ACEC Houston

10/05/2026

A new agency in northeast Harris County hopes to reduce flooding in the vulnerable neighborhoods around Lake Houston by dredging the lake and the San Jacinto River that feeds it, removing built-up sediment that has worsened repeated floods. By routinely reducing these buildups, the new Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District could increase the capacity of the river and lake, lessening the kind of damage that occurred during Hurricane Harvey, when floodwaters spilled over the riverbanks and into thousands of homes. The Legislature created the dredging district last year to help keep the worst disasters from striking again.

A new agency in northeast Harris County hopes to reduce flooding in the neighborhoods around Lake Houston by dredging local waterways to remove sediments that have worsened repeated floods.

10/05/2026

Harris County has received a one-year extension to use federal funds for delayed post-Hurricane Harvey flood bond projects.
A Harris County Flood Control District report earlier this year revealed that several of the county’s disaster relief flood projects — which were authorized by voters in 2018 as part of a $2.5 billion bond — would not meet a state-imposed deadline early next year. Harris County will now have up until the 2028 deadline to complete the projects. Before the extension was granted, Harris County was on track to miss six of 11 flood mitigation projects facing funding deadlines early next year — jeopardizing more than $245 million.

A Harris County Flood Control District report earlier this year revealed that several of the county's disaster relief flood projects -- which were authorized by voters in 2018 as part of a $2.5 billion bond -- would not meet a state-imposed deadline early next year.

09/30/2026

Thank you to all those who participated in our H-GAC/TxDOT Workshop. We appreciate our many government and agency partners who attended.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council and Texas Department of Transportation spent a lot of time preparing thoughtful and detailed presentations describing their respective roles in the project development process. The information provided by Ron Papsdorf, Executive Director, H-GAC, Glenn Allbritton, Houston District Director, TxDOT, and their teams proved very valuable to the technical professionals and municipal leaders in attendance. We all hope to work better together to build the best transportation infrastructure possible in a timely manner and look forward to our continuing partnership.

Additional thanks to speakers:
▪️ Allie Isbell, AICP, Director of Transportation Planning and Delivery at H- GAC
▪️ Grady Mapes, Director of Transportation Planning and Development at TxDOT
▪️ Vishu Lingala, Program Manager on the Project Selection and Programming Team at H-GAC
▪️ Danielle Johnson-Robinson, Local Government Coordinator in the Transportation Programs Division at TxDOT
▪️ Stephan Gage, AICP, Planner IV at TxDOT
▪️ Sagnik Raha, P.E., Manager, Project Delivery Program at H-GAC
▪️ Cynthia Rodriguez, Contract Specialist at TxDOT
▪️ Scott Houston, Of Counsel, Bovey & Cochran, PLLC

09/23/2026

Many thanks to Zaid Abuhamdeh, P.E., PMP®, and Matthew Dorsey for presenting Geopier, a division of CMC, to our Geotechnical Committee today. We enjoyed learning about this ground improvement solution and its applications in our industry. Continued thanks to Sanjeev Sanjeevan, PE, Chair, and Donna Adams, Vice Chair, for leading this committee.

09/22/2026

This year's ACEC Houston Emerging Leaders Program is underway after a successful orientation last week. Many thanks to Bob Jones for sharing the history of the organization and to Trevor Moore, P.E., Chair, and Michael Hrncir, Vice Chair, for leading the program.

Welcome to this year's class:
Ethan Condiff, P.E.; BGE, Inc.
Thirumal (Reddy) Edulakanti; HDR
Mostafiz Emtiaz, PE; RRP Consulting Engineers LLC
Paul Evans, P.E.; AECOM
Maire Kelley, P.E.; Walter P Moore
Golam Mohiuddin, P.E., CFM, ENV SP, LGPP; Garver
Masih Mujadidi, P.E., PMP; Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
Nicholas Mumme, P.E.; Cobb, Fendley & Associates, Inc.
Larry Nguyen, P.E.; Odyssey Engineering Group, LLC
Kamal Qaiser, PE, CFM; Michael Baker International
Hannah Rietveld, P.E.; Kimley-Horn
Fred Signorelli, P.E.; EHRA Engineering
Micah Thoms, PE, MBA; AtkinsRéalis

09/21/2026

What a wonderful presentation by Dr. Dawn Buckingham, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office (GLO), at our Chapter Membership Meeting on September 18th! Dr. Buckingham discussed her roles and duties as Texas Land Commissioner and how they impact Houston, Harris County, and the region. The Land Commissioner is vital to Texans recovering from disasters and to the health of our coast. The General Land Office also defends Texas’ rich history, the oil and gas industry, and our national border with Mexico, and serves as the chief steward of 13 million acres of state land. Oil and gas revenue from mineral rights on these lands funds education and many veteran programs. Thank you, Dr. Buckingham, for an informative and entertaining meeting.

09/21/2026

Houston Council Member Alejandra Salinas (At-Large Position 4) joined our Government Affairs Committee (GAC) meeting last Friday. Interviewed by Emily Anderson, GAC Chair, Council Member Salinas provided thoughtful, candid answers about her experience on council, her priorities, the budget, and the way forward on the city’s infrastructure challenges. We appreciate her lifetime of service to the community and her willingness to partner with us to efficiently build the best infrastructure possible.

09/08/2026

It's easier to come back from a long weekend when your week kicks off with a presentation from Brian Mason, PMP, Director and Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management and Executive Director of Houston TranStar. Many thanks to Brian for sharing a recap of the planning, ex*****on, and lessons learned from hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with our Transportation Committee.

09/03/2026

As Texas Land Commissioner, Dr. Buckingham defends Texas’ rich history, the oil and gas industry, and our national border with Mexico, and serves as the chief steward of 13 million acres of state land. The oil and gas revenue generated by mineral rights on these lands funds education and many veteran programs. The Land Commissioner is also vital to Texans recovering from disasters and to the health of our coast. Dr. Buckingham will discuss her roles and duties as Texas Land Commissioner and how they impact Houston, Harris County, and the region.

09/02/2026