ACEC Honors Mike Carragher and Michael Cooper with Prestigious 2025 Distinguished Service Awards 

ACEC has named Mike Carragher, chair & CEO of VHB, and Michael Cooper, president & managing principal of HED, as recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented during ACEC’s Fall Conference in San Diego, Calif., recognizing both leaders for their exceptional and sustained contributions to the Council and the engineering profession. 

Mike Carragher, serves as chair & CEO of VHB, where he has led the firm’s strategic growth and innovation across transportation, infrastructure, and sustainability markets. Under his leadership, VHB has advanced a culture of design excellence, collaboration, and community impact. A longtime advocate for ACEC, Carragher is a past chair of the ACEC Research Institute, where he championed data-driven insights to strengthen the business of engineering.  

Michael Cooper, president & managing principal of HED, has built a distinguished career leading multidisciplinary design teams on complex projects across the country. A licensed professional engineer in 19 states, Cooper has been a driving force in advancing integrated design solutions and promoting high-performance, sustainable buildings. His strategic leadership has helped position HED as a national leader in architectural and engineering design. 

(L to R: ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr, Distinguished Service Award Recipient Mike Carragher, ACEC Board Chair John Rathke, and ACEC Past Chair Jay Wolverton. Michael Cooper, not pictured, will receive his award at the ACEC Annual Convention in May.)

“Designing systems and structures that serve our daily lives requires not only technical excellence but also a deep commitment to the profession,” said Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC president & CEO. “Mike Carragher and Michael Cooper exemplify that commitment. Their leadership, mentorship, and dedication to ACEC have strengthened our community and elevated the vital role engineers play in shaping a better future for all.” 

The Distinguished Service Award is one of ACEC’s highest individual honors and is conferred by the Committee of Past Chairs. Award recipients are recognized for exceptional leadership, advocacy, and volunteer service that have had a lasting impact on ACEC and the engineering profession.