Lawson-Fisher Associates, a Civil Engineering firm located in South Bend, Indiana, is proud to be more than just a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). We believe strongly in supporting our profession, local community and state by encouraging our staff to participate in ACEC by getting involved with the various committees, leadership development opportunities and the Board. This involvement requires frequent trips to Indianapolis and networking opportunities with our member firms across Indiana.
Leading the way is LFA Vice President Michael Guzik, PE, who currently serves as the Vice President and Treasurer of the ACEC Indiana and is also Director for ACEC National.
“LFA appreciates all the work ACEC Indiana does representing member firms and being a leader at the national level. We want to support these efforts here in Indiana and at the national level.” Guzik said.
Deepening our relationship further, LFA Water Resources Engineer Kevin Siedlecki, PE, volunteers on the ACEC Funding Committee.
Being a member of the ACEC Funding Sources Committee provides unique insights into requirements and expectations of decision-makers from various funding sources, including the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), US Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development, Indiana Finance Authority, IN State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Programs, and the Indiana Bond Bank.
Siedlecki said, “I meet with the Committee in Indianapolis four times per year, which includes one larger conference and three more intimate gatherings with committee members and representatives from the agencies. Being involved at this level allows LFA to be directly connected with the agencies and offers our clients exceptional opportunities to plan the funding of their projects.”
LFA Senior Civil Engineer Dan Delgado, PE, contributes significantly to the ACEC by serving on the INDOT committee and various sub-committees.
“It’s an excellent way for the consulting community to meet and discuss various developments with INDOT from different perspectives and experiences. Serving is an opportunity to put company second and the engineering community first,” he said. “ACEC Indiana is the ideal platform to engage with INDOT to assist them for improving our industry.”
Plus, he said, it gives him a chance to check on LFA projects on US 31 on the drive down, meet with project partners.
LFA Marketing and Business Development Director Jared Huss, PE, serves on the ACEC Government Affairs Committee, reviewing and advocating for proposed legislation that impacts our partner firms and our community as a whole. This committee meets weekly while the General Assembly is in session, staying abreast of legislation that affects the Hoosier State.
Huss said, “Engineering firms that remain aware of changes in legislation are far better poised to serve their profession and their clients to the best outcomes possible. I really enjoying being a part of a political process that provides our firm with a stronger presence and contributes to the state’s overall infrastructure.”
Lastly, Water Resource Engineer Amanda Budreau, PE, sits on the ACEC Indiana Department of Natural Resources committee, which serves as a liaison between the ACEC member firms and the IDNR.
“I attend quarterly meetings in Indianapolis, where we discuss various issues or concerns in regard to permitting processes, design requirements, or modeling guidelines,” she said. “The ACEC IDNR committee also will develop subcommittees, when needed. For example, I also serve on the Hydraulic Modeling Subcommittee, where we are working on the re-write of the IDNR Modeling Guidelines.”
Each of LFA’s five ACEC representatives are frequently in Indianapolis helping to contribute to the larger engineering industry for Indiana. We are proud to be available at this level and to be a part of the smoothly running machine that is LFA designed work.