ACEC Reclaims “Consulting” In Its Name

At its annual general meeting in Whistler on June 29, the Association of Canadian Engineering Companies (ACEC) adopted a new name. It is the second time the association has changed its name in two years.

The organization will now be called the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies -Canada (ACEC-Canada). In French the name is l’Association des firmes d’ingnieurs-conseils -Canada (AFIC-Canada).

From its inception in 1925, ACEC stood for the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, but in 2007 it changed to emphasize the “companies” as opposed to the “consulting” role of its member firms. The new name for ACEC -Canada, manages to combine both “consulting” and “engineering companies.”

Most of the provincial associations such as in Alberta and Quebec have remained as organizations of “consulting engineers,” so it will be interesting to see if they now incorporate “companies” into their names.

Andy Robinson, P. Eng. of Ottawa is the 2009-2010 Chair of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) -Canada in June. Robinson is president of Robinson Consultants of Ottawa.

In August, ACEC appointed John Gamble, P. Eng., to be its new President and Chief Operating Officer. Gamble has been president of Consulting Engineers of Ontario for the last eight years. Previously he managed government affairs for Professional Engineers Ontario, worked as policy advisor to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and for Gore & Storrie (now CH2M Hill).

Gamble takes over from Jeff Morrison, who left ACEC in June.