President-Elect

Mark Sanders was elected President-Elect. This is a three-year commitment, serving 2025-2026 as President-Elect, 2026-2027 as President, and 2027-2028 as Past President.

Mark received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Villanova University. He joined AACE International in 2001. He is a past President and Treasurer of the Delaware Valley Section, a past member of the Certification Board, and has served on the Board of Directors as Secretary for the past four years.

Mark’s experience includes US and international projects, many of which have been in the energy and transportation sectors. He has worked in on-site engineering and project controls roles, as an engineering manager, as a director of projects, and as an expert witness on engineering and construction claims.

He has spoken frequently at the Conference & Expo and at AACE sections in the United States, Brazil, Colombia, India, KSA, and Peru. He has enjoyed traveling and meeting many new members over the years. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He earned a J.D. in 2021 and was admitted to the California Bar in 2022. He holds AACE certifications as a Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Certified Forensic Claims Consultant (CFCC), and Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP).

Mark is the Director of Projects with Alpha 3 Consulting, LLC.  He and his family live near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Secretary

Barrett Richards was elected to a two-year term as AACE Secretary. His term will begin in June 2025 and conclude in June 2027.

Barrett is a construction professional with over 25 years of experience. He holds an MBA from Hofstra University and a BS in Construction Management from Brigham Young University. He has earned the Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Certified Estimating Professional (CEP), and Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) certification designations from AACE International.

Barrett is a current member of AACE’s Ethics Committee while also serving as the Programming Chair of the Construction Law Committee at the New York City Bar. He has previously served AACE International in positions on the Education Board and as President of the Long Island and Metro New York Sections.

Barrett is a Project Director at Turner & Townsend in New York, NY, leading project controls and advisory teams in the Infrastructure US East Region and assisting with the Infrastructure US estimating group. Barrett and his wife Nicole live in Long Island, NY. They have one son, Elliott, who is currently on a 24-month service mission to Accra, Ghana.

Directors-at Large

Two Director-at-Large positions were elected this cycle. Their terms will also begin June 2025 and conclude June 2027. David Chigne and João Dias have been elected.

David is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in cost estimating, scheduling, and risk management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, postgraduate studies in Project Management and a Master’s degree (MBA) in Business Administration. With AACE certifications including Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Certified Estimating Professional (CEP), and Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP), David has earned a strong reputation in the industry across both Latin America and the U.S. He currently serves as the Director for Region 10 (2023 – 2025, Latin America and the Caribbean Islands) on AACE International’s Membership Advisory Committee, where he has led initiatives to strengthen AACE’s global presence. His previous leadership roles in the Peru Section of AACE, including Treasurer, Vice President, and President, have shaped his approach to promoting best practices in the region.

David currently works as a Senior Scheduler and Cost Estimator with Toscano Clements Taylor (TCT) Consultants, based in Manhattan, NY. David and his family have resided in New Jersey, USA, since 2022.

João has earned the Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) certification designation. He currently serves AACE as Director-Region 9 (Europe & Africa) on the Membership Advisory Committee. He was the 2024 Charles V. Keane Award for Distinguished Service to an AACE Section recipient. He has a BS in Civil Engineering from the Universidade de Coimbra. João holds two MS degrees – one in Civil Engineering from Universidade de Coimbra and another in Data Science from Loughborough University.

João is the Head of Project Controls & Analytics at Proman. He lives with his family in Lisbon, Portugal.