November/December 2023

On November 14, 2023, the Michigan legislature officially adjourned for the year (Sine Die) until January 10, 2024. Rep. Kevin Coleman and Rep. Lori Stone both won their mayoral races, so the House now has a 54-54 split. Governor Whitmer has already sent a letter to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson calling for a special election to fill the vacant seats. The primary election is requested on January 30, 2024, and the general election is requested for April 16, 2024.

Senate Bill 337 passed out of the House on November 8 and is headed to the Governor for her signature. Senate Bill 337 would modernize the current law to provide uniform standards for certified survey maps and to allow professional land surveyors to use new technology, such as GPS and computer-aided drafting (CAD), which would lead to improved accuracy in survey maps and would no longer require surveyors to use outdated techniques.

Senate Bill 88, House Bill 4341, and House Bill 4342 taken together would require schools and child care centers to develop a drinking water management plan within fifteen months after the bills take effect and update the plan at least every five years. The bills were signed by the Governor and became effective on October 24, 2023.

Senate Bill 43 became effective on October 19, 2023 and requires the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to use concrete or equivalent crashworthy temporary barriers when completely closing a freeway to traffic and to use such barriers to separate road workers from traffic if a portion of a freeway is closed at night.

ACEC/Michigan Emerging Leaders Program

2023 Graduating Class

ACEC/Michigan proudly celebrates the accomplishments of the graduates from our esteemed 2023 Emerging Leaders Program. This initiative, designed to instill specific skills and competencies identified by top ACEC/Michigan principals as integral to leadership success, has equipped our participants with a comprehensive toolkit for professional growth.

Throughout the program, our graduates engaged in a dynamic curriculum covering essential topics such as Strategic Planning, Governmental Affairs, Risk Management, Human Resources, Leadership, Business Development, Economics of Private Practice, and the enlightening Senior Leaders Roundtable: From Management to Leadership - Secrets of Success.

For those keen on fostering the development of emerging leaders within their firms (exclusive to ACEC/Michigan members), we invite you to explore the opportunity to enroll a candidate in our 2024 Emerging Leaders Program. Secure a spot on the waiting list for the upcoming class by visiting our website. Your commitment to cultivating leadership excellence is a testament to the continued success of ACEC/Michigan and the engineering profession as a whole.

Congratulations to the following members of the 2023 Emerging Leaders Program:

The 2024 MDOT-ACEC Partnering Workshop will be held on February 16 at the Lansing Center, following a leadership reception the evening of February 15. This annual event brings together transportation professionals from across the state to share the latest information, technology, and processes being used to design and build our transportation system.

MDOT Director Brad Wieferich will help to kick off the event, where 34 unique educational breakout sessions will be offered on various topics providing CEUs to attendees. The keynote speaker will be Michigan’s first ever Chief Growth Officer, Hilary Doe, who will discuss the work and recommendations from the Governor's Growing Michigan Together Council. The Partnership Charter Award will also be presented after the luncheon.

Look for registration information on the ACEC/Michigan website in December.

ACEC/Michigan Scholarships

ACEC/Michigan is planning to award $20,000 in scholarships this year, divided between approximately 5 engineering and surveying students enrolled in an ABET accredited College or University. Applicants will be judged on a written essay, their work experience, employer/faculty recommendations, community involvement and their GPA. Pass this opportunity along to any eligible interns your firm has hired!

We are pleased to provide students with a new, all-digital scholarship application process, which allows students to save and work on the application over time as well as apply for multiple scholarships they may be eligible for with one application. The ACEC/Michigan scholarship is open to students who have lived, worked or gone to school in Michigan. The student must have worked for a consulting engineering, surveying, or architectural/engineering firm within the past 24 months. Scholarships awards are presented to students in March at the Annual Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala.

The application portal link is: https://acecinstitute.awardspring.com/. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2024. 

