Engineering Influence from ACEC

Kevin Artl Talks about how ACEC Illinois Defeated a Bill to Weaken the State's QBS Law

On the Engineering Influence podcast, sponsored by the ACEC Life/Health Trust, ACEC Illinois Executive Director Kevin Artl discusses how his Member Organization worked to defeat a proposed bill that would have weakened the state's Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) law. 
QBS is a central pillar of ACEC’s advocacy program. QBS is a competitive process in which public agencies evaluate and select consulting engineers based on their qualifications, and then the parties negotiate the project scope of work, schedule, budget, and fee.
QBS was originally passed on the federal level in 1972 and over the years its use has expanded to many states, which recognize that public safety requires contracting with the most qualified design firms.
Over the years there have been many challenges to QBS on both the federal and state levels and ACEC and its Member Organizations have been diligent in defeating them. 
 

Beth Bauer, ACEC's new NAECE President on What's Ahead in 2021

The podcast welcomed Beth Bauer, the Executive Director of ACEC Indiana and the newly appointed president of NAECE, which represents our state Executive Directors.  Beth talks to us about her new role, what she hopes to accomplish in her term, and what's happening among the states.

The Government Affairs Update for 5-7-21

Steve Hall joins us to wrap up the recent virtual ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit and discusses the outlook on infrastructure in Congress.

Florence Sterlin on Engaging with Your Remotely Working Team Members

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of strain on firms and their employees. With everyone working remotely, the ties that bind the firm together can start to fray. Firms have found many ways to deal with this challenge, and Florence Sterlin, president of D.B. Sterlin Consultants in Chicago has come on the podcast to talk about the changes her firm undertook, how they worked, and what's she's learned looking to the future.

Dodge Data CEO Dan McCarthy Discusses How Engineering Firms Can Use Market Data

In today’s digital world, data is everywhere. Many engineering firms utilize data in their business planning, but knowing what data is available, what is useful, and where to find it can be a challenge.
To help firms figure this out, we’re talking today with Dan McCarthy, CEO of Dodge Data & Analytics, the largest provider of commercial construction data and information in the United States.
Click here for more information about Dodge Data & Analytics.

Government Affairs Podcast for April 16, 2021

Matt Reiffer joined the podcast to discuss action on VMT, NEPA and a Senate water bill.  Plus, we announce that Secretary Buttigieg will appear at the upcoming 2021 Virtual Annual Convention and Legislative Summit.  Register for that event today! 

Meridian Associates' Doug Reed on Powerful Strategy Execution

Meridian Associate's CEO, Doug Reed, joined the podcast to share his experiences managing a firm through the coronavirus shutdown and provide insights into what it takes to make strategic implementation successful.
Doug is the author of Lead a Movement: An Insider’s Guide to Powerful Strategy Execution. In this book, Doug observes that the most common unresolved business failure is a good strategy that has never been properly executed. Doug describes how strategy execution can produce growth with certainty, not chance. 

Hinge Marketing's Karl Feldman Highlights the Key Characteristics of High-Growth Firms

Growth is something that most consulting firms look to achieve and some do it better than others. To find out why, Hinge Marketing prepares its annual High Growth Study, which looks at both the broader strategies and the narrower tactics that differentiate high-growth firms. This year's study includes nearly 1,300 firms, of which about 360 are engineering firms. 
To talk with us about the study is Karl Feldman, a partner at Hinge Marketing.
Click here to read a blog post on the key A/E/C results of the 2021 High Growth Study.