Ken Cressman CCC EVP PMP

AACE International Activities: Ken Cressman has been a member of AACE International since 1980. He is currently serving as the President of the Rocky Mountain Section (RMS) for 2008-2009, and has held the positions of Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer for the RMS in the past. Ken has served as Director-Region 5, Vice President of Regions and Vice President of Technical, Education and Certification (TEC) at the Association level. He was originally certified as a CCE/CCC in 1982, and also is recognized as an Earned Value Professional (EVP) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Mr. Cressman has published articles in Cost Engineering magazine and the Federal Facilities Environmental Journal. He is a co-author of chapters in both the Engineer’s Cost Handbook and Hazardous Waste Cost Control, published by AACE International.

Mr. Cressman has taught project management/project controls courses for various organizations and companies, including the University of California-Irvine and the University of Colorado-Denver.

Ken has 30 years of experience in cost engineering, project control, project management and estimating in a variety of industries including engineering, procurement and construction, design-build, environmental, water/waste water treatment, aerospace, mining and oil & gas. He is the EVMS Manager for Environmental Chemical Corporation (ECC), and is responsible for training, design and implementation of the Earned Value Management System for ECC’s government programs/projects. Ken has worked on all phases of the project life cycle: Proposal Preparation, Planning/Organizing, Budgeting, Scheduling, Reporting, Managerial Analysis, Baseline Change Control and Project Closeout.


Goals and Objectives: The MEMBERS of AACE International are the “life-blood” of our organization. I view the organizational hierarchy of AACE International as an inverted triangle, with the AACEI Board of Directors on the bottom and the MEMBERS at the top. In my opinion, the missions of AACE International and the Technical, Education and Certification (TEC) Committees are to provide the services and products to our MEMBERS in order to meet their needs and expectations. Again, in my opinion, the AACEI Board of Directors must provide the VISION, LEADERSHIP and DIRECTION to be able to meet the above.

So how do WE set ourselves apart from the other professional organizations that are out there competing with us? If every organization is pushing the use of “Best Practices”, and every company is using them, then doesn’t “Best Practice” = “Average”? What is the next step or quantum leap over and above “Best”? “Very Best”? “Really Best”? “Best-Best”? WE, as an organization, need to figure out the answer to this question so that AACEI can continue to thrive and grow. Have WE been doing that in recent years, or have WE been satisfied with the status quo?

As VPTEC, I will closely work with and challenge the TEC Committees to achieve the following:

• Technical - WE need to expand and continue to improve our technical products within AACE so that they truly add value and meet our MEMBER’S expectations and needs. One thing that sets us apart from other professional organizations is the fact that our technical standards, practices and guides are truly “hands-on”. Other professional organizations tout their framework, but AACEI provides the practical, readily implementable tools to succeed in managing and controlling projects. The TCM Framework provides the skeleton of our Technical Program; WE need to continue to add the flesh and bones to that skeleton.
  
  
• Education - AACE needs to continue to provide training for all facets of our MEMBERSHIP, from the new college graduates to the project controls “veterans”. WE need to also provide mentoring and training opportunities in order to be able to train and grow the next generation of Cost Engineering, Project Controls and Project Management professionals.
  
  
• Certification - OUR Certification Program was among the first, and it still needs to be recognized as the “Best-Best”. Once a MEMBER has passed one of our certification exams, he/she is fully prepared to apply and use the Skills and Knowledge in real life, on real projects. WE need to continue to push for certifications that do this, and to make sure our MEMBERS, and the organizations they work for, fully understand this fact.

Mike Pritchett CCE CEP

AACE International Activities:
Local Level Activities:

• Member since 1999, Certified CCE in 2001
• President Atlanta Section 2006
• Also served as section vice president and membership director
• I have proctored certification exams

• Currently completing my second year as Director Region 3
• Currently serving on the International Marketing Committee.
• Served on the Estimating Certification Task Force
• Served on the Education Board for three years. One year as co-chair.
• While on the Ed board I functioned as the Editor for the Third Edition of the Certification Study Guide.

• Celebrating 22 years with Faithful + Gould. My present position is Managing Director of the Atlanta office.
• I have over 32 years of experience; both in the design build side, as well as the consulting side of the construction industry.
• My main focus over the last 25 years has been pre-construction services and project controls.
• I received my BS degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Southern Technical Institute in 1976.

• Work with the chairs of each Associate Board to identify their top three concerns and work out a plan of action with them to deliver solutions in a timely manner.
  
  
• As we have launched several new certifications I want to work with the Certification chair to ensure that the Cert board has the resources necessary to process and grade the examinations efficiently, enlist volunteers to write questions and have enough reviewers for the applicant’s papers.
  
  
• Work with the Executive Director to review the procedures, staffing needs and equipment available for processing the multitude of exams.
  
  
• The launching of specialty certifications via task force has taken us out of the traditional TEC (writes the technical topic, develop educational material and certify on the topic). I want to work with the Ed Board chair identify the boards needs to deliver additional certification study guides, update Skills and Knowledge and continue with the translation of materials into the specified languages.
  
  
• Work with all three boards to align materials and testing with the TCM Framework
  
  
• Elevate the awareness of the general membership of the resources, capabilities and successes of the TEC associate boards.