President’s Message: February 2026
ACEC Florida President Richard G. Acree, PE
To the ACEC Florida Community,
As we move further into 2026, I am proud of the strong start our industry has made through focused advocacy efforts and meaningful engagement with policymakers on issues that directly impact Florida’s consulting engineering community.
Earlier this month, ACEC Florida and FES hosted our 2026 Professional Engineers’ Days in Tallahassee. We welcomed 180 attendees who met with more than 70 Florida legislators and their staff to discuss issues critical to our industry. Our conversations focused on protecting qualification-based selection and the Transportation Trust Fund; other discussions related to various bills on transportation initiatives, increasing fines for unlicensced engineering activity, and indemnification language on private sector contracts. Your engagement makes a difference. I encourage you to review our 2026 legislative priorities on the Advocacy tab of our website and stay involved by joining our weekly legislative update calls each Friday morning throughout Session. Your voice strengthens our profession and ensures we remain a trusted partner in shaping Florida’s future.
ACEC Florida & FES Members during 2026 PE Days
Senator Ben Albritton
On February 13, we gathered in Orlando to celebrate the very best of our industry at the 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards. It was an evening that highlighted innovation, collaboration, and impact, with entertainment from SAK Comedy and a lively reception that kept the energy high well into the night. Congratulations to WGI for earning the Grand Conceptor Award for their JTA U2C Phase II – Bay Street Innovation Corridor for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. This transformative project represents the forward-thinking leadership that defines our member firms. Grand award winners will represent Florida at the National Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on May 5, 2026, in Washington, DC. We look forward to cheering them on as they showcase Florida excellence on the national stage.
2026 Grand Conceptor Award Winner WGI
Congratulations to the other award winning firms: Grand Winners: Black & Veatch, DRMP, Inc, Hanson Professional Services, Inc, Kisinger Campo & Associates, Corp, Taylor Engineering, Inc and TLPEngineering Consultants. Honor Winners: CHA Consulting, Inc, EAC Consulting, Inc, Hanson Professional Services, Inc, Jacobs, PRIME AE Group, Inc, Wade Trim and WGI.
Professional development also remains a priority this spring. I encourage our geotechnical and materials firms to register for the 2026 GMEC Conference, April 8-10. This year’s program will spotlight technical advancements across our industry, including the future of our industry, ground improvement applications, geosynthetics and pavements, best practices, Controlled Modulus Columns (CMCs), and more. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Gray Mullins and we welcome back Ed Bayo, Esq. to lead us through Laws, Rules, and Ethics. These sessions will offer up to 8 PDHs. There will be opportunities to network with others at the conference at the welcome social, scheduled breaks, a networking lunch, and a reception. This conference is not just for geotechnical and material engineers – all engineers are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.
For members involved in transportation and project delivery, the 2026 ACEC Florida | FDOT Project Management Conference on May 7-8 offers a targeted opportunity to sharpen your skills and expand your network. Designed for FDOT and consultant project managers, the conference will feature joint project presentations and meaningful networking with FDOT and industry peers.
ACEC Florida continues to lead because of the active participation of our members. Whether advocating in Tallahassee or investing in professional development, your engagement advances our profession and reinforces the value consulting engineers bring to Florida’s communities every day.
Best regards,
Rick Acree, PE
Terracon, Director of Florida Transportation and Infrastructure
Senior Principal – Vice President
