Resource
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s selection of Kimley-Horn Executive Chair Steve Lefton to serve on the Department’s USDOT Advisory Board. Lefton—who also chairs the ACEC Research Institute—joins 11 other leaders tapped by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to provide strategic guidance on modernizing the nation’s transportation infrastructure and advancing innovation.
“Given the challenges the nation faces in delivering sound infrastructure for increasingly complex applications, having an engineer at the table is imperative to help guide the Department’s strategic vision,” said Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC President & CEO. “Steve’s deep expertise in project delivery and his passion for innovation will be invaluable to Secretary Duffy and the Board.”
Lefton was elevated as Chair of the ACEC Research Institute earlier this year, reinforcing his commitment to data-driven insights that strengthen the business of engineering and its work to design the next generation of America’s infrastructure.
“As Chair of the ACEC Research Institute, I see every day how the engineering industry is unlocking smarter infrastructure investments,” Lefton said. “Serving on the Advisory Board is an opportunity to help translate the Institute’s research into meaningful improvements for the transportation systems Americans depend on and to ensure that every infrastructure investment delivers lasting value.”
The USDOT Advisory Board, created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act will focus on investment opportunities, streamlined project delivery, and public-private partnerships aimed at boosting safety, efficiency, and resiliency across all modes of transportation.
Watch the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Board here.
About ACEC
The American Council of Engineering Companies is the business voice of America’s engineering and design services industry, representing nearly 6,000 firms that employ more than 600,000 engineers, architects, surveyors, and other professionals nationwide.
About the ACEC Research Institute
The ACEC Research Institute is ACEC’s independent think tank dedicated to providing the engineering industry with indispensable business intelligence and market-driven research. Steve Lefton was elected Chair of the Institute’s Board of Directors effective May 1, 2025.