VHB President and CEO Mike Carragher has been honored with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Presented before industry peers from across the country at the ACEC Fall Conference, the award recognizes Mike’s dedicated service to ACEC and his ongoing contributions to the engineering industry.
Throughout his career, Mike has been a consistent advocate for advancing the industry’s collective knowledge and helping engineering firms adapt and thrive in a changing world. His thoughtful leadership and focus on collaboration have supported progress across the ACEC community and within the broader profession.
As chair of the ACEC Research Institute from 2023–2025, Mike helped guide the Institute’s largest initiative—the Firm of the Future—which brought together more than 70 industry executives to consider what the engineering firm of 2035 might look like. “He saw the need to think long-term and challenge our industry to prepare for the next decade,” said Daphne Bryant, Executive Director of the ACEC Research Institute. “Mike brought people together to think big—and to think forward.”
On behalf of the ACEC Research Institute, Mike also represented the consulting engineering community on a global stage. At the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Forum, he advocated for policies and practices that integrate sustainability into the industry’s projects, operations, and company cultures. He helped elevate the Institute’s Engineering Industry Impact Series—a set of reports that quantify the size, scope, and influence of the U.S. engineering and design services industry while offering insight into future trends.
Mike’s influence extends beyond research and strategy to include passion and purpose. ACEC Past Chair Robin Greenleaf noted, “I think he was the first engineer I heard issue a challenge that we as engineers have the skills, responsibility, and obligation necessary to save the planet. It was a big message—and one that helped me find my own voice on this critical topic.”
In addition, through his service on the Executive Committee of ACEC’s Design Professionals Coalition (DPC), Mike helped advance inclusion and belonging across the profession. Under his leadership, the DPC launched the first industry-wide benchmarking survey and report focused on fostering a more inclusive engineering community.
Reflecting on the recognition, Mike shared, “I’m deeply grateful for this honor and for this community’s shared commitment to lifting one another up—including my colleagues at VHB. I’m proud of the role we play together in advancing our consulting engineering industry in pursuit of improving the quality of life in our firms and our communities.”
Mike’s dedication to preparing for the future extends into higher education as well. He serves on the Board of Trustees at the Wentworth Institute of Technology and previously served on the Advisory Council for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, his alma mater.
The ACEC Distinguished Service Award recognizes Mike’s steady leadership and commitment to collaboration—qualities that continue to strengthen VHB and contribute to a vibrant, forward-looking engineering profession.
