AECOM recognized for management of LACCD bond program

The Construction Management Association of America, Southern California Chapter named AECOM the winner of the 2015 Program Management Merit Award for its program management of the Los Angeles Community College District’s (LACCD’s) bond construction program, better known as BuildLACCD.

“We are very pleased that CMAA Southern California Chapter selected the AECOM program management team as the 2015 Program Management Merit Award recipient,” said Terri Mestas, program director for the construction program.  “This award recognizes the tremendous efforts undertaken by our entire team as we make BuildLACCD a world class program.”

The CMAA award program is designed to recognize and promote professionalism, innovation and excellence in the management of the construction process. Awards are given to the projects that best reflect this mission. The criteria for evaluating Project Achievement Award nominations focused on the following management efforts and project outcomes: overall management, quality management, cost and schedule management, complexity, innovation and creativity, customer service and satisfaction, and safety results.

AECOM is the principal administrator for the bond program and has oversight over construction and renovation activities at all nine LACCD colleges.  In less than 24 months, AECOM, under a new management structure, created the Program Management Office (PMO) balancing the needs of a centralized management system while continuing to respect the history, culture and needs of each college.

Through its comprehensive and methodical approach, the AECOM PMO has been able to achieve more than $50 million in cost savings and program efficiencies.  Each college now has a strategic-execution plan that lays out the schedule for completing its projects on time and on budget.

“The changes and streamlining efforts brought about by the AECOM PMO is apparent at each one of our nine colleges.  This award is an acknowledgement of the team approach that we have instituted as we build schools for tomorrow’s leaders,” said Jim O’Reilly, Chief Facilities Executive at LACCD.

With almost 100,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world following the acquisition of URS, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm.  AECOM is ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings.  The company is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government.  AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments.  A Fortune 500 company, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, had revenue of approximately $19.5 billion during the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2014.  More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.

The Los Angeles Community College District, the nation’s largest community college district, serves one-quarter million students a year in more than 36 cities in Los Angeles County at its nine colleges. The District covers nearly 900 square miles and has educated and trained the region’s diverse workforce since 1969.

LACCD’s Building Program is a 14-year, $6.1 billion program funded mostly by taxpayer-approved bonds, supplemented by additional funding from the state of California. With approximately $4 billion spent so far, the LACCD’s nine colleges are benefiting from brand new and renovated academic buildings, sports facilities, arts complexes, administrative buildings, child development centers, and parking structures. The Building Program has completed hundreds of separate projects, with hundreds more in the planning or construction stages. For more information on the LACCD’s construction program and a list of awards the District has received for its environmentally responsible projects, visit www.laccdbuildsgreen.org.