Engineering Inc - March/April 2018 - 23

We can all be proud of ACEC's phenomenal growth and achievements-the
product of countless dedicated members and talented staff. I have been blessed
with an extraordinary staff, and I credit them with all of our successes.

DAVE RAYMOND

OVERCOMING SETBACKS

No organization can successfully sail through two decades without experiencing some turbulent seas. For ACEC, those rough
waters came with the Great Recession.
"We were hit hard, but not as hard as many other organizations. Some associations went out of business because their
members left," Raymond says. "Even though our Member Firms
were reducing staff and our dues income was lower, our firms
were not leaving us. We did have to cut some staff, and we tried
to do as much of that as possible through attrition. But, unfortunately, we did have to lay some people off, just because there
was no other choice."
Emely says Raymond didn't arbitrarily make cuts. "He talked
to the senior team and the department heads and had us make
recommendations on what positions would need to go and
why," Emely recalls.
"It wasn't forced down on us. We were part of a problem-solving
team. We had to make tough decisions, and he supported us."
Ultimately, Raymond says, ACEC emerged from the recession
stronger than before. "As the economy came back, and firms
hired more employees, there was an increase in dues to ACEC,
as well," he says. "We used the opportunity for hiring to improve
the general competency of our staff. We've always hired people
who were stronger than their predecessors. We've kept that going
over a long period of time, so that now, we have a strong organization with a deep bench."

Hanson Professional Services. Tim Psomas, 2009-2010 ACEC
Chairman and chairman emeritus at Psomas says: "I particularly
appreciate his laser focus on the vital issues that have propelled
the organization forward. Our strong government affairs team
and our education programs are also great examples of the legacy
Dave leaves at ACEC."
"Dave has taken every aspect of ACEC and elevated it not just
to the next level but even higher," says Peter Strub, who served
as 2016-2017 ACEC chairman, and is senior vice president at
TranSystems Corp.
"The accomplishments during his tenure are unprecedented
and undoubtedly have positioned ACEC as a leader among professional associations," says Flicker.
"We're going to miss him," says Neimeyer. "He's led ACEC to
new heights."
With Raymond's upcoming retirement, a high-level Search
Committee led by former chair Gregs Thomopulos has conducted
a wide-ranging national selection process for a worthy successor.
Although his act will be a tough one to follow, Raymond is convinced that "because the Council has such extraordinary staff and
talented members, the new CEO will be able to get off to a strong
start and take the Council to even greater heights." ■
Calvin Hennick is a business, technology and travel writer based in
Milton, Massachusetts.

THE LEGACY THING

By all accounts, Raymond is leaving ACEC stronger than when he arrived. For several consecutive
years, independent auditors have praised ACEC's
"well-designed policies, procedures and practices."
During the 2017 audit, analysts called the association's management "exemplary."
"I think we have evolved into an organization
that provides good value in the many areas our
Member Firms consider most important," he
says. "And we've helped create a business environment in which our firms can thrive, whether
through legislation or educational programs, to
help them run a better business. I think we've
done those things."
It's difficult to find anyone who disagrees.
"What Dave has done is to focus singlemindedly and relentlessly on vital issues for
our industry, rather than frittering away time
and resources on a range of side matters. This
rifle-shot focus has allowed ACEC to play
above its weight class with impressive results,"
says current ACEC Chairman Sergio "Satch"
Pecori, who is also chairman and CEO of

Dave Raymond (center) with his Management Council Team, from left to right: Mike Pramstaller,
executive director, meetings and conventions; Marie Ternieden; vice president, business resources and
education; Steve Hall, vice president, government affairs; Melissa Thompson, executive assistant and
corporate secretary; Mary Ann Emely, vice president and COO; Leo Hoch, executive director, business
relations and membership; Kim Pham, CFO; Alan D. Crockett, director, communications and media; and
Charles Kim, general counsel, director, policy and strategic planning.

MARCH / APRIL 2018

ENGINEERING INC.

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