TZL 1594 (web)

TRANSACTIONS ALIGN PARTNERS WITH ENGINEERING SERVICES FIRM AKS Align Capital Partners has announced that it completed the recapitalization of AKS Engineering, a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing civil engineering, surveying, natural resources, permitting, planning and design services to a wide range of private and public clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. AKS has more than 350 employees and is headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, with six additional locations across Oregon and Washington. AKS management and employees retain a significant stake in the firm and will continue to lead through its next phase of growth. “The partnership with ACP marks an exciting new chapter for AKS. As our business has grown over the years, we determined it was the right time to

partner with the ACP team to help AKS tap into additional resources, continue serving clients at the highest level and create more opportunities for our employees,” said CEO Blair Carlson. “In ACP, we are confident that we’ve found a firm with the same core values, who recognize the value of the relationships we’ve built with our clients, employees, and local communities and shares our growth vision for the future.” “We’re excited to partner with the AKS team to continue to grow the Company in the Northwest. Through key organic growth initiatives and the completion of four add-on acquisitions to date, the team has already done a tremendous job growing AKS and establishing a burgeoning leader. We look forward to helping expand on that momentum through continued investment and

complementary acquisitions,” added ACP Partner Jack Parks. The partnership with AKS evolved from an investment theme ACP developed in the AEC industry. With its talented team, top quality service offering in a complex and highly regulated geography and numerous growth opportunities, AKS represents a unique opportunity to partner with a top performing team within the AEC industry. AKS is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm that has served the Pacific Northwest since 1996. Through seven office locations and over 350 employees trained across multiple disciplines, AKS provides in-depth expertise and resources in civil engineering, surveying, natural resources, permitting and land use planning.

they’re expected to hire, sponsor, and invest. And students aren’t just expected to observe; they’re encouraged to lead, ask questions, and shape the culture of the profession itself. I’ve personally been moved by how this program redefines mentorship. It’s not top-down; it’s mutual. I’ve learned as much from mentees as I have from peers and mentors. The students who participate in HBCU PDP are not just looking for jobs – they’re looking to make an impact. They bring a clarity of purpose and a hunger that is contagious. If you’re a student reading this, I’ll offer the same advice I wish someone had told me earlier: take the leap. Show up to that info session. Apply for the cohort. Be prepared with questions. Your presence matters. And if you’re a professional or firm leader: get involved. This is where the profession is going – toward justice, toward equity, toward impact. But we can’t get there if we leave people behind. The work isn’t done. We need more touchpoints, more funding, more institutional support. But we also need more belief – in programs like the HBCU PDP, in students from HBCUs, and in the possibility that this profession can reflect the richness of the world it’s meant to serve. The future of architecture is here. It’s in our classrooms, our studios, our communities. And it looks like Jayden. It sounds like Ron. It motivates like Ricard. It leads like the founders of the HBCU PDP. And if we keep showing up, supporting each other, and holding the door open – we just might build something truly revolutionary. Ricardo Jesus Maga Rojas, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, PMP is an assistant project manager at Stantec. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

RICARDO JESUS MAGA ROJAS, from page 7

making up just 5 percent of all such programs in the U.S. Yet these institutions are bursting with talent. One-third of all Black architecture students attend an HBCU. When I first learned about the HBCU PDP, I was immediately struck by the thoughtfulness of its design. This is a program built on relationships – between students and professionals, firms and schools, mentors and mentees. It’s not about checking a DEI box. It’s about investing in people who have always had the potential but not always the access. Don’t take it from just me. Jayden Woullard, a Tuskegee University student, said: “Before Tuskegee, I had limited exposure to architecture. As a Black woman, that access was even more limited. The HBCU PDP changed everything – it gave me mentorship, exposure, and confidence. It’s more than a program. It’s a village.” Ricard Charles, from Morgan State University, shared: “The HBCU PDP was my stepping stone. Coming from community college, I lacked connections. This program gave me mentors who guided me into my first full-time role. The support is real – and lasting.” Ronald Caldwell, a student at Howard University, reflected: “Despite the odds, we’re here – riding the ripples of those before us and creating waves for those who follow.” We often talk about the “pipeline problem” in architecture, but the truth is, the talent exists. The problem lies in limited efforts in recruitment and failure to expand beyond comfort and familiarity. What the HBCU PDP does differently is that it expands access in recruitment by connecting firms directly with the seven NAAB-accredited HBCU programs across the country. The program is also offered to firms at no cost, with the option to support financially through the Prescott Reavis Grant. Learn more here! Firms aren’t just invited to mentor;

Click here to learn more about NOMA’s HBCU professional development program.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 21, 2025, ISSUE 1594

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker