ACEC Strategic Goal of Inclusion and Diversity in Action

ACEC News

July 17, 2020

ACEC Strategic Goal of Inclusion and Diversity in Action

Inclusion and Diversity is a core component of the ACEC Strategic Plan, which was approved by our Board of Directors last October, but the issue has leaped into the national consciousness in recent months with the protests over racial and societal inequality.

“This is a hard topic, particularly in an industry that is known more for math than English,” said ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr. “But leadership is all about communication. Our role is to help our members talk about these issues.”

ACEC’s Inclusion & Diversity website provides information and tools for addressing this important issue in the engineering industry. The site includes ACEC’s statement on Inclusion and Diversity and links to the ACEC Strategic Plan, focused educational sessions, and a recent report by the Design Professionals Coalition (DPC). The latest issue of Engineering Inc. magazine features an article on the DPC report.

In the coming weeks, ACEC will offer two complimentary online classes on Inclusion and Diversity:

• Diversity & Inclusion: HR Panel Discussion on Program Examples and Lessons Learned, July 29, 1:30-2:30 ET
• Diversity & Inclusion Keys To Success: DPCs Playbook On ACEC Firm’s Best Practices, on August 12, 1:30-2:30 ET

ACEC also has several programs to promote Inclusion and Diversity within the industry, including the Women in Leadership Committee and the Young Professionals educational series at our annual Convention and Fall Conference.

Internally at ACEC National, we have established a committee to look at the issue from a staff perspective and begun a training program to recognize unconscious bias.

All comments to blog posts will be moderated by ACEC staff.