A few years after he started his engineering business with two other partners, Kevin Kokal realized he needed to network…needed to bounce ideas off others…needed to be part of a professional group. So he decided to join ACEC Virginia and that decision has paid off.

“There have been so many people I’ve talked with and learned from over the years. Every event is an opportunity to interact with the other members, compare stories and possibly avoid mistakes that others have made,” Kokal explained. “ Not only that, in addition to hearing about the mistakes others have made, you also hear the positive things they do. In growing a business, nobody’s perfect. You try things. Some work. Some don’t. If you eliminate some levels of mistakes as a result of what you learn from others, you’re in better shape.”

Comparing experiences always helps. “Sometimes you question yourself…but when you check in with other people, you realize you’re really doing a good job. Sometimes, you find that they have more issues than you do.”

Kokal says that ACEC Virginia opens the door for its members so they get to a point where they feel comfortable calling each other for advice. “I know my colleagues will give me a reasonable answer when I ask, ‘how do you guys handle this problem?’ So now, because of the relationships I’ve built through ACEC Virginia, I just pick up the phone and ask. People are always willing to help. We lean on each other.”

Being an “out of towner” and not a grad of Virginia Tech, Kokal says ACEC Virginia membership is one of the pieces of the puzzle that made him really feel at home in Virginia and want to stay here permanently. The Pittsburgh native has a BSCE from West Virginia University, with a focus in structural engineering. After designing bridges in New Jersey for two years, he headed to Virginia and got into structural design for industrial and manufacturing facilities. Six years later, he started his own business with two other fellow engineers. And that was 20 years ago. Since then, his firm, Alliance Engineering in Midlothian, has grown from three partners to a mid size firm.

“ACEC Virginia has been part of our growth. I’ve learned so much from our membership. And the training opportunities geared toward business management are tremendous. Plus it’s a good business connection. There are a bunch of ACEC Virginia firms out there that we call on to team up with us. In addition to that, ACEC Virginia acts as a great political advocate. They are absolutely looking out for the engineer.”