ACCE COMMITTEES
Board Committees:
Please refer to Board of Trustees for full list of officers and members.
The ACCE Leadership Criteria for the Board of Trustees and all Committees can be viewed HERE.
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The following Committees report to the Board. For a complete committee roster and more details, CLICK the committee name.
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Accreditation Committee
Chair: Dr. Chris Gordon
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Vice Chair: Dr. John Schaufelberger
University of Washington
Vice Chair: Dr. Rod Stutt
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
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The Accreditation Committee considers the accreditation reports and other pertinent materials submitted in connection with the accreditation of an academic program. The Accreditation Committee is also responsible for the development and maintenance, subject to Board of Trustees' acceptance, of ACCE's accreditation procedures, and for visitor training and qualification. Its key responsibility, however, is for recommending accreditation actions to the Board of Trustees - i.e., initial accreditation, continuance or reinstatement of accreditation and revocation or suspension of accreditation.
Finance Committee
Chair: Professor Michael Anderson
California State University, Sacramento
Vice Chair: Mr. Dave Woods
The Beavers Charitable trust
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The Finance Committee shall be responsible for preparation and submission of an annual budget; development and execution of an annual plan for funding the budget; oversight of the budget; preparation and maintenance of a five-year budget projection; and maintenance of the financial records of ACCE.
Leadership Development Committee
Chair: Mr. Charlie Roesset
Simpson Strong Tie
Immediate Past Board of Trustees Chair
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The Leadership Development Committee's purpose is to develop future leaders of ACCE by helping them become committee chairs, vice chairs, Trustees and Officers. This Committee may also assist in nominating persons to those positions for Board approval.
Standards Committee
Chair: Dr. Charles Berryman
Louisiana State University
Vice Chair: Dr. Souhail Elhouar
Bradley University
Vice Chair: Dr. Tammy McCuen
University of Oklahoma
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The Standards Committee shall be responsible for the preparation of the criteria and standards upon which all programs in construction education seeking accreditation or re-accreditation by ACCE will be evaluated, in particular Document 103. All proposed changes in standards and criteria relating to construction education programs shall be sent to the administrators of ACCE accredited programs for comment by program faculty, students, or administrators (allowing an appropriate period of time for comment) prior to final adoption by the Board.
Council of Chairs
Chair: Geno Hogan
American Institute of Constructors
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The Council of Chairs will make personal contact with the program leader and Visiting Team Chair soon after each site visit to determine best practices and identify any issues that occurred during the preparation for and conduct of the site visit.
The Council of Chairs has the following responsibilities: review the accreditation process and make recommendations for improving the process with emphasis on the quality, consistency, and timing of team visits and Visiting Team Reports; make recommendations to promote the consistent interpretation of ACCE standards; and make recommendations on the training and other qualifications necessary for service as a Team Chair or Team Member.
Construction Workforce Education (CWE) Committee
Chair: Mr. Bill Good
Roofing Alliance
Vice-Chair: Dr. Mostafa Khattab
MCA Academic Advisor
Vice-Chair: Mr. Charlie Roesset
Simpson Strong-Tie
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The ACCE Board of Trustees created a new Construction Workforce Education Committee in 2020 with the goal of developing an accreditation program for construction workforce programs, such as apprenticeship programs, to recognize the importance of those programs in the realm of construction education.
Dr. Mostafa Khattab and Dave Davia from the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association worked tirelessly to develop the standards and documents needed to establish the first accreditation visit, which resulted in accreditation being bestowed on the Western States College of Construction, an organization that comprises five different apprenticeship programs in Colorado and Wyoming.
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Marketing & Communication Committee
Chair: Ms. Erin Vitale
Alfred State College
Vice Chair: Ms. Shelley Smith
Texas A&M University
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The Marketing and Communications Committee serves ACCE by developing a marketing plan, strategies, guidelines and overseeing consistent, effective communication aligned with the ACCE mission and the branding message of ACCE. This includes ACCE-branded communications to the membership, committees, and external audiences. The committee provides all ACCE committees with assistance and oversight where needed in creating marketing and communications materials: print, email, signage and merchandise. The committee maintains the ACCE Marketing Plan which is updated every three years (3), and oversees updates and revisions to the ACCE website as needed. The committee coordinates with ACCE staff regarding usage of the resources in the annual ACCE budget approved by the Board of Trustees.
Executive Committee:
Committee Chair: Dr. Khalid Siddiqi
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for conducting routine business on behalf of the Board during the period of time between the meetings of the Board and any other matters the Board may delegate to the Executive Committee during any regular or special meeting of the Board. This Committee specifically oversees the roles and actions of all Special Committees and is not required to bring any actions from those committees to the Board for approval other than for changes in the budget, policies, or accreditation standards.
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Special Committees:
These Committees report directly to the Executive Committee.
Awards & Scholarships Committee
Chair: Ms. Karima Simmons
NAHB/National Housing Endowment
Vice Chair: Shelly Smith
Texas A&M University
The Committee shall be responsible for all ACCE fundraising activities, exclusive of the normal income realized from membership dues of all categories, accreditation fees, attendance fees, and investment income.
