2026 AEC HR Summit Agenda
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pre-Summit Workshops
**Separate from general registration.
View details and register here
Pre-Summit Workshop A
ENGAGE! 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps to Drive Business Results
Bob Kelleher – Author/Speaker/Founder | AEC Workplace Solutions
Meaghan Anderson – Program Director | AEC Workplace Solutions
Pre-Summit Workshop B
Developing Tomorrow’s PM Talent: A Workshop for HR Professionals
Anthony Fasano – President and CEO | Engineering Management Institute
Fiona Johann – Strategic Initiatives Team Leader | Engineering Management Institute
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Welcome Cocktail Reception
Join us for a fun Summit kickoff! Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of mingling with your hosts, sponsors, and fellow attendees.
*The reception will be held outdoors, weather permitting.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Registration and Networking Breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Opening Keynote Presentation
Key Trends AEC Industry Professionals Need to Know
Jay Bowman | Partner, FMI Consulting
Research by the Gartner Group found that 44% of managers “struggle to provide personalized support to their direct reports.” This directly impacts companies’ bottom lines as managers account for 70% of employee engagement. In this keynote, workplace strategist Erica Keswin will provide leaders with a roadmap to help them navigate these challenges by teaching them how to connect their people to purpose, to others in the organization, and to their own development.
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Networking Break
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions 1:
Session 1A
Total Rewards: Building a Value-Based Culture for Success
Melissa Wilcox | VP of HR, KCI
Learn how KCI leverages employee benefits, compensation plans, and long-term incentives to drive retention and recruitment. As workforce expectations evolve, AEC firms are rethinking total rewards to attract and retain talent. This interactive workshop explores KCI’s value-based total rewards model, key lessons learned, and best practices for building a comprehensive program that enhances engagement, satisfaction, and long-term success.
Session 1B
Map Your Future: Using Job Descriptions to Build Next-Level Career Ladders
Danielle Voss | VP of HR, DUDEK
Molly Mapes | Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, DUDEK
In 2025, Dudek launched an updated job architecture that reshaped how the firm attracts, develops, and retains talent. This session explores how clearly defined roles, expectations, and career paths increased engagement, performance, and transparency. Attendees will learn how aligning job architecture with compensation strategy promotes fairness, internal equity, and competitive pay while giving employees a clear roadmap for growth and advancement.
Session 1C
Unlocking Business Value Through an Intentional Learning Ecosystem
Amanda Wachendorf | Director of Product Mgmt., Eagle Point Software
Discover how every organization, intentionally or not, already operates a learning ecosystem. This session explores how to connect people, culture, content, and technology to create an intentional program built for your organization. Upon leaving this session, you will be able to identify the learning ecosystem within your organization, have concrete examples of how to grow your approach to learning, and ways to tie business value to building a comprehensive ecosystem for your teams.
11:30 AM – 11:45 PM
Networking Break
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
Keynote Presentation
Growing and Retaining Talent in Today’s Competitive Landscape
Jim Thompson | Chairman and CEO, DCCM
Jim Thompson has been a leader and builder of AEC organizations for over 30 years, including his current role as Chairman and CEO of DCCM, one of the fastest-growing AEC firms in the nation. Jim shares valuable lessons learned throughout his career building teams and organizations, focusing especially on how to grow and retain talent as a key competitive differentiator. Although trained as an engineer, Jim has learned that the most important trait for a leader in a technical environment is the ability to hire, develop, and engage high-performing coworkers. He will provide specific examples, including both positive lessons and mistakes made along the way.
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Networking Break
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions 2:
Session 2A
Leadership Unlocked: Creative Approaches to Nurture Successors and Elevate Leadership
Kellie Dougan | HR Leader, SVP, Bartlett & West
Discover creative strategies for leadership development and succession planning in this session. Discover how company-wide initiatives, employee-led committees, and tailored leadership programs foster emerging talent at every level. Explore how opening development opportunities to all employee-owners and cross-functional collaboration in market planning are building a robust pipeline of future leaders.
Session 2B
Career Architecture: Building a Future-Ready Workforce Through Structure, Skills, and Strategy
JaNette Bridgewater | Chief HR Officer, Freese & Nichols
Freese and Nichols is advancing a human-centered talent strategy through its Career Architecture framework. By integrating Success Profiles and Job Architecture, the model brings clarity and fairness to career progression while aligning development, performance, and succession planning. Supported by digital tools and engaging learning content, this scalable approach equips employees and leaders to navigate talent retention, skill gaps, and leadership transitions in a rapidly evolving AEC environment.
Session 2C
What Your Workforce Wants: Key AEC Talent Trends from the Future of Work Report
Anthony Fasano | President and CEO, Engineering Management Institute
Fiona Johann | Strategic Initiatives Team Leader, Engineering Management Institute
Most AEC consulting firms aim to grow at a rapid pace; however, they face numerous challenges in recruiting, developing, and retaining talent in this competitive environment. EMI has once again asked AEC professionals questions that their firms are afraid to ask, and will be presenting the answers in this must-attend session. Learn how AEC professionals truly view career development, job mobility, and performance expectations, with research-backed insights to improve recruitment, development, and retention.
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Networking Break
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
AEC Connections Cafe
This participant-driven session relies on the passion of attendees for the topics discussed. You will have the opportunity to attend multiple topic groups to discuss what’s important to you and your organization right now.
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Closing Comments
Join us as we walk through the logistics of the evening and close the first day.
5:00 PM
Adjourn
6:00 PM
Dine Around
Sign up for a group dinner at one of several nearby restaurants. It’s a great chance to connect and unwind. (Please note: meals are self-paid.)
*Sign-up sheets are at the registration table outside the main ballroom.
7:00 PM
Magical Citywalk Tavern Tour
Renew old acquaintances and make new ones – an always popular event!
*OR choose a dine around option
Friday, April 10, 2026
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Opening Comments and Live Summit Poll with Bob Kelleher
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM
Keynote Presentation
Leadership Lessons from the 1980 US Men’s Hockey Gold Winning ‘Miracle’
Bob Kelleher | Author/Speaker/Founder of AEC Workplace Solutions
In 1980, Coach Herb Brooks led the US Men’s Hockey team to an improbable Olympic victory over the dominant USSR by breaking from convention and embracing bold, innovative strategies. In this dynamic keynote, Bob Kelleher brings that legendary story to life, highlighting timeless lessons for today’s workplace. Through powerful storytelling and multimedia, Bob explores how commitment, leadership, preparation, and the right cultural fit drive extraordinary results. Attendees will walk away energized, challenged to rethink conventional approaches, and inspired to set stretch goals that build engagement and transform teams into high performers.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Networking Break
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions 3:
Session 3A
Blueprints for Growth: A Strategic Approach to Talent Development
Emily White | Talent Development Manager, Timmons Group
In an industry where precision and planning are paramount, talent development should be no exception. This session introduces a strategic development model that integrates firm-specific data with proven adult learning principles. Attendees will discover how to design learning experiences that are relevant, measurable, and aligned with their firm’s long-term goals.
Session 3B
Staying NSYNC (pun intended): Aligning Feedback, Growth & Accountability
Beth Eibl | Sr. HRBP, Smith Seckman Reid, Inc
Jessica Nyce | Director of HR, Smith Seckman Reid, Inc
“Staying “NSYNC”, pun intended – Aligning Feedback, Growth & Accountability,” the thoughtful process that doesn’t stop with just one annual performance review. A year-round approach with a fresh take on more meaningful performance discussions. Actionable items and a game plan are generated for the rest of the year, leading to more accountability and engagement. All administered through an online app created in house.
Session 3C
Coming Soon…
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM
Networking Break
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Lunch
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
Closing Keynote Presentation
Becoming a Great Human Leader in the Age of AI
Erica Keswin | Author, Speaker, and Workplace Strategist
Research by the Gartner Group found that 44% of managers “struggle to provide personalized support to their direct reports.” This directly impacts companies’ bottom lines as managers account for 70% of employee engagement. In this keynote, workplace strategist Erica Keswin will provide leaders with a roadmap to help them navigate these challenges by teaching them how to connect their people to purpose, to others in the organization, and to their own development.
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Closing Comments and Adjourn
3:30 PM
A Surprise Social Activity!
Attendees of the AEC HR Summit are able to earn both HRCI and SHRM professional development credits. The AEC HR Summit is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. The use of the HRCI seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.
