AE management association changes name

LAFAYETTE, CALIF. — The Professional Services Management Association (PSMA), a national organization that supports leadership growth and best practices within the architectural and engineering (AE) services community, will now be known as the Association of AE Business Leaders (AEBL). In addition, David Sprenkle, P.E., AEBL board president, announced the appointment of Kathryn Sprankle as executive director.

Established in 1975 as PSMA, AEBL’s national membership comprises AE consulting firm managers and executives active in all areas of business—general management, finance and accounting, marketing, human resources, information technology, and operations. The group sponsors conferences, roundtable forums, and other events and resources aimed at advancing the industry. Members regularly address domestic and international business trends, firm management in all its facets, and the development of the AE industry’s future leaders.

"Our goal moving forward as AEBL is to preserve the incredible ’brain trust’ PSMA has acquired over the years through its members, and to grow that network via strong regional chapters like those we have in California and New York," said Sprenkle. "We are focused on hard-hitting issues within the industry and creating a platform that allows our members to share ideas, concerns, and lessons learned."

Sprenkle cited membership growth, the development of new online resources, and an increase in regional forums as near-term objectives for AEBL. "We have had a successful series of programs on the West Coast that we’d like to expand throughout the U.S.," he said. "We’re finding that members value the ability to connect and share ideas, especially on challenging business issues."

Sprankle noted that, as a PSMA member for the past 20 years, she has had the opportunity to watch her peers grow professionally and then "bring along their own emerging leaders, who are now the engine behind PSMA’s resurgence as AEBL. The new name implies only that it’s a new day—not a new mission. Our mission remains focused on promoting best business practices in the AE and related consulting fields via peer-to-peer case studies and discussion."