Janet Webster Elected First Female President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia

Janet Webster is no stranger to leadership. With more than 25 years of engineering experience, she was recently elected president of ACEC Virginia. She previously served as president of the Structural Engineers Association of Virginia (formerly VSEC) before reconnecting with ACEC Virginia when she went through the Emerging Leaders Institute in 2012. More recently, she served on the Virginia Structural Engineer’s Council as a board member, including two years as chair.

“I am very grateful for the honor of being elected president of ACEC Virginia. I am anticipating a very active year, but one like no other as we navigate through Covid-19. That said, I look forward to working with ACEC Virginia members as we make strides for our industry. Resiliency will be key,” said Janet.

Janet is a passionate advocate and mentor for women who are developing engineering or other STEM careers. In a field that is often male dominated, she is dedicated to making STEM more inclusive—whether it’s through committees, outreach, or personal involvement.

“As an industry, we must explore how deeply held beliefs lead to exclusion and how we need noticeable change to make our profession more attractive to, and representative of, the make-up of our global society,” she noted.

This year, ACEC Virginia is establishing the Women’s Resource Group as a task force in support of more inclusion in the engineering industry.

Janet is the principal and market sector leader for the Wireless Solutions team at Clark Nexsen. During her time within this rapidly growing sector, she has been instrumental in developing expanded services and new growth opportunities. By identifying trends in technology and implementing cutting edge designs, Janet is visionary in responding to the highly transient nature of wireless and broadband technology. She is currently leading the team though the design and expansion of the exploding 5G Network across Virginia.

About ACEC Virginia

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia is the state’s largest engineering firm association in the state, comprised of more than 85 engineering firms representing every discipline of engineering related to the built environment — civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical — and affiliated companies. ACEC Virginia’s shared goals are to further the business interests of the membership, enhance the quality and safety of the environment and ensure the vitality of communities in Virginia.