Section Bulletin

Houston Gulf Coast Section

The 2025–2026 program year was one of the most successful and impactful years to date for the AACE Houston Gulf Coast Section. Through a strong focus on engagement, education, and industry collaboration, the section continued to elevate its presence and deliver meaningful value to its members and the broader project controls community. The momentum built this year reflects the dedication of its volunteers and the continued demand for high-quality project controls content in the region.

The section would also like to recognize Shane Butt for his continued support and contributions throughout the year. Having been actively involved with the section for over a decade, he has been a key advocate for advancing cost engineering and growing the profession. This also marked his final year serving as section treasurer, and the section is grateful for his lasting impact and leadership.

The AACE Houston Gulf Coast Section Project Controls Symposium stood out as a flagship achievement, delivering one of the strongest years in attendance in the section’s history, if not the strongest. Hosted at the University of Houston, the event brought together professionals from across the industry for a full day of technical learning, networking, and collaboration. With a diverse lineup of speakers, a highly engaging lunch panel, and strong sponsor participation, the symposium reinforced its reputation as a premier project controls event and a must-attend experience within the community.

In parallel, the section’s monthly technical meetings had one of their best years ever, with both attendance and engagement at record levels. Each session consistently drew strong participation, reflecting the value members place on staying current with industry trends and best practices. Topics throughout the year ranged from scheduling and estimating to emerging areas such as AI in project controls and human performance risks. The quality of speakers and the relevance of the content contributed to making this one of the most well-attended and impactful technical meeting cycles in recent years.

The Project Controls 101 (PC101) initiative continued to play a key role in developing talent and expanding awareness of the profession. Designed for early- and experienced-career professionals looking to strengthen their foundational knowledge, PC101 provided a comprehensive overview of all aspects of project controls. Sessions covered core disciplines including cost engineering, planning and scheduling, risk management, estimating, and performance measurement. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, the program created a strong learning environment and helped participants better understand how each component contributes to successful project delivery.

The section also remained committed to supporting the next generation through its scholarship program, providing financial assistance to students pursuing careers aligned with project controls. In addition to financial support, the section created opportunities for students to engage with industry professionals, attend events, and gain exposure to real-world applications of project controls. These efforts contribute to building a stronger, more prepared pipeline of future professionals entering the field.

To complement its in-person initiatives, the section significantly expanded its digital presence, with LinkedIn serving as a key platform for engagement and outreach. The section surpassed 220,000 impressions, reached nearly 40,000 professionals, and grew its audience by over 900 new followers, bringing the total to nearly 3,000. This growth was driven by consistent, high-quality content, including speaker features, event promotions, and industry insights, further positioning the section as a leading voice within the global AACE community.

AACE International Houston Gulf Coast Section | LinkedIn

New Zealand Section

The AACE New Zealand section held its first event of 2026 in February, bringing project controls and cost engineering professionals together at The Good Luck Coconut in Auckland.

The evening offered a relaxed setting to network, exchange experiences and knowledge, and set expectations for an active 2026. It included an update on the section’s ongoing activities and plans for the year, with a focus on more in-person catch-ups, monthly webinars, and continued preparation to host the section’s first conference later this year.

Attendees also participated in constructive conversations on schedule, cost, risk, and controls best practices, alongside lightning share-outs featuring three five-minute peer insights (tips, lessons learned, and tools). The evening concluded with a roundtable discussion on the impact of AI on the project controls profession, exploring how emerging AI capabilities may influence workflows, decision-making, and day-to-day practice.

Rocky Mountain Section

The AACE Rocky Mountain Section hosted a technical presentation in January titled "Impact Damages: Fact, Fiction, and the Line Between Them," held at the HDR Downtown Denver office.

The session was presented by James G. Zack Jr., CCM, CFCC, ECCCS, ECCDA, PMP, FAACE, FGPC, FRICS, FSCCSI, principal of James Zack Consulting, LLC. Zack examined the often-overlooked issue of impact damages, the downstream effects of adverse project events that are not typically addressed in change orders or claim settlements. The presentation explored how impact damages arise on construction projects, common causes of these impacts, and the elements required to establish entitlement, causation, and damages. Attendees also examined the difference between legitimate impact claims and unsupported assertions, gaining practical insight into evaluating and defending impact damage claims.

Following the presentation, attendees gathered to network, providing an opportunity for project controls professionals in the Denver area to connect and continue the discussion.

Seattle Section

On March 19, AACE Seattle launched its first in-person event of 2026 at Hotel Ändra with a well-attended presentation, “Smarter Scheduling: Turning Data into Reliable Project Delivery,” led by Local Section Vice President Jim Jhingan and Ryan Smith of Turner Construction. Bringing a practitioner’s perspective, they offered a forward-looking look at how scheduling is evolving beyond traditional tools like Primavera P6 to better support today’s data-driven project environments.

The presentation focused on three complementary platforms—Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC), SmartPM, and InTakt—and how they work together to create a more integrated scheduling ecosystem. Attendees saw how OPC enhances schedule logic and supports Lean Pull Planning, how SmartPM provides continuous analytics to identify risks and performance trends, and how InTakt connects field-level takt planning with overall project flow. Collectively, these tools demonstrated that improved data visibility, automation, and alignment can drive more predictable, reliable project delivery.

The session sparked strong engagement from Seattle’s scheduling community, with attendees actively discussing topics such as schedule diagnostics, transparency, usability, and integration with broader project controls systems. The lively back-and-forth reflected both the depth of expertise in the room and a shared interest in advancing industry practices.

Beyond the technical content, the event provided a valuable opportunity to reconnect, network, and strengthen the section’s sense of community. Overall, the evening set a strong tone for 2026—combining practical insight, thoughtful discussion, and meaningful connection—with more in-person programming to come.