The 2024 Election Slate of Candidates Announced

Dathan Beasley has been engaged with AACE for nearly three decades. He is a seasoned director of project controls with over 27 years of experience in managing projects spanning four continents and nine sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in tech management. Dathan launched into project controls with Bechtel, where he was selected to oversee mega-projects in some of the world's most volatile regions, including Iraq, in the early 2000s. Dathan later moved over to the owner’s side of program management and is now with an international consultancy, Turner & Townsend.

As a director at T&T, Dathan manages seven teams and mentors multiple project controls/cost management teams and project managers worldwide. Dathan maintains a stellar reputation for delivering successful projects and systematically rates as “Exceeding Expectations” in client surveys. He has been involved with 11 AACE sections globally and is president of the Houston Gulf Coast Section. Dathan credits his association with AACE for providing essential insights, networks, and industry knowledge, propelling his career.

As president-elect, Dathan aims to centralize the purpose of AACE to “empower its members to perform with confidence” by:

• Increasing awareness of AACE globally, especially with universities, governments, and international organizations (including NGOs and NPOs).
• Expanding the membership base, enhancing member benefits, and the accessibility of those benefits.
• Maximizing opportunities for interface between younger members who are eager to learn and experienced practitioners who are interested in cementing their professional legacy. And,
• Advancing AACE as our industry's universally recognized peak association through strategically promoting the AACE body of knowledge, certifications, recommended practices, and unique platform for collaborating to develop worldwide best practices.

Dathan is grateful to AACE for the guidance and opportunities it has provided him in his career and is highly motivated to “give back more” to AACE by cementing similar opportunities for others globally.

Michael joined AACE in 2002 and became involved through the New Jersey Section. After several roles on the NJ Section Board (learning about AACE!) he was elected section president in 2008 for three terms and again in 2013 for seven terms. In 2019, he served on the NE Symposium Committee and was elected Region 2 Director in 2020, where he was then chair of the 2022 Northeast Symposium. Over these years, he also served on the Certification Board, presented at sections, regionally, and at the annual Conference & Expos, and achieved CCP and PSP certifications.

He was given the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors in 2022 when he was elected Director-at-Large, where he learned of the challenging work that has been accomplished, including developing the AACE strategic plan that continues to be implemented. Through all his AACE involvement, the people he met have been the highlight of his experience.

Outside of AACE, Michael graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) in mechanical engineering and has an MBA from Monmouth University (NJ). He started his career as a gas utility engineer and has been a consultant in construction claims and disputes for the past 20 years. He is a managing director for J.S. Held in New York City. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer and certified PMP, a past board member of the NJ Society of Professional Engineers, serving a term as president, and a long-time coach and chief umpire of his local Little League baseball organization.

If elected, he will champion AACE’s lead as the premier professional society, ensure continued implementation of its strategic plan, and support the tremendous contributions and efforts from its boards, committees, sections, headquarters staff, and all its members. He wants to ensure members get opportunities through the continued growth and purpose of the organization, which cannot be taken for granted. Specifically,

• Support AACE members' professional and technical development and encourage and enable opportunities within the Association.
• Continue support to sections and headquarters during the ongoing section organizational transition, including working through the diverse challenges each section faces.
• Facilitate the worldwide growth of AACE, recognizing and addressing challenges, like language and economic considerations, faced by members and sections.
• Promote certifications and the elevation of credentials within industry and government.
• Continue to advance recommended practices and the abundant outstanding technical resources AACE members have developed.

• Project controls manager with 30 years of experience in the infrastructure, oil and gas, mining, energy, and construction industries.
• Supports mega projects worldwide and works with world-class international construction contractors.
• Has been project controls manager for major EPCM firms, overseeing project controls teams across North America.
• Currently an associate with Hatch Ltd. (18 years).
• Civil Engineering degree from Memorial University, master’s degree in leadership, Certified Cost Professional (AACE CCP), Professional Engineer and Responsible Member (APEGGA, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta).
• In addition to a technical engineering background, has extensive knowledge of project planning and delivery, estimate development, cost management, scheduling, progress measurement, and status reporting.
• Has a passion for project controls, active in the local Calgary-Chinook Section of AACE since 2001.
• 2014-2016: President of AACE Canada (Regional Director 1), overseeing 10+ Canadian sections and serving on the International AACE Board.
• 2020-2021: VP Membership, North America, AACE International Board.
• 2021–2022: Membership Advisory Committee (MAC) Chair, North America, AACE International Board.
• 2022-2024: Treasurer, AACE International Board and the AACE Certification Institute Board.
• Collaborates with industry professionals and university professors to provide training in project controls and AACE certification training across North America (3Targets.com).
• A mom of two active teenage boys.

Goals/Objectives:

• As this would be her second term as treasurer, she wants to continue to oversee the organization's financial operations.
• Ensure budgeting and spending align with the association’s strategic plan.
• Participate in financial reviews/audits.
• Ensure compliance and offer recommendations as appropriate.
• Seek board approval on financial matters.
• Continue to support the growth and evolution of the association.

With a career spanning over 18 years, Shoaib has managed multi-billion-dollar Mega CAPEX and refurbishment projects across diverse sectors, including infrastructure, utilities, rail, power, and oil & gas. His skills encompass capital and business planning, accounting, project and program controls management, risk management, financials, estimation, schedule, document control, quality management, performance management, and EVM.

He has seamlessly integrated corporate vision with tangible outcomes, empowering and developing individuals, processes, and technology. He has navigated teams of diverse nationalities across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, handling complex multidisciplinary projects within the private and public-private partnership (P3) sectors. Collaborating with government bodies and multilateral funding agencies, he consistently delivered excellence.

