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
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
Session 1C
Unlocking Business Value Through an Intentional Learning Ecosystem
Amanda Wachendorf | Director of Product Mgmt., Eagle Point Software
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
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
Session 2B
Career Architecture: Building a Future-Ready Workforce Through Structure, Skills, and Strategy
Ryan Southern | Organizational Dev. Director, Freese & Nichols
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
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
7:00 PM
Magical Citywalk Tavern Tour
Renew old acquaintances and make new ones – an always popular event!
*OR choose a dine around option
7:00 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.
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
Approaches to Nurture Successors and Elevate Leadership
Emily White | Talent Development Manager, Timmons Group
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
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.