Training Committee
Chair: Dr. Al Bleakley
Florida Institute of Technology
Vice Chair: Dr. Jason Peshel
Washington State University
Vice Chair: Dr. Jacob Kovel
Central Connecticut State University
The Training Committee shall be responsible for structuring appropriate training for Registered Visitors, Educators and Visiting Team Chairs.
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Guidance Committee
Chair: Dr. Robert Ries
University of Florida
Vice-Chair: Dr. Francois Jacobs
University of Wyoming
Vice-Chair: Dr. John Tingerthal
Northern Arizona University
The Guidance Committee has the following responsibilities: providing a system of advisory services for construction education programs, including those programs seeking accreditation by ACCE and those already accredited; preparing guidelines and documents with which a program will effect a self-evaluation study that will be an integral part of the ACCE accreditation process, in particular ACCE Document 102; recommending to the Executive Committee such changes as may be needed to improve these materials on a scheduled basis; developing and maintaining rules governing the selection and conduct of ACCE recognized mentors; assisting the President in the maintenance of the list of recognized mentors; identifying programs that are potential candidates for ACCE accreditation; and assigning mentors to new candidate programs.
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Professional Development Committee
Chair: Marty Garza
AGC Education Foundation
Vice Chair: Ms. Stephanie Heumann
Louisiana State University - BS
Vice Chair: Dr. Dimitar Todorov
Utica University
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The Professional Development Committee is responsible for guiding the Council's interests in providing recognition for non-degree, career-related education programs. This effort is to recognize the providers and programs which have a quality process and content aimed at providing education other than skills training; it is not aimed at degree-granting programs.
The committee will develop the requirements for professional development certification by evaluating any application and making recommendations to the Executive Committee for certification. The Committee will be made up of a committee chair and members from industry and educator professionals who have a specific interest in post-secondary, professional development.
Industry Liaison Committee
Chair: Mr. Paul Mattingly
American Institute of Constructors
Vice- Chair: Mr. Scott Couper
CIAC - LSU
Vice-Chair: Geno Hogan
American Institute of Constructors
The Industry Liaison Committee is to serve as a liaison between the construction industry and the ACCE in order to provide a stronger relationship and input from this important constituency.
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Candidate Application Screening Committee
Chair: Dr. Chris Gordon
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Vice- Chair: Dr. John Schaufelberger
University of Washington, Retired
The Candidate Application Screening Committee is tasked to review and evaluate Accreditation and/or Certification Candidate programs prior to taking next steps.
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Caucuses:
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The caucus is a forum for like-minded people to discuss current issues in construction education and exchange best practices that advance construction education.
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Baccalaureate Degree Program Directors Caucus
Chair: Dr. Jerry Gao
North Dakota State University
Associate Degree Program Directors Caucus
Chair: Mr. Greg Kelly
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Industry Caucus
Chair: Joy Svoboda
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Additional Taskforces
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International Programs Taskforce
Chair: Dr. Richard Burt
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CIP Taskforce
Chair: Dr. Chris Gordon
ACCE STAFF
Home Office
300 Decker Drive
Suite 330
Irving, TX 75062
972-600-8800
Steve Nellis
President/CEO
Steve Nellis joined American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) as President/CEO in May 2019. He has had an active role in the ACCE since 2003 when he was selected as the National Association of Home Builders representative to the ACCE Board of Trustees. In the ensuing years, Steve served on various ACCE Committees and Visiting Teams to verify the reaccreditation of Construction Management Degree programs. Elected Vice-Chair of the ACCE Board of Trustees in 2007, he became Board Chair in2009-2011. Steve is dedicated to supporting and promoting construction management education for the benefit of industry and academia. ACCE is flourishing under his steadfast guidance.
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Steve brings more than 40 years of experience in management for professional construction firms and industry associations. This includes executive-level leadership in operations and human resources roles for the publicly traded firms Centex Homes and Waypoint Homes. Steve also founded a home building company specializing in sustainably constructed, energy-efficient homes and has operated a construction management and consulting firm. Steve’s past clients include the National Housing Endowment, The Home Builders Institute, Cambridge Homes, and Highlander Training Center.
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Steve earned his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Building Construction Management from Michigan State University and a Master’s in Construction Management (MCM) from East Carolina University.
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When Steve is not working on his construction projects, he spends time with his wife, Tammy, and their Standard Poodle named Magic and Labrador Retriever named Leda. Steve is an avid fan of the Detroit sports teams and his alma mater, Michigan State University (selected as Distinguished Alumnus in 2009). Steve also enjoys bowling, playing racquetball, and learning new technology.
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Dr. Sherry Miller
Manager of Accreditation, Certification & Membership
Dr. Sherry Miller is a higher education executive respected as an expert in curriculum development, accreditation, and compliance. She joined ACCE in December 2021 as the Accreditation, Certification, and Membership (ACM) Manager.
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Sherry has more than a decade of experience in Higher Education Administration. Most of her tenure was at St. George’s University in Grenada as the Associate Director of Curricular and Student Assessment and Institutional Analytics. She has also worked as a senior growth and strategy analyst and has recently been an independent accreditation consultant.
Dr. Miller holds multiple degrees, including a doctorate in Education from the University of New England. She attended Louisiana State University as an undergraduate and earned a graduate degree as an LSU Tiger. She then obtained two additional graduate degrees from Abilene Christian.
Sherry lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband, Mike. Together they have two children. They enjoy LSU sports, and they love to travel!
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