A motivator and strategic team player, he brings a results-driven attitude. His communication prowess and influencing and negotiation skills have been instrumental in driving projects forward. He employs design thinking to unravel complexities, coupled with a corporate focus aligning with a robust results-oriented approach.

His qualifications include a background in mechanical engineering, PMP® certification, agile and scrum expertise, Lean Practitioner proficiency, an MBA specializing in finance and accounting from Edinburgh Business School, and Artificial Intelligence Leadership training from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Moreover, he spearheaded the enterprise implementation of Unifier, Ecosys, and Primavera P6 integration to elevate project controls management maturity, enhance project delivery, and forecasting capabilities. His acumen extends to the assimilation of best practices from Project Management Institute (PMI), AACE, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), and GAO (US Govt. Accountability Office) guidelines and standards, with hands-on implementation experience.

Goals/Objectives: 

If elected as Treasurer, his primary goal is to enhance financial resilience and transparency within AACE. He plans to implement advanced financial technologies and predictive analytics to optimize resource allocation and ensure prudent fiscal management. Additionally, he aims to introduce innovative learning methodologies to empower members with financial literacy. Strengthening AACE's financial foundation, he will actively seek and nurture strategic partnerships with new sponsors to secure sustainable support for our initiatives, contributing to the organization's long-term success and excellence.

Ahmed brings over 23 years of hands-on experience in program and project management in complex programs and projects in a wide range of industries as a contractor, consultant, and owner’s representative.

In 2010, Ahmed became a member of AACE, obtained his PSP, and started his volunteering journey. He is the past president of the Calgary Chinook Section, previously serving in various capacities, including director-at-large, communication director, vice-president, and president.

Ahmed is the principal and founder of Full Gain Management Group Ltd. FGMG provides comprehensive services in program and project management, project controls, risk management, schedule development, and audits, as well as PMO support. FGMG is an authorized training partner for project organizations.

With a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a post-graduate certificate in project management, Ahmed is a certified PgMP, PMP, PMI-CP, PMI-ACP, DASSM, DASM, PMO-CC, PMO-CP, and authorized PMI-ATP Instructor.

Ahmed shares his expertise as an adjunct instructor at prestigious institutions such as the University of Alberta (UofA), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and Alpha College for Business and Technology. Ahmed has authored and co-authored new courses for UofA and SAIT, such as “Introduction to Construction Management,” “Evolution of Project Management,” and “Agile Principles and Practices.”

Actively engaged in the project management community, he has been a PMI Standard of Program Management (5th edition) development team member and the PMI Standard consensus committee since 2020. Over the last few years, he served as a co-chair, program director, technical reviewer, and speaker for many professional development conferences.

Goals/Objectives:

• Advocate for AACE and promote the value proposition of AACE’s database of knowledge, resources, and professional certificates to current, former, and potential members.
• Increase membership and raise awareness about AACE across different industries, age groups, regions, and countries.
• Support the AACE International Conference and Expo, in addition to regional conferences fostering opportunities for members to engage, participate, and connect with peers within their region.
• Foster dialogue and exploration into the evolving landscape of the profession, including the impact of technological advancements like AI, ML, and VDC. Introduce new educational opportunities to ensure members stay abreast of the latest developments and acquire relevant skills.

Niyi graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1984. Later, she earned a Master of Science in Construction Management and Economics in 1994 from the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom. She has over 35 years of US and overseas experience in construction and construction management. Over the last 19 years, she has been employed with MBP. Currently, she serves as vice president and service executive within the Consulting Practice Line.

She has been an active member of AACE since 2005 and served as National Capital Section secretary, president, chair for scholarships and college outreach, and board member. She has been actively involved with the Region 2 Symposium. She has served as the Region 2 Director, a member of the AACE Marketing Advisory Committee, and a member of the Ethics Committee at the association level.

She has authored papers and presented at AACE Conference & Expo meetings, at AACE Region 2 Symposia, and at other professional association conferences on topics related to cost management, earned value management and schedule reviews in construction, and cost engineering successes and solutions. She has also authored a chapter in the Construction Law Update on earned value management.

Goals/Objectives:

• Will work closely with others on the Board of Directors to uphold and promote the mission and vision of our association.
• Will support and collaborate with others on the Board of Directors to execute assignments at the President and Board of Directors' request to govern AACE successfully.
• Will support the Board of Directors in improvement and outreach initiatives to grow and sustain our AACE membership through the goals and objectives established by the Board.
• Upon direction by the Board of Directors, she will work with others on the policies and procedures related to the governing and execution of the business of our association.

With over a decade of experience in global construction projects, Avi is a director at Delta Consulting Group, a leader in construction claims and expert witness services. Holding a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a master’s in construction management, his expertise is in expediting project completion and resolving construction delays. He specializes in delay analysis, scheduling, loss of productivity, and damage quantification, using his technical understanding of construction processes to settle conflicts.

In 2014, he immigrated to the USA for his master's degree, demonstrating resilience in building a successful life and career in a new country, similar to many others who do it yearly. This resilience is a defining trait in both his personal and professional life.

Since 2007, he has been involved with AACE. Initially, his involvement was to enhance his project management skills during his bachelor's and later to stand out in the industry. As the Chair of the Rising Professionals Committee (RPC) for the last 4.5 years, he has helped attract younger members to AACE. He played a key role in modernizing the organization, especially during the shift to virtual operations during COVID-19. RPC has helped create opportunities for rising professionals and university students at AACE International.

He is committed to contributing to AACE and the construction industry, using his experience and passion for fostering growth and innovation. His journey showcases a blend of expertise, resilience, and dedication, fueling his aim to influence and develop the construction and project management sectors.

Goals/Objectives: