Strategic planning sits at the center of every successful organization. In our firms, marketers and business developers are often the stewards of that process — facilitating conversations about growth, aligning leadership around priorities, translating vision into actionable initiatives, and ensuring accountability to outcomes. We understand that strategy is not a document in and of itself – it is a disciplined commitment to focusing on the most important actions and decisions that will move our organization forward.

Our 2026–2029 Strategic Plan reflects that discipline. It was not developed in a silo or in a single planning retreat. It is the product of years of dialogue — with chapter leaders, volunteers, past presidents, members, and staff across the country. Through formal surveys, leadership forums, chapter visits, and countless individual conversations, a consistent message emerged: members want stronger connection, clearer value, and a more unified Society experience.

This plan is our response to the opportunities and challenges you have entrusted us to address.

At its core, this plan is driven by a clear aspiration for 2029: fostering an engaged, connected community; elevating the SMPS brand as ONE cohesive Society; preparing the AEC industry for what’s next; and embracing diverse perspectives to elevate the Human Experience in Business®.

What does this mean in practical terms? Three strategic priorities anchor our collective work:

• Strengthening Chapter Support and Alignment – We are committed to deepening the partnership between SMPS HQ, chapters, and volunteer leaders so that we can deliver consistent, meaningful value at every level of engagement.
• Elevating Volunteer and Member Engagement – Engagement isn’t about activity alone; it’s about connection, contribution, and the shared success that comes from learning together and supporting one another’s growth.
• Expanding Membership Value Through Content and Programming – Our role as the Center for Business Growth depends on delivering timely, tailored content and professional development that equips practitioners to lead with confidence and foresight.

These priorities reflect what you’ve told us matters most: the desire for community, the need for career-relevant learning, and the value of experiences that build networks and expertise. But a strategic plan is not a static document – it is a living framework, and its success depends on how we bring it to life together.

Much like individual firms calibrate strategy to market forces, client needs, and competitive realities, SMPS must be equally responsive and forward-thinking. The AEC world continues to evolve rapidly – from technological disruption and shifting ownership models to evolving client expectations and talent dynamics. Our strategic plan is designed not only to meet those challenges but to turn them into opportunities for leadership.

In the coming months, you’ll see this plan reflected in strengthened educational offerings, enhanced volunteer experiences, and new platforms for connection and dialogue. More importantly, you’ll have opportunities to engage in shaping how this strategy translates into real outcomes for our members and chapters.

As your SMPS president, I am energized by what lies ahead. We are positioned not just to adapt, but to lead – with purpose, cohesion, and a shared commitment to excellence. Together, we will make the next chapter of SMPS one defined by growth, relevance, and impact.

Article written by SMPS Board President Benjamin Sawa, FSMPS, CPSM, PMP.

I am filled with gratitude and awe. Over the past year, we have not only honored our legacy but stretched toward our future with boldness, strategy, and unity.

When I began this journey as your Society president last September, I reflected on one simple truth: Progress is rarely perfect. But imperfect doesn’t mean ineffective. In fact, it’s in the small pivots in the moments where we choose progress over perfection that we’ve made our greatest impact.

Together, we have:

• Forged powerful new alliance partnerships that expand our influence beyond the walls of SMPS and deeper into the industries we serve. We partnered with the ACE Mentor Program of America—an investment in the next generation of A/E/C talent—and joined the Engineering Workforce Consortium through ACEC, ensuring SMPS has a seat at the table in shaping the future of our profession.
• Acquired ElevateHER, solidifying our commitment to advancing equity and representation in the A/E/C industry and positioning SMPS as a leader in leadership development and promoting the human experience.
• Elevated chapter engagement and leadership support, making sure our volunteers aren’t just equipped but empowered and deeply appreciated.
• Continued to advance the discussion around artificial intelligence, equipping our members with real-world tools, thought leadership, SMPS Foundation research, and strategic partners that make SMPS the go-to resource in the A/E/C industry.
• Modeled alternative approaches to leadership opportunities, by working with the Society board and HQ in how we approached engaging the leaders of tomorrow.

I had the pleasure of visiting with several SMPS chapters this year: SMPS Indiana, Washington, DC, Maryland, Ontario, Northern New England, Inland Empire, and my home chapter Los Angeles. I also attended Pacific Regional and Southwest Regional Conferences, the Pinnacle Experience, and met the incoming chapter presidents at the Chapter Leaders Symposium. I can tell you a lot of great work is happening at the chapter level and there is still more we can do to support member engagement and member success … and we are poised to do just that.

It has been an exciting time for the organization and I’m so thrilled to be able to be on this journey with SMPS members, the Society board, and HQ staff. Member engagement and success has been the driving north star this year. Every decision the board and HQ has made, even the hard ones, was done with SMPS members at the forefront because you are the reason we are here, and you are the reason we volunteer.

We have a lot to be proud of this year. And now, we stand at the threshold of something even greater, as we bring our current strategic plan to a strong, intentional close.

Throughout this year, I’ve asked questions like:
Did you put your oxygen mask on first?
Are you cultivating value—or just collecting moments?
What will your insight inspire?

Our answers, as a Society, have been clear.

