A career in marketing within the A/E/C industry is both challenging and highly rewarding. What strategies will you use to get ahead? How do you plan to grow your career? What steps will you take to be recognized as a leader?

If you want to expand your skills and learn directly from professionals who have successfully transitioned into leadership roles, consider applying to the SMPS Atlanta Leadership Academy.

This signature program is designed to bridge the gap between executing tasks and leading teams, offering two days of hands-on, in-person education led by seasoned professionals. Covering eight key areas of leadership and insights to future-proof your career, the Academy prepares you through the following topics:

Having a well-educated and motivated marketing presence is a tremendous asset to any A/E/C firm, which makes attending the Academy an incredible value. If you want to apply but need some “help” getting your company or supervisor to agree, please email Eric Keens, CPSM at [email protected]. He can help you make the case for attendance.

The deadline for applications has been extended to March 12, 2025. 
Blind evaluations will occur in early March, and attendees will be notified by March 19, 2025. 

Click here to fill out the application.

dON'T DELAY, SPACE IS LIMITED! 

agenda

Wednesday, April 16:

11:00-11:30 AM EST: Registration/Networking
11:30 AM - 5:30 PM: Program

Thursday, April 17:

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Program (with dinner following)

NOTE: Please ensure you have discussed expectations and received your firm's/manager's endorsement to participate in this program (time commitment & cost)

CPSM CEUs: 8
Domains: 2 - Marketing Plan; 3 - Business Development; 6 - Organizational Structure

Featured Speakers

Cecilia Tran Arango, CPSM, is a Principal and Certified Professional Services Marketer at Thomas & Hutton. With 23 years of experience, she oversees marketing, communications, and community relations for Thomas & Hutton’s 10 regions in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Cecilia is passionate about service to the community. She serves on various professional and non-profit boards and committees, including Savannah Sports Council, TEDxSavannah, Society of Marketing Professional Services, Leadership Southeast Georgia, United Way of the Coastal Empire, and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. 

Named to the list of Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40, Cecilia is an alumnus of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Southeast Georgia, and Leadership Savannah. She is an avid runner with a goal of running a marathon in each state and is the founder of a running book club called Read, Run & Rant, as featured in Shape Magazine.

Eric Keens, CPSM, is a seasoned marketing professional with nearly 25 years of experience in the A/E/C industry. He began his career at a small engineering firm specializing in electrical engineering and commissioning, where he earned his Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) designation. Over the years, Eric has seen the evolution of marketing strategies—from simple handshakes and sketches to comprehensive design proposals powered by advanced software. His expertise expanded as he moved on to market architectural design services across education, government, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Eric brings a full circle understanding of the pursuit process, encompassing research, pre-positioning, proposal development, and shortlist presentations. Committed to personal and professional growth, he serves as SMPS Atlanta’s Director of Chapter Development, overseeing the mentor/protégé program and continuing education scholarships. He sits on the Past Presidents Council and has served on the board for over a decade. His dedication to the industry and SMPS has earned him the Chapter’s Marketer of the Year award in 2018 and the Pacesetter award in 2023, recognizing his significant contributions and leadership in professional services marketing.

Eric also serves on the board for Spike Studio, an organization dedicated to mentoring, educating, and developing creative abilities in youth to promote greater diversity in the architecture, engineering, and construction professions.

As Principal & Chief Marketing Officer for Keck + Wood Engineers & Planners, Erik Grandowski focuses his attention on identifying and delivering the company’s vision & mission through companywide flight plans, sales pipeline oversight, capture planning, strategic marketing, and communication campaigns. While large-scale strategizing is fun, what brings him the most joy is collaborating with technical professionals to build lasting client relationships that win work through leadership, communications, and persuasive storytelling.

Prior to joining Keck & Wood, Erik held leadership positions as Marketing VP for a top ENR ranked A/E/C firm, Marketing Director for a prominent Atlanta architecture firm, and managed his own creative studio. This diversified background provided ample opportunities to learn (sometimes the hard way) about the importance of negotiation, and its transformative power to nurture relationships, strengthen marketing teams, and advance A/E/C firms.

Erik holds a degree from Oglethorpe University, and his work has been featured in SMPS’s Marketer Magazine, Engineering News Record Magazine, and Zewig White’s “Marketing Letter.” Additionally, he has presented and provided mentorship at professional organizations such as the American Civil Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and of course, SMPS.

