ACEC Research Institute Adds Four Distinguished Leaders to the Board

ACEC News

March 28, 2022

ACEC Research Institute Adds Four Distinguished Leaders to the Board

The ACEC Research Institute announced that it has added four new distinguished leaders in the business of engineering to its Board of Directors.

The new members of the ACEC Research Institute Board of Directors are:

• Lewis P. Cornell, President & CEO, WSP USA
• Kate Harris, President, CEO, and Chair of the Board, Stanley Consultants, Inc.
• Cathy Ritter, President, Constellation Design Group
• Alyson Watson, CEO, Woodard & Curran

The new board members will begin their roles at the ACEC Research Institute meeting on March 29.

“The ACEC Research Institute has benefited from a board of directors who are committed to the organization’s mission to be the leading source for industry research and analysis. The addition of our new board members will only make us stronger,” said ACEC Research Institute Board Chair John Carrato.

“Our industry has a significant impact on society, and the focus moving forward related to rebuilding our infrastructure systems and improving society with a lens toward ESG, including elements of sustainability, resiliency and equity is vitally important. ACEC has long been a strong voice in the engineering industry, but now with the Institute, ACEC is an authoritative voice, providing our industry with critical data, research, and analysis to help make critical business decisions moving forward,” said Lewis P. Cornell, president and CEO of WSP USA.

“I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors and join in leading the industry-critical work of the institute. This important research and analysis supports the evolution of our practices and ability to solve the complex challenges of our clients. In our rapidly changing environment, the institute provides foundational direction toward building a connected and sustainable world,” said Kate Harris, president, CEO, and chair of the board of Stanley Consultants, Inc.

“The ACEC Research Institute is quickly becoming an invaluable resource on the myriad issues confronting our industry’s leaders. The ‘thought leadership’ with which this board is charged is a humbling task given the changing business climate. I am incredibly honored to be among these thoughtful, energetic firm principals who compromise the Institute’s Board of Directors,” said Cathy Ritter, president of Constellation Design Group.

“Like so many areas of our lives, the engineering industry is going through transformational change. Emerging technology, societal shifts, and major investments at the federal level are powerful forces driving how we work and what our clients and communities are focused on,” said Alyson Watson, Woodard & Curran CEO. “Woodard & Curran sits at the intersection of all these forces, and I am excited to collaborate with my colleagues as we grapple with these big, important questions. The Institute has an amazing opportunity to help understand the changes we face and guide the industry through this moment.”

Over the past few months, the ACEC Research Institute released several pieces of unique research and analysis for the engineering and design industry. Those reports include:

• An Analysis of Qualifications Based Selection in the Procurement of Engineering Services
• Q1 2022 Engineering Business Sentiment Survey
• 2021 Economic Assessment of the Engineering & Design Services Industry
• 2020 Engineering Industry Economic Contribution Report
• 2020 Engineering Industry Profile
• 2021-2025 Engineering Industry Forecast

Each of these research products delivers information tailored to the needs of firm owners and executives, arming them with information to help them make business decisions in our rapidly changing economy. Additionally, the research developed by the ACEC Research Institute is used to educate policymakers on the engineering and design industry as Congress and the Biden Administration work to implement the policies of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“The work the Institute does for our industry has transformed our ability to present timely, informative research to elected officials,” said ACEC President & CEO Linda Bauer Darr. “The addition of these respected leaders to the Institute’s board will continue to make the Institute the leader for this critical business information.”

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