Schnabel in the Industry: Schnabel & ACEC

Advocating for the Business of Engineering

The strength of the engineering profession depends not only on technical expertise, but also on ensuring the business environment supports firms in delivering solutions that improve lives. At Schnabel Engineering, we believe that advocating for the profession, supporting sound business practices, and giving back through service are key to advancing the industry—which is why our employee-owners are actively involved in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

ACEC’s Role in Advancing the Profession

ACEC is the business voice of America’s engineering industry, representing nearly 5,500 firms and more than 600,000 professionals nationwide. Its mission is to strengthen the business environment for engineering companies so they can provide the essential services that shape the built environment—transportation systems, water infrastructure, buildings, and energy networks that support communities and economic growth.

Through advocacy, education, and research, ACEC works to ensure that engineering companies are positioned to deliver innovative, resilient, and sustainable solutions. Its values—integrity, professionalism, inclusion, innovation, and stewardship—reflect the spirit of service at the core of the industry and resonate with Schnabel’s own culture of leadership and commitment to the profession.

A Brief History of ACEC

ACEC traces its roots to 1905, when the Association of Architectural Engineers was founded in New York City to promote the business interests of consulting engineers. Over time, the organization evolved alongside the profession, with state associations forming across the country and eventually merging in 1973 to become the American Consulting Engineers Council. In 2000, the name was changed to the American Council of Engineering Companies, reflecting its broad, firm-based membership and multidisciplinary scope.

Today, ACEC is a federation of 51 state and regional member organizations with a strong national presence in Washington, D.C. Its work includes policy advocacy, political action through ACEC/PAC, leadership training, research through the ACEC Research Institute, and the industry’s premier awards program—the Engineering Excellence Awards.

Schnabel’s Stewards in ACEC

Schnabel’s legacy of involvement in ACEC is demonstrated by the many employee-owners who have taken on leadership roles at both the state and national levels. Among them, three Schnabel leaders—Ray DeStephen (2010–2011), Paul Diggs (2016–2017), and Chadd Yeatts (2023–2024)—have served as Presidents of ACEC Virginia, while Paul Wasser has spent more than a decade serving ACEC of Idaho, including terms as President and National Director. Together, their contributions reflect Schnabel’s enduring commitment to stewardship, advocacy, and advancing the profession.

Chadd Yeatts: Championing Advocacy and Stewardship

Schnabel’s National Power and Energy Services Leader, Chadd Yeatts, has been engaged with ACEC Virginia for more than a decade, holding roles ranging from Membership Committee Chair to President, and most recently serving as National Director. His tenure as ACEC Virginia President in 2023–2024 built on the legacy of past Schnabel leaders and reinforced the firm’s active role in state-level advocacy.

Chadd also chaired ACEC Virginia’s PAC for two and a half years and currently leads the new Power & Energy Committee while serving on ACEC National’s Energy Committee.

For Chadd, advocacy has always been at the heart of ACEC’s mission. He highlights the organization’s steadfast defense of Qualifications Based Selection (QBS), which ensures that engineering services are awarded based on expertise rather than low bids. “Independent studies show projects completed under QBS procurement result in fewer change orders, lower costs, and faster schedules,” he explains. “Protecting this process is critical to both our industry and public safety.”

Chadd has also helped shape ACEC Virginia’s efforts to secure infrastructure funding, support dam safety regulations, and protect professional licensure. He emphasizes the importance of engineers meeting directly with lawmakers. “Policies that affect infrastructure and public safety should be driven by experts,” he says. “Elected officials welcome our input and often lean on us to help shape legislation.”

For Chadd, ACEC involvement is closely tied to Schnabel’s value of stewardship. “By volunteering our time and expertise for the advancement of the profession—not just our firm—we’re helping society as a whole,” he says.

Paul Diggs: Supporting the Next Generation of Leaders

Paul Diggs, Geoprofessional Services Leader at Schnabel, was encouraged early in his career to get involved in ACEC and went on to serve as Secretary, Vice President, National Director, and ultimately President of ACEC Virginia in 2016–2017. His leadership coincided with pivotal advocacy efforts, particularly around maintaining QBS and strengthening professional licensure laws.

Now, Paul focuses much of his energy on mentoring younger engineers and encouraging them to pursue leadership roles within ACEC. “At this point in my career, stewardship is the core value I most focus on,” Paul reflects. “Supporting younger professionals’ involvement in ACEC helps them grow individually while strengthening the industry as a whole. The relationships I built through ACEC enriched my life, broadened my perspective, and continue to remind me of the importance of service.”

Paul sees Schnabel’s long tradition of ACEC leadership—including Ray DeStephen before him and Chadd Yeatts after—as proof of the firm’s enduring culture of service. “Each generation of Schnabel leaders has found meaningful ways to contribute,” he says. “I’m proud to have been part of that line.”

Paul Wasser: Advancing Infrastructure and Innovation in Idaho

In Idaho, Paul Wasser, Senior Associate Engineer, has spent more than a decade shaping ACEC’s advocacy efforts at both the state and national levels. He has served as President, Past President, and National Director of ACEC of Idaho, while also chairing the Government Affairs Committee and participating in the ACEC-ITD Liaison Committee with the Idaho Transportation Department.

Paul’s focus has been on securing critical infrastructure funding to improve Idaho’s roads, bridges, and water systems. “These investments provide for a safe and efficient transportation system that supports economic growth,” he says. “They also create better career opportunities for engineers in our state.”

At the national level, Paul has supported ACEC’s efforts to restore the R&D tax credit and championed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is expected to require tens of thousands of additional engineers nationwide to deliver federal projects.

For Paul, the connection between ACEC and Schnabel’s values is clear: “My involvement began as a way to give back to the profession. Over time, I’ve seen firsthand the impact engineers can have by working together to advocate for our communities and our industry. Engineering touches every aspect of modern life—safe roads and bridges, clean water, resilient energy systems—and ACEC ensures that we have a seat at the table when decisions about those systems are made.”

Building a Stronger Future Together

From Virginia to Idaho, Schnabel’s employee-owners are helping ACEC strengthen the business of engineering and ensure that the profession continues to thrive. The fact that Schnabel has produced three presidents of ACEC Virginia and a long-serving ACEC Idaho leader underscores a tradition of leadership and service across generations and geographies.

Their collective work demonstrates a powerful truth: engineering firms thrive when their professionals engage beyond projects and into policy, governance, and mentorship. At Schnabel, we see ACEC involvement as an extension of our values—leadership, stewardship, and advancing the profession—not just for our benefit but for the betterment of society.

ACEC’s mission is about more than supporting engineering firms. It is about creating the conditions for engineers to do their best work—designing the systems, structures, and communities that sustain and improve lives. By contributing their time and expertise, Schnabel’s professionals are not only advancing the industry, but also helping build a safer, more resilient, and more sustainable future for everyone.

As Paul Wasser puts it:
“No other profession has the same obligation to safeguard life, health, and property. ACEC provides the platform for engineers to honor that responsibility and ensure our work continues to make the world a better place.”