Another Great Deep South Convention in the Books

The 2026 Deep South Convention was another successful event and a great reminder of what makes this event so special. For three days, engineering professionals and their famlies from across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi came together to learn from one another, strengthen relationships, and have a little fun along the way. The combination of outstanding educational programming, networking opportunities, and fellowship continues to make the Deep South Convention one of my favorite events of the year.

The transportation program was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the convention. A huge thank you goes to LADOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet for being a part of an outstanding lineup of transportation leaders that included Alabama Chief Engineer Ed Austin, Arkansas Chief Engineer Jessie Jones, and Mississippi Executive Director Brad White. Hearing each state's vision for the future of transportation, project delivery, infrastructure funding, and collaboration with the consulting engineering community made for an informative and engaging discussion. The willingness of these leaders to share ideas and best practices is exactly what makes this regional partnership so valuable. You can check out the full speaker list and their presentations here.

This year's convention also saw tremendous attendance, especially from Louisiana. Our member firms showed up in a big way, helping make this one of the best-attended Deep South Conventions in recent years. That level of participation speaks volumes about the value our members place on building relationships across state lines and staying engaged on the issues impacting our profession.

Of course, none of this happens without the incredible support of our sponsors. Their commitment allows us to continue delivering a first-class convention year after year, and we cannot thank them enough for their investment in ACEC and the engineering industry.

And it wouldn't be Deep South without a little friendly competition. The ACEC PAC Cornhole Tournament was once again a crowd favorite, and this year Louisiana completely dominated the competition by sweeping first, second, and third place. Bragging rights are officially staying in the Bayou State until next year.

As we close the book on another fantastic convention, we are already looking ahead to 2027. We hope you'll make plans to trade tides for trails as the Deep South Convention heads to beautiful Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia. You won't want to miss it!