The ACEC Political Action Committee (ACEC/PAC) accomplished another record year in 2023 thanks to the efforts of an army of volunteers. Despite challenges such as an uncertain economy and workforce shortages, the organization hit the $1 million mark in contributions at the ACEC Fall Conference in October—the earliest it had ever achieved that milestone. And 46 states met their contribution goals.
ACEC/PAC is the only political organization in the nation that advocates for engineering firms and their legislative interests. It’s regulated by the Federal Elections Commission, and it’s overseen by a committee of PAC Champions, made up of engineering firm executives who belong to ACEC Member Organizations in several states.
ACEC/PAC plays a major role in the success of ACEC’s advocacy program, supporting federal candidates on a bipartisan basis who champion the engineering industry’s legislative priorities in Congress. It is currently the largest PAC in the design industry, and it ranks among the top 2 percent of all association PACs.
“ACEC/PAC is an essential tool in ACEC’s advocacy arsenal to protect the business interests of our member firms. Each year, ACEC/PAC reaches new heights and continues to break fundraising records due to the hard work of members who understand the importance of supporting our advocacy work in Washington,” says ACEC Chair Jay Wolverton.
“We are proud to be the largest federal PAC in the engineering and design services industry, and in the top tier of all industry PACs,” says Jason Matson, principal at Kimley-Horn and ACEC/PAC chair. “We accomplish our goals through a grassroots effort of PAC Champions, ACEC Member Organization leadership, and a broad base of more than 3,000 independent contributors.”
During the 2023 Advocacy Team campaign, the organization made significant progress in advancing key legislative initiatives. “One of our major accomplishments was the successful enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from the previous Congressional cycle,” Matson says. “This historic legislation will have a transformative impact on our industry and contribute to the revitalization of our nation’s infrastructure.”
The Advocacy Team also actively recommends the expansion of Qualifications-Based Selection as well as Contracting Out, in which the public sector contracts with private consulting firms. These practices “are critical to ensuring fair and competitive practices in our industry,” Matson says. “We have also worked toward enhanced tax policies that include incentives for firms to assist employees with student loan debt.”
ACEC/PAC made significant progress toward one of its main objectives: to have all 51 Member Organizations exceed their state goal. “We are getting closer to making this a reality,” Matson says. “We have actively partnered with states that have struggled to meet their goals, providing support and resources to help them succeed.”
Overall, the 2023 ACEC/PAC campaign was marked by noteworthy achievements and a steadfast commitment to advancing the interests of the industry, Matson says. “We will continue to work diligently to ensure a favorable business environment and a prosperous future for all engineering and consulting firms.”
“We will continue to work diligently to ensure a favorable business environment and a prosperous future for all engineering and consulting firms.”
JASON MATSONCHAIR, ACEC/PACPRINCIPALKIMLEY-HORN
ACEC/PAC’s goal for 2024 will be to broaden its individual contributor base further, Matson says.
The Advocacy Team will remain focused on key priorities, such as the Federal Aviation Administration funding reauthorization and the Water Resources Development Act, Matson says. “Additionally, we recognize the importance of increasing the pipeline of talent into our industry,” he says. “We strongly support increased investment in STEM education and the expansion of the cap on H-1B visas, which will help attract and retain skilled professionals.”
One of the challenges ACEC/PAC is working to address is the need to increase the involvement of younger professionals. “With many industry professionals approaching retirement, including those who are strong contributors to the PAC, it is crucial to maintain a strong pipeline of contributors to ensure the PAC’s growth for years to come,” Matson says.
Kimley-Horn, which has maintained a decades-long legacy of involvement with ACEC, is an example of how a firm can contribute successfully. In multiple states, it has had active staff engaged on the state board, as well as in state legislative advocacy efforts.
“Often, that state-level participation was a gateway to getting involved in national committees, the annual Capitol Hill visits during the Annual Convention, as well as in ACEC/PAC giving,” Matson says. “Today, Kimley-Horn owners see it as their responsibility to contribute to ACEC’s legislative efforts personally and voluntarily, given the significant return our firm—as well as all member firms—receive on that investment.”
“ACEC/PAC provides us the opportunities for one-on-one conversations with lawmakers on very important issues.”
JONATHAN CURRY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACEC/MN
Kimley-Horn’s president and CEO Steve Lefton sets the example for firm leaders with his active participation in the ACEC Research Institute and the Design Professionals Coalition, and as an ACEC/PAC Capitol Club contributor, Matson says.
