest theme at our Small Firm Roundtables each year,” says Robert “Doc” Moyle, SFC Chair and Senior Vice President/Senior Principal at ARW Engineers. “It’s one of the hardest transitions to get right, especially when so many firms are still led by their founders.”

The concern is real. A recent analysis found that 35% of executive committee members in engineering services are over 60, and only 39% of leaders say their firms are proactive about succession (Russell Reynolds, 2024).

That’s why SFC piloted a leadership development workshop at the Winter Coalition Meeting in Phoenix this past February. Designed to help emerging leaders step into ownership and management roles, the program will now run every other year, adapting with coalition input and member feedback.

But leadership is only part of the equation. As small firms grow from 5 to 15, 25, or more employees, complexity accelerates. Compensation, HR, benefits, and growth strategies become harder to manage and harder to ignore.

Yet many remain understructured. Just 51% of firms with under 50 employees have a formal ownership plan, compared to 89% of those with 200+ (ACEC/FMI, 2020).

To address that, SFC is building a flexible resource platform—toolkits, peer exchange, and roundtables to help small firms scale with structure.

“There’s no playbook for growing a small engineering firm, but we’re working to change that,” Moyle says.

This work is about more than handoff—it’s about long-term business resilience.

Leading Through Innovation and Strategic Partnership

DESIGN PROFESSIONALS COALITION

For the Design Professionals Coalition (DPC), innovation is about using technology to deliver better outcomes for clients, teams, and communities.

“Opportunities to improve our delivery of services with AI are already here,” says Eric Keen, DPC Chair and Chairman of HDR. “But we have to approach it ethically, strategically, and in a way that protects the profession’s long-term value.”

That distinction matters. As AI, real-time data, and predictive modeling enter engineering workflows, DPC firms are focused on how these tools are applied—where they drive value, when they can be trusted, and how firms are compensated for the advantages they deliver.

Adoption is widespread: 92% of engineering firms now use generative AI, with common applications like data analysis, modeling automation, and drawing summarization (The Engineer, 2024). However, many firms still lack a strategy for ethics, integration, and compensation.

It’s not just internal. Clients expect more than speed—they want systems that respond, support smarter decisions, and deliver performance over time.

“Increasingly, we’re functioning as integrated partners—working alongside contractors, suppliers, and owners from day one,” Keen adds. “That’s where collaborative delivery models like Integrated Project Delivery and Progressive Design-Build are gaining traction.”

To support this shift, DPC has partnered with the ACEC Research Institute to explore how AI and new delivery models are changing firm operations. The research helps members with benchmark tools, assess risk, and scale smarter strategies.

DPC is also helping redefine how firms are valued, advocating for compensation that reflects their IP, data, and impact across the project life cycle.

AI is changing how firms lead, and DPC is turning that change into an advantage.

Coalition Leadership – Connecting the Dots Across ACEC

ACEC’s Coalitions span disciplines, regions, and firm sizes—but what unites them is a shared strategy.

At the center is the Coalition Leadership Committee, Chaired by John Burns, Senior Vice President at Burns Engineering. More than a coordinating body, the committee ensures each coalition’s work supports ACEC’s broader mission: advancing business leadership, shaping policy, and helping firms grow.

“We want to be recognized as leaders in business practices within each discipline,” Burns explains. “Whether you’re a surveyor, a structural engineer, or part of a small firm, each coalition defines what high performance looks like—and helps others learn from it.”

Burns outlines three priorities:

• Elevating business leadership within each coalition
• Ensuring coalition-specific issues inform ACEC advocacy
• Expanding member engagement across the network

Education is a key lever. As firms respond to new tech, shifting rules, and talent shortages, coalitions have scaled online education programming, bringing timely expertise to firms of all sizes.

“The more education we provide, the more value we deliver back to our members,” Burns says. “The goal is to give firms tools they can put into practice.”

The Coalition Leadership Committee connects insights, coordinates efforts, and scales what works, ensuring momentum spreads across disciplines.

Coalition leadership is a central mechanism for keeping ACEC aligned and future-focused.

What the Future of Engineering Leadership Looks Like

Across every coalition, the message is clear: engineering leadership is shifting. It’s less reactive, more strategic, and built for what’s ahead.

MEP firms are reengineering for electrification. GEO professionals are tackling workforce gaps. Structural engineers are navigating licensure barriers. Surveyors are rebuilding visibility. Small firms are planning transitions. Large firms are integrating AI into delivery. Land development engineers are adapting to energy demands and reshaping site design.

This is coordinated, and ACEC’s Coalition leadership model is translating that energy into strategy.

Momentum is already showing up in:

• Online education that decodes evolving codes and performance mandates
• Roundtables sharing workforce solutions across firm sizes
• Toolkits guiding firms through succession, growth, and operational resilience
• Research that prepares leadership teams for AI, talent gaps, and shifting client demands

Firms that succeed now adapt quickly, collaborate across silos, and plan like the future’s already here.

This past year showed what happens when coalitions lead: firms moved faster, shared smarter, and aligned more fully with the future. ACEC’s Coalitions offer more than insight. They offer tested tools, shared playbooks, and a network built to move as one.

To learn more about ACEC Coalitions or to become a member, contact coalitions@acec.org.