SPRINGFIELD, IL — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL), an engineering trade association, announces Kevin Artl will serve as its new President and CEO. Artl brings more than 20 years of experience in transportation and government, including serving in leadership roles in the United States Senate and Illinois House of Representatives. He most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Illinois Toll Highway Authority.

“When you look at Kevin’s extensive bi-partisan experience in government and his relationships at the state, local and federal level, coupled with his experience in transportation policy, the unanimous decision to hire Kevin was a no brainer,” said ACEC-IL Chairman Bruce Schopp. “The Illinois General Assembly and Governor have made an unprecedented investment in Illinois’ infrastructure program, and Kevin has the right skills and leadership to be a strong advocate for our more than 200-member firms.”

ACEC-IL was instrumental in the passage of the Illinois nearly $45-billion Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the largest in state history. Artl’s relationships built working with agencies and policymakers will ensure execution of the program while promoting the interests of ACEC-IL members.

“It’s a privilege to have been selected to lead an organization that has a long history of successful collaboration with national and local policy makers to improve infrastructure and the future of our state,” Artl said. “We will continue to deliver high quality services to our members in the public and private sectors and will double down on our advocacy efforts to ensure that the engineering industry is poised to take advantage of economic opportunities while delivering critical infrastructure improvements to the people of Illinois for generations to come.”

“I would like to congratulate Kevin on his new role and thank him for his service to the Illinois Tollway and our customers,” said José Alvarez, Illinois Toll Highway Authority Executive Director. “Under his leadership the Tollway continued to deliver projects on-time and on-budget, and I’m confident he will be equally successful in his new role.”

Artl’s selection came following a three-month search that began when former ACEC-IL President and CEO Dave Bender took on a new role as Vice President of Political Affairs with ACEC National. The effort to fill the vacant position drew more than 50 contenders, making the process one of the most competitive in ACEC-IL history.

Artl joins ACEC-IL with leadership experience in the transportation industry and government policy. He has served as Chief Operating Officer of the Illinois Tollway since 2016 where he helped manage and execute the Tollway’s $14-billion Move Illinois Capital Program. As the Tollway’s COO, Artl coordinated with industry leaders on Tollway policy and capital plans, emerging technologies and best business practices.

In addition to his work at the Illinois Tollway, Artl served in senior roles for over 15 years in both the United States Senate and Illinois General Assembly. Artl served as Illinois State Director for former United States Senator Mark Kirk and as Director of Communications and later as the Director of Policy for former Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross. In addition to these roles, Artl also served as Campaign Manager for Senator Mark Kirk and Political Director for the Illinois House Republicans. Prior to his work in government, Artl served as Director of Government Affairs for Amtrak.