We’ve chosen to lead with purpose.
We’ve invested in learning and lifted each other up.
We’ve focused not just on what we do but why it matters.

Let’s celebrate what we’ve accomplished and boldly build what’s next.

Article written by Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM, who is CEO and principal of Geaux Consulting Group. She can be reached at paula@geauxconsultinggroup.com.

I’m an organizer. I’m a planner. It’s not unusual to be booked a month or two in advance not only with appointments, but with tasks I want to complete and reminders to connect with family and friends. So, as Society president, I have newsletter articles planned for the year with the topics I want to cover. This month, I was going to talk about Society business, but an email I received changed everything. The email came from a friend who’s also on a similar journey having started her new business around the same time I started mine. I began reading the email and three words stopped me in my tracks: I see you. Three simple words that can mean so much.

Words matter. We all have the power to lift people up or tear them down with our words. Many times, we don’t even know we’re doing it. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m reminded by the email I received that we are all on different journeys yet there’s much we can do to affirm the people in our lives with just a few words. I’m also reminded it’s okay to take time for self-care and to focus on mental well-being. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the more we normalize conversations around mental well-being and prioritize our mental health, the more our physical and emotional well-being improves.

I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve made through SMPS and for being part of an organization where our members value each other and take the time to build professional and personal relationships with each other. I see you. Three simple words that can—and do—make a difference.

Article written by Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM, who is CEO and principal of Geaux Consulting Group. She can be reached at paula@geauxconsultinggroup.com.

Pop quiz: What is SMPS’s mission? Our mission is to inspire, engage, and empower A/E/C professionals for leadership and lifelong learning. If you didn’t know it off the top of your head, that’s okay … together we’ll unpack one of the ways the mission is lived within SMPS.

The SMPS mission and our strategic priorities are solidly rooted in creating opportunities for members and future members to learn and grow personally and in the profession. Many of you reading this article know I earned a Ph.D. several years ago. What you may not know is my dissertation focused on active learning pedagogy in the built environment. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, pedagogy is the art, science, or profession of teaching. In a practical sense, pedagogical techniques impart knowledge to learners and consider the interactions that occur during the learning process. So, what does this have to do with SMPS and its mission? Turns out, a lot.

At Amplify A|E|C this past August and in the September/October 2024 issue of the Marketer, we celebrated the newest Certified Professional Services Marketers (CPSM). These 121 individuals joined an experienced group totaling 1,219 CPSMs who are living the SMPS mission and promoting the domains of practice in their firms.

Many of those who sat for the CPSM exam started their journey toward certification as members of a CPSM study group. Study groups promote the ‘each one, teach one’ mindset by utilizing CPSMs who have successfully passed the exam as group leaders. Many study groups are virtual making it easier than ever to participate. Knowledge of the domains of practice is co-created between the study group participants, CPSM group leaders, and within the group through social and verbal interaction.

What if I told you there was a term for this process? Zone of proximal development (ZPD) was coined by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky who is considered the pioneer of learning in social contexts such as study groups. His groundbreaking work and outcomes in the 1920s are still being implemented today. Vygotsky noted the optimal environment for learning is one in which the individual is in dialogue with others and exploring concepts at a level of cogitative development that is just beyond his or her current capacity, knowledge, or skillset. The goal is to eventually elevate our understanding of those concepts. This is the environment created within CPSM study groups. Those who have participated in a CPSM study group have benefited from the ZPD framework to learn the domains of practice outlined in the Markendium books, gained confidence, and mastered the material.

The next window to take the CPSM exam is March 2025. If you are considering sitting for the exam, consider also joining a CPSM Study Group or starting your own. For those who have done so, congratulations! For those who have not, what are you waiting for? Not only will you be building community with fellow SMPSers, but you will also participate in a tried and true approach to teaching and learning that is the cornerstone of SMPS’s mission of inspiring, engaging, and empowering A/E/C professionals for leadership and lifelong learning.

Article written by Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM, who is CEO and principal of Geaux Consulting Group. She can be reached at paula@geauxconsultinggroup.com.

As we start the new fiscal year for SMPS, I want to take the opportunity to share my excitement and vision for the upcoming year. As president, it is my honor to lead the SMPS mission to engage, inspire, and empower A/E/C professionals for lifelong learning. As such, I want to take a moment to talk about a few of the priorities the board and HQ will focus on over the coming year.

We will continue to move the strategic plan priorities forward. Those priorities include investing in digital transformation to deliver community and education wherever people live and work, cultivating professionals with diverse expertise that are critical to sustaining a thriving industry, and creating a best-in-class experience for professionals responsible for business growth.

Building alliances with new industry partners and furthering existing relationships will be a focus over the next year. Advocacy within the industry for the value marketers and business development professionals bring to their firms is amplified when our alliance partners engage with our members and experience the body of knowledge we bring to the table. Evidence-based data that supports participation in SMPS is not only valuable for our industry partners but for our members to communicate to their firms via thought leadership.

The SMPS Foundation goals of providing thought leadership through presenting and implementing research, as well as the continued focus on providing funding for HBCU scholarships, will be intentional and focused. This year, the opportunity to obtain DEI continuing education units and certification, the first and only of its kind, will be available to our members, alliance partners, and industry wide.

