The ACEC Nebraska Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) gives participants the opportunity to broaden their horizons to learn other aspects of the business, making them more valuable to the engineering profession and to your firm. The ELP is for individuals committed to developing their leadership abilities. This program imparts specific skills and competencies identified by ACEC Nebraska principals as critical for leadership success.

Our comprehensive training program provides an understanding of best business practices essential to navigating the engineering industry. The ELP is an unprecedented opportunity to hear and discuss issues typically not covered in academic and engineering programs but are critical to your firm’s growth and future success. All sessions are taught by industry leaders and recognized experts in related business fields.

The Emerging Leaders Program is limited to 20 participants and is geared toward emerging leaders in all areas of your firm with 8-15 years of experience.

ACEC Nebraska has had four (4) graduating classes: 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

There will be no 2021 class due to Covid-19 restrictions and precautions.

What people say about the elp...

“The privilege of participating in ACEC’s inaugural ELP program was a pivotal moment in my career. Being that many members firms have multiple service lines, and not all are engineering, the opportunity as an Environmental Scientist to learn the ins and outs of running a firm, the importance of engineering licensure, the influence ACEC’s lobbying has (how we as the next generation of leaders can influence our industry), and the imperative culture impact of active listening, was invaluable. I would recommend this training to any firm looking to build their future leaders into well-informed, well-connected, and well-rounded contributors to their success.”

—Allison Sambol, Senior Environmental Scientist, Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig

“The ELP is a unique program that I found to be tremendously informational and transformative, without feeling too procedural or forced. The format of the program is interactive and the lessons cater to the collective interests and understanding of the group. The ELP really broadened my perspective of the engineering profession. It emphasized the importance of developing relationships with colleagues of various expertise and experience, and facilitated that interaction such that I’m still in touch with many of my classmates. The program opened my eyes to areas of the profession often overlooked, but areas with great potential for impact. For instance, engineering consultants, like many other professions, face new rulings, legislation, and regulations that possess the potential for either positive or negative impacts. It is our duty and obligation as professionals to earn the trust of those with influence, and demonstrate ourselves as a trusted resource to make these changes have favorable outcomes. My biggest lesson from the ELP was that a great leader can never be static. Successfully leading a private practice is a big commitment and takes someone who recognizes and can assemble what a practice needs when they need it, as well as continually foster enhancements to the people, the practice, and the industry.”

—Donny Cerwick, PE, Burns & McDonnell

“This program had a significant impact on me personally and professionally. The content of the program was directly relevant to my day-to-day tasks and I feel it was very valuable to my continued growth. The most surprising benefit of the program was the great friendships I made with my classmates who have also become my professional contacts. I can call them to be part of a proposal team, call with questions about their area of expertise, or just get together with them for happy hour.

Since attending the ELP program, I have sent one other member of my staff and I plan to send more in the future. I highly recommend the program!”

—Terry Morrison, PE, Ehrhart Griffin & Associates

“I was excited to take part in ACEC Nebraska’s ELP Class III after observing my coworkers participate in each of the first two years. I hadn’t had a lot of exposure to ACEC but I saw some of the things they were learning and I knew it would benefit me in my role as an Associate Principal. The ELP experience was truly eye-opening – I learned about ACEC and why it is important to our industry. I learned how I can be engaged on a local level with my representative in the state legislature, and I am now a resource for my Senator on engineering issues. I learned basics about business financials and how to interpret financial information, which is important as I take on more leadership and hopefully one day part ownership of the company. However, the main point of the program is not necessarily learning, it’s networking. I met several people in the field I can turn to if I ever need services their company provides. This proved valuable before the program even ended with the inclusion of one of my classmates in a proposal.

I recommend the program to anyone who wants to take on leadership roles in their company and grow their business.”

—Brad Lauritsen, PE, KPE