The PAC is a “great tool” for Minnesota, says Jonathan Curry, executive director of ACEC/MN. “ACEC/PAC provides us the opportunities for one-on-one conversations with lawmakers on very important issues,” he says. “We do not host fancy fundraisers. Instead, we focus on how PAC contributions are being used to advance the business of engineering in Minnesota.”
“Our member firms are seeing how active ACEC/MN is on issues that are important to them, and I believe more of our member firms now see the value of supporting our PACs.”
CHRIS LEVERETTREGIONAL LEADERKIMLEY-HORN
In 2023, ACEC/MN held several discussions with members of its congressional delegation. “Our members are focused on removing Minnesota’s Federal Acquisition Regulation exemption, which allows the state to cap overhead rates,” Curry says.
Over the past four years, ACEC/MN has tripled its contributions, Curry says. In 2023, it raised nearly $80,000 between the state and federal PAC giving. “This has been done by simplifying the giving process and aligning our in-state giving with our federal PAC goals,” he says.
ACEC/MN’s fundraising success has come from a focus on communicating to member firms the value of the PAC and on having an organized and persistent approach to fundraising, says Chris Leverett, regional leader at Kimley-Horn.
“Each year, we start our fundraising by publishing a letter that summarizes the great work ACEC/MN and ACEC National have done on behalf of our industry, and we state our legislative objectives for the upcoming year,” Leverett says.
The organization has made an effort to share how much it is interacting with state and federal representatives, including by spreading the word on social media.
“Our member firms are seeing how active ACEC/MN is on issues that are important to them, and I believe more of our member firms now see the value of supporting our PACs,” Leverett says.
At the beginning of each year, the PAC committee develops a list of fundraising objectives, Leverett says. This includes goals for the total number of contributors, total number of new contributors, number of contributors at larger contribution levels, and number of firms with employees who contribute.
Developing a fundraising target allows the committee to better communicate with Champions who are willing to lead the effort at their firm, Leverett says. “Throughout the process, we use friendly competition between those firms to have fun and promote more PAC support.”
Each member of the PAC committee and most members of the board are assigned the responsibility to follow up with the Champions at member firms and encourage them to achieve their fundraising target.
“Our involvement in the PAC starts with the board. Our goal is to set the example and then reach out to our member firms.”
ROSELINE BOUGHERPRESIDENT AND CEOA.D. MARBLE & CO.
“Members of the PAC committee are also asked to connect with firms who have not typically supported the PACs and to connect with people who have typically been large contributors,” Leverett says. “By breaking down our total fundraising goal into smaller bites, each of our member firms feels a greater opportunity and responsibility to help us achieve our total fundraising goals.”
It also has been helpful to make fundraising more visible at annual events, Leverett says. “We recognize our largest supporters by name—people and firms—and provide lapel pins to our PAC supporters,” he says. “The lapel pins are very popular and add to the sense of friendly competition at industry events.”
Identifying PAC Champions and setting clear goals for contributors has allowed the organization to limit the number of times it solicits supporters for contributions, Curry says. Most importantly, it enables ACEC/MN to hit its goals early in the calendar year.
While the PAC did not face major challenges in 2023, “sustaining our giving year to year is always a major concern,” Curry says. “We alleviate this concern by identifying PAC Champions at member firms and increasing participation in our state and federal PAC committee. Each year, we also publish a kick-off report that clearly identifies our state and federal legislative goals.”
This gives contributors confidence that their donations to the PAC are being put to good use on behalf of their profession, Curry says.
In Pennsylvania, “our involvement in the PAC starts with the board,” says Roseline Bougher, president and CEO at A.D. Marble & Co. “Our goal is to set the example and then reach out to our member firms.”
The biggest challenge for ACEC/PA is getting participation from individuals. “It is a challenge to convince individuals to write a personal check,” Bougher says. “The current political environment makes this even more challenging.”
In an effort to boost contributions, ACEC/PA recently had an axe-throwing event to increase engagement. “It was a great gettogether,” Bougher says. “We are encouraging PAC events throughout the state and hope to establish them as yearly events moving forward. We also talk about our state and federal PACs to our member firms on a regular basis and encourage contributions.”
The future of engineering is at stake, and ACEC/PAC is committed to advancing the priorities of firms nationwide.
Bob Violino is a business and technology writer based in Massapequa Park, New York.