Wightman Wins Three Engineering and Surveying Merit Awards from ACEC/Michigan

Wightman was recently recognized with two Engineering Merit Awards and a Surveying Merit Award at the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/Michigan) 2026 Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards Gala, held on March 7 at The Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Mich.
 
The full-service consulting firm received two Engineering Merit awards for its Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) Career Connect Campus project for KRESA and for its Whites Road Improvements project for the City of Kalamazoo. Additionally, Wightman received a Surveying Merit Award for its Niles Area Transmission Improvements for American Electric Power (AEP). These awards highlight Wightman’s excellence in engineering and surveying, along with its commitment to delivering innovative and high-quality solutions for clients.
 
As Architect of Record for the 330,000-square-foot KRESA Career Connect Campus, Wightman moved one of Michigan’s largest career and technical education facilities from visioning to reality. The campus is designed to serve more than 800 students from more than 30 school districts, connecting education with workforce development through modern, industry-focused learning environments. Wightman provided integrated architectural, civil engineering, and surveying services to create a unified campus that prepares students for high-demand careers while strengthening the regional economy.
 
Wightman served as the prime consultant for the $6.3 million Whites Road Improvements project, transforming a 1.5-mile corridor between Oakland Drive and South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo. The project replaced aging infrastructure while redesigning the roadway to prioritize safety, accessibility, and multimodal transportation by calming traffic and reallocating space for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. The improvements support the City’s Connected City vision and its Streets for All initiative, shifting the focus from moving vehicles to moving people.
 
Wightman provided comprehensive surveying services for AEP’s $66 million Niles Area Transmission Improvements project. The multi-phase effort modernized and strengthened the electric grid across southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. Supporting a 44-mile transmission network, Wightman’s work included easement review, encroachment surveys, design support, construction staking, and as-built verification. These services helped ensure accurate spatial data and reliable infrastructure to improve electric service reliability for communities and businesses throughout the region.
 
"Receiving three Merit Awards from ACEC/Michigan is a tremendous honor for Wightman. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that the award-winning projects reflect the full breadth of our core services: engineering, architecture, and surveying. We are proud to serve our clients as trusted advisors, and these projects showcase the talent, dedication, and collaboration of our staff as they work every day to improve the communities we serve,” stated Steve Carlisle, Wightman’s President.
 
Each year, the ACEC/Michigan Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards recognize outstanding projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, and value. Winning two Engineering Merit Awards and a Surveying Merit Award places Wightman among Michigan's top engineering and surveying firms and underscores the firm’s dedication to supporting critical infrastructure and environmental stewardship.
 
“The infrastructure improvements engineered by ACEC member firms significantly improve the daily lives of Michigan residents and visitors,” said Ronald Brenke, PE, ACEC/Michigan Executive Director. “Their talent and expertise were on display at the Gala as various types of projects were recognized and celebrated.”
 
To learn more about the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan and its annual awards, visit https://www.acecmi.org/.
 
For more information about Wightman’s services and accomplishments, visit https://gowightman.com/.