Since its start in the early 1950s, ACEC California has been dedicated to enhancing the consulting engineering and land surveying professions, protecting the general public, and promoting use of the private sector in growth and development in the state.
As one of ACEC’s largest Member Organizations, it includes nearly 500 member firms representing 25,000 employees. Divided into 22 local chapters, ACEC California has a 55-member board of directors (elected by the chapters) and nearly 30 policy and programming committees.
The common phrase, “As goes California, so goes the nation,” continues to ring true. And it’s one that ACEC California understands as this Member Organization fights legislative battles on behalf of its member firms.
“What starts in California often spreads,” says Tyler Munzing, director of government affairs. “And it’s not always something that benefits engineers.”
But the Member Organization is dogged in its pursuit of legislative wins that benefit the nearly 25,000 full-time employees (which includes engineers and design professionals) of the member firms under its umbrella.
Take California Assembly Bill 334, which came out of the state legislature in response to a 2015 court decision that held that an independent contractor working for a public agency might be considered a public official when it comes to conflicts of interest.
“For example, if you did the survey on a project, you couldn’t work on the final design,” explains Munzing. “The statute said one thing, the case law said something else, and everyone was confused. Public agencies became extremely risk averse and would simply just say no to follow-on contracts with engineering firms.”
Between 2013 and 2019, a series of California-enacted legislation and court cases evolved into a conflict-of-interest problem for engineering and land surveying firms. In 2017, the ACEC California membership brought the problem to the attention of ACEC National, and a legislative effort to fix the problem began. ACEC California asked for and received an ACEC Minuteman Fund grant to assist with the cost of extra advocacy and attorney costs for this effort. That led to ACEC California sponsoring Assembly Bill 334, which was passed into law.
“It was about a six-year effort, but we were successful in 2023 with the support of the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission. Now the statute is clearer in defining what activities and work that firms may perform to be in compliance so there’s no conflict of interest,” says Executive Director Brad Diede. “This is one example of inadvertently problematic regulations stemming from California that nobody wants to spill over to other states. Some California attorneys misinterpreted the law, and we didn’t want it to be misinterpreted across the United States.”
Diede came to the organization 10 years ago after his post as executive director of the California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors (now the Housing Contractors of California). He was familiar with ACEC and had worked closely with lobbyists and coalitions with like-minded interests. That put him in a good position to direct ACEC California to fulfill its mission to advocate for its members.
Diede is a leader who works closely with his 11-person staff and contract lobbyists. In an organization with 55 board members, a six-member executive committee, and 22 chapters, he has to be hands-on.
“Getting involved with a professional organization should be part of everyone’s career plan.”
GENE BOUGDANOSIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTACEC CALIFORNIAVICE PRESIDENT AND LOS ANGELES AREA PROGRAMMANAGER, HDR
“This is one example of inadvertently problematic regulations stemming from California that nobody wants to spill over to other states. Some California attorneys misinterpreted the law, and we didn’t want it to be misinterpreted across the United States.”
BRAD DIEDEEXECUTIVE DIRECTORACEC CALIFORNIA
“Your net worth is your network. For us in professional services, it’s all about relationships.”
KURT YOSHIIIMMEDIATE PAST NATIONAL DIRECTORACEC CALIFORNIAPRINCIPAL ENGINEERNINYO & MOORE GEOTECHNICAL & ENVIRONMENTALSCIENCES CONSULTANTS
“If there’s a program or event that we know will be a big lift, it’s all hands on deck. Everybody is willing to pitch in and help out. We’re extremely team-oriented and open-door,” Munzing says.
ACEC California collaborates with numerous coalition partners, aligning with groups on business issues, water infrastructure, and transportation issues. It has liaison committees with large public agencies such as the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board, and one with the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The Member Organization also has a well-established relationship with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
“We have a well-established working relationship with Caltrans, thanks largely to the collaborative efforts of that committee,” says Policy Outreach Director Jennifer Horne. “The committee meets with Caltrans staff every other month. It’s a unique opportunity, and we appreciate that.”
ACEC California recently worked with the agency to address rising costs. “Caltrans recognized the impacts of inflation and updated its rate escalation policy, which now includes an annual review of relevant labor indexes,” Horne says.
The collaborative culture filters through the entire Member Organization. There are 26 committees, and “they are in high demand,” Diede says. “We’ll be adding more in the near future. There are already people itching to get on those committees.”
Jane Rozga, an ACEC California past president and legislative review chair and business group leader at GHD, says, “Engagement is why we’re here. We’re effective at the state level largely because of the grassroots efforts of members working with elected officials.”
Any good organization stands on the shoulders of the members it works for. Immediate Past ACEC California National Director Kurt Yoshii, principal engineer at Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants, says a quote he once heard has stuck with him: “Your net worth is your network,” he says. “For us in professional services, it’s all about relationships.”
Members have access to each other through committees, networking events, and yearly conferences. Gene Bougdanos, vice president and Los Angeles area program manager at HDR, says a mentor introduced him to ACEC 25 years ago. He’s immediate past president of the Member Organization. “Membership helped open my eyes to people in the industry beyond the firm I work with. The networking and contacts have been invaluable. Getting involved with a professional organization should be part of everyone’s career plan.”
“Engagement is why we’re here. We’re effective at the state level largely because of the grassroots efforts of members working with elected officials.”
JANE ROZGAIMMEDIATE PAST LEGISLATIVE REVIEW CHAIR AND PAST PRESIDENTACEC CALIFORNIABUSINESS GROUP LEADER, GHD
“What starts in California often spreads. And it’s not always something that benefits engineers.”
TYLER MUNZINGDIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRSACEC CALIFORNIA
That sentiment drives the organization’s dedication to bringing more people into the profession. The California Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) program showcases some of the best engineering and land surveying projects across the state, and the national program does the same nationwide. Seven years ago, ACEC California changed the state EEA program to be a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation. Member firms first participate in the state-level awards, and winners can move on to the ACEC National annual competition.
“We needed to grow our EEA program, so we turned it into a fundraiser for our scholarship foundation to encourage more participation,” Diede says. “We’ve grown steadily since making the change. In 2023, we raised over $50,000 just from that event for student scholarships. Which is important because there are not enough engineers and land surveyors in the world to accomplish all the work that our society needs.”
At the February 2024 EEA event, ACEC California had about 45 contestants and 15 Honor Award winners who were eligible for an ACEC National award. “Since the early 2000s, ACEC California has awarded about $750,000 total in scholarships,” Diede says.
Getting more people interested in the engineering profession is imperative. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, California will receive an estimated $41.9 billion in funds between fiscal years 2022 and 2026. At the same time, the state, like most in the nation, is struggling to find enough engineers. “Many students who go into STEM careers end up going into high-tech jobs or work for Google or Amazon instead of civil engineering,” Bougdanos says.
The Member Organization is working with Caltrans and other major agencies to reach out to high schools and underserved communities to encourage and explain the benefits of careers in engineering. “We give presentations and stress career opportunities, the projects we do, the public service aspects, and the benefits of giving back to the community,” Bougdanos says.
Yoshii recognizes the importance of reaching students even earlier. “We need to get to students at the elementary school level,” he says. “It’s almost like sports. In today’s society, if you don’t start playing a sport while in elementary school, it can be very difficult to be competitive in high school. We have to take that model and run with it.”
Yoshii is positive about the future, though. “I have a feeling that if we start investing in infrastructure and building these big projects again, we’ll attract people back to civil engineering.”
Stacey Freed is a writer based in Pittsford, New York, who has contributed to The New York Times, AARP.org, Professional Builder, and USA Today.