ACEA's New Board President
by Alli Blotter
It’s not a sexy subject, but I also want to focus on fiscal responsibility for the organization. I want to make sure we are being good stewards of the membership dues and other revenue, and make sure it’s being used wisely to benefit our members. I want to leave the organization in a better position after my year as President.”
Dustin’s Backstory
Dustin is an experienced leader and is currently the VP of Land Development at Pape-Dawson Engineers. With over 13 years at the award-winning engineering firm, his land development project experience includes master planned subdivisions, private site development, and utility projects throughout the greater Austin region. His career started in 1998 with a civil engineering degree from Texas Tech, and he encountered various challenges throughout his journey. “I changed companies and joined Pape-Dawson back in 2006, soon after P-D acquired a local Austin firm, Huffcut and Associates. I was already a professional engineer, but relatively new to the land development world. I was looking for an organization to get involved with, and tried out some other civil industry organizations. My boss at the time, Jim Huffcut, was involved with ACEA, and he encouraged me to get involved. It sounded like a good organization to check out. It also helped that the luncheons were held at The County Line BBQ. When I started actively participating in ACEA, it was 2008. As most people remember, it was a very down period in the civil land development industry. It was a difficult time to change career focus into land development, but things soon turned around. I have, for the most part, been extremely busy ever since. Austin and Central Texas have been lucky to have not been hit as hard as other parts of the country during the various downturns.” Making an Impact with ACEA Once Dustin became an active ACEA member, he began exploring the personal and professional benefits of the association. He began getting involved, making connections, and building community. “Being part of ACEA has connected me with so many other engineers, contractors, and associated industry professionals throughout the years. This has led to countless opportunities to collaborate on projects, ask questions, and share information. I heard about a project that ACEA participated in by helping construct a fishing pier for Travis County, and about the scholarship program supported by ACEA. I thought it would be good for me to join the committee to lend a hand in these types of projects. As a committee, we worked on projects that supported Dream of Hopes Ranch, Candlelight Ranch, Austin Dog Alliance, Mainspring School, MLF Community First Village, The Refuge, the Cub Scouts, and others. I eventually helped update the scholarship criteria, and joined the scholarship committee to select recipients entering college for civil engineering and construction. I’ve always been drawn to service and charitable opportunities, whether through church, schools, or service organizations, so joining the Community Involvement Committee (CIC) seemed like it would be a good fit for me. I joined the committee in 2012, and became co-chair the following year, and then lead chair for a few years. One of the newer initiatives of the CIC has been the Construction Expo, which is geared towards high school students interested in the construction industry. This event took a little while to get off the ground, but has become a great outreach event where students get hands-on experience in the civil construction industry. It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s very rewarding being a part of the growth of that program.” In addition to serving on committees, Dustin eventually joined the Board of Directors and has been helping shape ACEA for the past four years. “I was elected to the board in 2020, became Treasurer in 2022, President-Elect in 2023, and President in 2024. Joining the board seemed like the next logical step after being involved in ACEA for years. Being part of the board has been a great experience. Being involved in the leadership of an effective organization, that represents our engineering and construction industry, is very rewarding. It is also a good way to make strong relationships with other board members, which helps with collaboration both in and out of ACEA.” Looking to the Future In addition to building relationships, strengthening community outreach, and focusing on fiscal responsibility, Dustin promotes ACEA events that deliver high value and contribute to membership growth. “There’s a little bit of everything that ACEA offers to existing and prospective members, whether it be social/networking events like golf tournaments and Fish Fry, educational opportunities like the Symposium and luncheons, or regulatory representation within the industry, spearheaded by the Regulatory Committee. There have been great discussions and learning opportunities from the monthly luncheons, and especially the Symposium. I’ve learned a lot being around the other members and the relationships I’ve made with them.” Dustin’s focus on the future also includes exploring how to use technology responsibly. “There is a lot of innovation happening in the industry now, especially with the rise in artificial intelligence (AI). This is in both the engineering and construction realm of the industry. I’m excited to see what innovations come to fruition, and how they can positively advance the goals of our industry. But with these opportunities comes the responsibility to make sure we are protecting the public, environment, and workforce.” Protecting the workforce also includes cultivating a supportive environment for the next generation of young civil engineering and construction professionals. In addition to developing youth opportunities like the Construction Expo and scholarships, Dustin is also passionate about STEM and mentoring students. Dustin is currently the Vice President of Central Texas Discover Engineering. The organization encourages Central Texas K-12 students to explore careers in STEM and provides hands-on engineering activities in classrooms. When it comes to empowering young leaders who are just now entering the industry, Dustin suggests that participation is one of the main keys to success. “Work hard at your job, but also be involved as much as you can in an industry organization like ACEA, with the goal of joining a committee or board. It’s a great learning experience that will help grow your career.” Learn more about Dustin Goss, P.E. and ACEA's Board of Directors. Alli Blotter is an event technology manager and content strategist - AlliBlotter.com Comments are closed.
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December 2024
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