Scholarship Fundraiser Raffle

​Each year the ACEC/Michigan Scholarship Committee holds a raffle, which is the only fundraising event for the ACEC/Michigan Scholarship Program. This event is crucial in raising funds to assist promising college students pursuing careers in engineering or surveying. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, every dollar generated from raffle ticket sales directly contributes to supporting scholarships.

Winning tickets will be drawn during the ACEC/Michigan Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

This year’s prizes include: 

1. Florida Vacation – One week stay at a beautiful three-bedroom, ocean-front view princess condominium on Hutchinson Island. *Travel expense not included. Sponsor: Testing Engineers & Consultants
2. Lake Michigan Charter Fishing Trip - $1,050 value. 7 hour trip, up to 6 passengers in Saugatuck, Michigan. 2024 weekdays only. *License and gratuities not included.
3. $500 Amazon Gift Card
4. $500 DoorDash Gift Card

Tickets are $25 each, 3 for $60, or 6 tickets for $100, and only a limited number of tickets are printed.

Visit the ACEC/Michigan website for ordering information.

RAFFLE PRIZE SPONSORS:

AR Engineering

​Hubbell, Roth & Clark

OHM Advisors

PCIA

Ruby+Associates

SME

Testing Engineers & Consultants

WSP Michigan, Inc.

MDOT-ACEC Partnership Charter Award

The MDOT-ACEC Partnership Charter Award recognizes project managers and consultants for their commitment to excellence and promoting an enhanced business partnership based on the ideals set forth in the MDOT/ACEC Partnership Charter Agreement. These ideals include mutual trust, effective communication, continuous improvement, embracing innovation, and timely issues resolution.

Projects accomplished by a team effort between MDOT project managers and ACEC consultants are eligible to receive this award. Submittal Deadline is January 5, 2024. Complete entry details are on the ACEC/Michigan website. 

ASCE Scholarship Applications

The Michigan Section of the ASCE encourages the advancement of the Civil Engineering profession by qualified and interested students. To that end, the ASCE Michigan Section offers financial support through two scholarships: the Mackinac Scholarship and the Zuidema Scholarship. These scholarships have been endowed through the efforts and generosity of individual Civil Engineers and leading Civil Engineering companies throughout Michigan. Applications are due by Memorial Day.

Click here to access more detailed information and the application itself.

The first ever Lansing Construction Science Expo was held at Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing on October 3rd. 300+ students from the Lansing School District attended the event and were introduced to careers in engineering, surveying, architecture, and the skilled trades. We appreciate Governor Whitmer's attendance and support of this event.

The Construction Science Expo is a collaboration of indutsry associations and labor organizations. Thank you to the many sponsors, group leaders, and volunteers who helped make this event a success. Next year's Lansing event has been scheduled for October 1, 2024.

PSMJ Principals Bootcamp

ACEC/Michigan will host the popular PSMJ Principals Bootcamp January 18-19, 2024. This two-day networking event imparts skills and methods the most successful A/E/C leaders use to excel in every aspect of firm management. You will learn how to: 

• Move from tactical to strategic thinking - big picture traits of the most successful A/E/C principals
• Backlog boosting marketing and BD tactics of the best principals - post-COVID strategies for landing new projects
• Designing a structure for your success - rethink your firm's org chart
• Financial management secrets for crushing your profit goals
• Maximizing team value and productivity - hang onto top performers, develop their full potential, recruit more like them
• Ownership & leadership transition - preparing for and managing through, inevitable change
• And so much more!

Class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on January 18 and from 8:00 a.m. to (approximately) 3:30 p.m. on January 19.

Discounted registration fees are available for ACEC/Michigan members and for multiple attendees.

• $1,600/person for ACEC/Michigan members
• $1,700/person for non-members
• 3 registrants from one firm - first 2 are regular price, 3rd at half price
• 4 registrants from one firm - first 3 at full price and 4th free
• 5 or more registrants from one firm - first 3 at full price, 4th person free, all others are 25% off

To register, visit the ACEC/Michigan website.