Choose Your ACEC Journey
Becoming an ACEC member is just the start of a journey and a relationship that grows with you through every stage of our career.
ACEC members have access to a wide array of online and in-person courses and seminars, professional development opportunities, and opportunities to connect with and learn from industry peers.
Become an Engineering Advocate
ACEC’s primary mission is to advocate for the business interests of the engineering design services industry before federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies. As an ACEC member, you can add to our grassroots network, advocating for the laws and policies that matter to your business.
As an ACEC member, you can be part of the political process through ACEC/PAC, the largest political action committee in the design industry. The objective of ACEC/PAC is to support candidates for elected office from all major political parties who support policies that allow our industry to thrive.
Professional Development Opportunities
Virtual and In-Person Programs
ACEC is committed to developing the next generation of firm leaders and our program offerings are designed to strengthen every step of an employee’s professional journey. We offer in-person and virtual programs on a variety of topics for employees at all levels.
Each year ACEC offers
Get Involved with Coalitions, Committees, and Forums
Committees, Coalitions, and Forums are the place to connect with members in a variety of ways. Members can join more than 20 committees focused on issues important to you or your business. If you’d like to connect with other firms in your discipline, practice area or of similar size, consider joining one of the seven ACEC Coalitions. And, if you are interested in learning alongside others who have the same job function or demographic, consider the ACEC Forums.
Coalitions
ACEC National members are eligible to join specialty groups known as Coalitions. These are dedicated communities primarily organized by practice area, with two focused specifically on firm size (large and small). The Coalitions provide a range of practical, day-to-day resources to enhance the operation of your business and make it more profitable by sharing knowledge and best practices with peers in your area of specialization.
ACEC offers seven Coalitions to choose from, and new member firms have an added benefit – the first year of Coalition membership is free*! Click here to learn more.
*Excludes Design Professionals Coalition
Committees
ACEC’s Committees undertake a wide range of activities, including recommending legislation and regulations that benefit the engineering industry; advancing engineering business issues; and overseeing the performance of ACEC programs and services.
Committee Spotlight
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee is open to all ACEC members. Its purpose is to ensure that ACEC is a welcoming organization where all members are included, involved, and can pursue key roles in the work of the Council. Learn more about the DEI&B Committee here and ACEC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion here.
Forums
These are dedicated Forums primarily organized by functional responsibility (Business Development & Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and IT) with two focused specifically on demographics (Women in Leadership and Young Professionals).
Each forum has an active listserv and an agenda of events during the year, including workshops, roundtable discussions, educational and networking programs. Learn more about ACEC Forums here.
Access Exclusive Member Benefits through the ACEC Trusts
The ACEC Business Insurance Trust, ACEC Life/Health Trust, and ACEC Retirement Trust can enhance your membership investment by helping to control your firm's costs. Programs are available for business insurance, life/health insurance, and 401(k) retirement plans. The ACEC Trusts have created partnerships with respected administrators and plan providers that offer valuable services at competitive prices. In addition to providing business savings, these programs make for an attractive employee retention program in which individual employees benefit from your ACEC purchasing power.
To take advantage of the Trusts, one of the requirements is that you must become an ACEC member. The Business Insurance Trust and the Life/Health Trust offer coverage upon approval to firms with national membership as engineering or land surveying firms, while the Retirement Trust offers retirement programs to those firms and as well as National and M.O. Affiliate Member companies. ACEC membership is available through one of the 51 state and regional Member Organizations. To determine if your firm might quality to participate in one or more of the Trust programs, click on Become a Member, call 202-347-7474 and ask for the Membership Department, or send an email to memberservice@acec.org.
If you are a company that provides products or services to the consulting engineering industry and are interested in gaining national visibility within the association, click here to learn more about the National Affiliate Member program or contact Jacklin Siganda with ACEC’s Member Services Department. Please note that, in addition to the ACEC membership requirement, eligibility for participation in the ACEC Trusts is also subject to the rules and regulations of each Trust program.
The ACEC Business Insurance Trust has been providing professional insurance solutions to member firms for over 40 years, including exclusive benefits not commonly available with a local broker: deductible assistance, access to legal experts, claims advocacy, risk management, ACEC Coalition dues assistance, and registration fee reimbursement for the ACEC Spring Convention.
The ACEC Life/Health Trust takes a long-term approach to employee benefits by striving for consistency and predictability. For more than 50 years, they have served firms of all sizes and offer small members quality health care products and services generally only available to large firms.
Firms and their employees participating in the ACEC Retirement Trust benefit from the collective buying power of the Trust and enjoy greater fiduciary protections; cost effective administration, recordkeeping, and reporting; quality, and low-cost investments typically unavailable to individual firms. Plus, participants have access to a personal financial advisor, education resources, and easy access to account and investment resources.