As an association, the highest priority for the board and HQ is to strengthen leadership opportunities at the chapter, regional, and Society level as well as communicate the value of SMPS membership. That means more opportunities for members to engage in different ways and to communicate to members SMPS HQ’s processes for committee, board, and award participation and submissions. This approach is in alignment with SMPS’s mission to engage, inspire, and empower A/E/C professionals for lifelong learning.

How are we encouraging lifelong learning? By making content accessible via in-person, virtual, and asynchronous learning with the outcome of cultivating professionals with diverse expertise into leadership roles in all positions. Whether you are a business developer, marketer, principal, or technical professional, you will walk away with a best-in-class SMPS experience.

As I start this new journey, I want to thank the past presidents I’ve had the honor of serving with while on the board for their leadership and insight: Doug Parker, FSMPS, CPSM; Bernice Bako, FSMPS, CPSM; Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM; and Dana Galvin Lancour, FSMPS, CPSM. I also want to welcome the new board. I’m very excited to work with this great team to serve the SMPS members and chapters: Ben Sawa, FSMPS, CPSM; Dana Galvin Lancour, FSMPS, CPSM; Adam Kilbourne, FSMPS, CPSM; Andrea Story, FSMPS, CPSM; Julie Huval, FSMPS, CPSM; and Kimberly Ridenour, CPSM. The team is rounded out with insights from SMPS CEO Marci Thompson, DES, and SMPS Foundation Board President Michele Raftery, FSMPS, CPSM.

It is the association’s winning aspiration that SMPS is an accessible and indispensable community for all professionals who drive growth and sustainability for A/E/C firms. That is the legacy I plan to lead into this year with the board.

Article written by Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM, who is CEO and principal of Geaux Consulting Group. She can be reached at paula@geauxconsultinggroup.com.

This is my last A/E/C Insider column as president of the Society board, and what a year it has been! For those of us who have the honor to be president of a chapter or the Society, there’s a lot of anticipation of what our year will be like. We spend time planning with our fellow board members to achieve goals for the year. It never entirely goes according to plan … and that’s okay!

When the current Society board came together last summer, I felt we had something special as a group. There was respect for each other’s experiences and perspectives. There was incredible tenure within the industry and in SMPS. There was a sense of purpose and motivation to positively impact SMPS into a future beyond our board tenures. While we shared ideas, made plans, set goals, and discussed the coming year, it didn’t quite go as expected. Early in the calendar year, we discovered that our impact would look much different than we had anticipated with the search for a new SMPS CEO.

Just last week, I had the honor of sharing with the organization the announcement of Marci Thompson as our new Society CEO. The outpouring of support for Marci, the incredible SMPS staff, my fellow board members, and the SMPS member search committee has been tremendous. There is renewed excitement for SMPS and its future under Marci’s leadership.

In a dynamic industry like ours, change is a constant companion. It arrives unannounced, challenges our comfort zones, and pushes us towards growth. Whether a daily bump in the road or something as significant as hiring an organization’s CEO, navigating change must be met with courage, strategy, and creativity at the leadership level.

As a Society board, we selected a diverse, member-centric search committee and drafted expectations for our future CEO. The search committee did much of the heavy lifting by carefully reviewing candidates (over 40 total) and making selections at various stages. The board and committee were thoughtful in their approach and diligent in their process, as they knew this change was critical to the Society’s future.

Leadership is hard, especially when faced with change. I’m so grateful for this year’s SMPS board and our search committee as they used this challenge as an opportunity and worked closely for the overall good of the Society. It was indeed a rewarding experience in the end.

This is a new beginning for SMPS as we look to the next 50+ years of transforming business through marketing leadership. Marci will propel the organization to new heights through her ability to create a vision, set strategic objectives, and energize our membership. And we are confident that our organization will continue to thrive under her leadership.

As I look to the immediate future, I hope to see many of you at Amplify A|E|C in Salt Lake City. Amplify is not just our conference this year; it will celebrate our collective journey through an unexpected yet rewarding year. It’s a testament to the strength of the staff, board, and members who thrive on diversity, challenge, and innovation.

Amplify A|E|C is an incredible platform to showcase our commitment to learning, growing, and evolving. It highlights our dedication to transforming business through marketing and business development leadership. It will be an extraordinary conference.

As I conclude this final column, I want to share some advice: embrace change whenever you can, as many times it leads to growth, a new experience, or an opportunity you could have never imagined.

Finally, I want to thank the board again for their commitment to SMPS this year as I have truly enjoyed working alongside them. They are individually and collectively amazing – thank you, Paula, Holly, Adam, Ben, Ann, and Andrea! I celebrate Marci Thompson in her new role as CEO – she will do great things. Lastly, I want to thank each of you for your commitment to SMPS as a member, leader, volunteer, and industry partner – together, we make this A/E/C extraordinary!

Cheers to an unexpected year! See you in Salt Lake!

Article written by SMPS President Dana Lancour, FSMPS, CPSM, who is vice president, branding + communications of Barton Malow. She can be reached at dglancour@bartonmalow.com.