Celebrating Three Years of the Engineering & Public Works Roadshow

To the ACEC Community,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend filled with lots of family, friends, and great food. If you’re like me, you spent some time yesterday catching up on email and wading through message after message spotlighting Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Reports indicate that Cyber Monday will likely smash spending records this year. That’s good news: Cyber Monday has joined—and in some ways supplanted—Black Friday as make-or-break sales days for retailers.

Three years ago this week, we held our first-ever Engineering and Public Works Roadshow event on Cyber Monday at the Port of Long Beach. We were intentional about choosing that date and venue. We wanted to spotlight the indispensable role of engineering in our nation’s supply chain. Those Cyber Monday doorbuster deals for a PlayStation or 10-speed bike will land on your doorstep thanks to our industry. This third anniversary of the Roadshow is a milestone worth celebrating as we reflect on how far this collaboration has come.

When we launched the Roadshow in 2022 alongside our partners at the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), we aimed to showcase the transformative power of infrastructure investment while addressing our profession's critical workforce shortage. Three years and 20+ stops later, that vision has traveled more than 60,000 miles across America.

From the world's longest elevated pedestrian loop at Minnesota Zoo's Treetop Trail to the culturally iconic Murmur Trestle in Athens, Georgia, we've highlighted projects that don't just connect places—they connect people. We've celebrated Texas' first major reservoir in 30 years at Bois d'Arc Lake, serving two million North Texans. We've shown how a carbon-negative high school in Worcester, Massachusetts can inspire the next generation of engineers while serving its community. Today, the Roadshow made its final planned stop for 2025 in Norwalk, Connecticut, where we celebrated the WALK Bridge replacement, a critical link to maintain the busy northeast rail corridor. If you weren’t able to tune in live, follow the Roadshow on YouTube to catch the replay of the event when it's posted.

But the Roadshow represents something larger than individual projects. For the first time in our industry's history, the designers and operators of America's infrastructure have joined forces to tell our story directly to communities, policymakers, and most importantly, to young people considering their futures.

The numbers tell part of the story, but the faces tell it better—the students at Doherty Memorial High School discovering that engineering rewards creativity and curiosity; the community members in Athens seeing how thoughtful restoration can honor both history and progress; the North Texas leaders understanding that proactive engineering makes prosperity possible.

Our message resonates because it's true: Engineering touches everything. When done well, it transforms lives. Yet we continue facing a shortage of engineers and skilled professionals ready to take on tomorrow's challenges. Climate change, aging infrastructure, smart cities, clean water—these aren't abstract concepts. They're urgent needs requiring passionate problem-solvers.

As we begin year four, I'm energized by what lies ahead. Each Roadshow stop reinforces that infrastructure isn't just about concrete and steel—it's about the foundation of daily life. It's about the unsung heroes who ensure our water is clean, our commutes are safe, and yes, that we can walk among the treetops without worry.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement—and thank you in advance for passing along suggestions for future stops! Together, we're not just building infrastructure. We’re building the future.

In other news, ACEC’s Technology Committee is a supporting partner for BST Global’s AI + Data Survey, which gives AEC tech leaders the chance to share how AI tools and other emerging technologies are affecting the industry and their business. We encourage all AEC data leaders and/or technology decision makers to participate. Click here to take the survey, which will be open through December 31. Respondents will receive early access to the final report, and you can get a copy of this year’s report.

Finally, we were saddened to hear last week of the passing of Leo Hoch. Leo headed ACEC’s membership department for more than a decade until his retirement in 2018. We will share more information as soon as we are able. In the meantime, please hold Leo’s family in your thoughts as they navigate the difficult days ahead.

Have a great week,

Linda Bauer Darr

President & CEO

American Council of Engineering Companies | ACEC

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