Kevin Hebblethwaite is passionate about success and client engagement in professional services. He’s in his third decade of building connections among people, processes, and technology to help firms grow. With experience in advanced integrated technology, general management, and business strategy, Kevin loves seeing results in the form of financial growth, improved client acquisition and retention, streamlined professional service management, and centralization of mission-critical information.

As Director of Business Development and an owner at Stambaugh Ness, Kevin works with all of the firm’s practice areas to develop long-term client partnerships through tailored solutions in strategy, technology, accounting, tax, ownership and workforce. While Kevin has had external consulting career roles since 2010, he was previously President of an engineering consulting firm focused on technology solutions for the built environment.

Kevin is a long-time member of SMPS Atlanta, where he’s served as Chapter President, Treasurer and Programs Chair. He served on the Society Headquarters' Board of Directors from 2009-2014 and as President 2012-2013. When the day job is done, Kevin is an active professional musician on bass, keyboard, drums, and percussion.

Kim Williams, CPSM, has more than 30 years of experience in AEC marketing, including experience with both design and construction firms. Her expertise includes pursuit strategy, proposal management, presentation coaching, people management/development and team building. Kim joined Swinerton in 2024, where she serves as Regional Director of Strategic Pursuits & Marketing. In this role, she oversees the marketing effort for the company’s East Region, which includes Atlanta, the Carolinas (Charlotte/Raleigh) and the Northeast (NY/NJ).

Kim received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from East Carolina University. She has been a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) since 2000, serving many years on the board of directors of the Atlanta chapter, including Chapter President. She received her Certified Professional Services Marketing (CPSM) certification in 2007.

She currently resides in Atlanta and when not working enjoys spending time with her two rescue pups, Rudy and Kevin.

Laura McDonald, CPSM, is a senior marketing business partner for Terracon, where she provides marketing support and consulting services for Terracon’s Eastern Operating Group. When called upon, Laura also supports national and regional marketing efforts, federal data calls, client interviews, and award submissions. Working in the A/E/C industry for more than 15 years, Laura has gained most of her marketing experience in the engineering consulting field. She is passionate about mentoring, educating, and sharing with other marketing professionals so that they may elevate the role of a professional services marketer. She also serves as a mentor to SMPS members and fellow co-workers.

Combining her upbringing (she is the daughter of a transportation engineer) and her education (she was a theater major in New York City), Michelle Erste, CPSM, has spent the past 20 years teaching engineers to understand the importance of strategic marketing. For two decades, she has loved a career in leading marketing and proposal development for small, mid-size, and mega engineering and consulting firms. She currently serves as Marketing Director for iParametrics, LLC, an emergency management and security consulting firm based in. Atlanta. There, she is responsible for the marketing team that oversees all aspects of federal and local proposal development, marketing research and strategy, and communications of all kinds. This is her second job creating and building a marketing department where one has never existed before!

Michelle is a Certified Professional Services Marketer and Past President of SMPS Atlanta (2018-2019). In 2020, she was named SMPS’s President of the Year by SMPS HQ, and in 2016, she was named SMPS Atlanta’s Marketer of the Year. She has previously served on the Advisory Board and in chair positions for the Southeastern Regional Conference for SMPS, which she has attended for a decade across the Southeast. She has also been a SERC speaker on topics from leadership pathways for AEC marketers to branding to using her acting skills to prepare for presentations.

Michelle holds a BFA in Theater from New York University and an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State University. Her greatest achievement, however, is actively surviving being a mother to a teenage girl, Leah, and a preteen boy, Gabriel, who keep her busy chauffeuring them between Starbucks and soccer, respectively. In her limited free time, you can find her curled up on the porch with a book, a cup of coffee, and her Corgi, Georgie, and orange tabby kitten, Bear, planning her next travel adventure. 

sponsorship opportunities

Registration for sponsorships is now available!

This is a wonderful opportunity to promote your firm or organization. Please contact Eric Keens, CPSM at [email protected] for additional information.

Sponsorship packages are as follows:

$1,000 PLATINUM:
Includes all GOLD benefits plus the following:

$300 GOLD:
Includes all SILVER benefits plus the following:

$175 SILVER:
Includes the following benefits:

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