The ACE Mentor Program of America, a national nonprofit organization, is dedicated to prioritizing workforce development for high school students by connecting them with experts from the architecture, construction, and engineering industries. The southeast Michigan chapter has elected Joe Asperger, senior vice president of Plante Moran Realpoint (PMR), formerly Plante Moran Cresa, to the board of directors.
ACE Mentor of Southeast Michigan’s board of directors is comprised of local industry leaders who make significant contributions to the ACE national program. As part of ACE, Asperger will join nearly 20 professionals across Southeast Michigan representing business, engineering, architecture, and construction.
With the introduction of the Southeast Michigan chapter, high school students in the Detroit area can now benefit from a nationwide program designed to introduce them to the wide range of career opportunities open to young people in architecture, construction, engineering, and related areas of the building design and construction industry. At weekly meetings, student teams work directly with professionals from leading area firms, who volunteer their time to mentor the teams as they design hypothetical projects, tour local construction sites, and visit architectural, engineering, and construction offices.
“I’m excited to join my industry peers in this capacity to educate our high school students about fulfilling career opportunities in real estate, facilities, design, engineering, and construction and to encourage our broader peer groups to be active in bringing the next generation into the industry,” said Asperger.
As a senior vice president with PMR’s public sector practice, Asperger has over 25 years of architectural and owner’s representative experience as a project manager and facilities director for higher education, institutional, municipal, commercial, and residential initiatives. He currently helps the firm’s public sector clients plan and oversee their large construction programs from concept through completion as an owner’s representative.
About ACE Mentor Program of America
The ACE Mentor Program of America, founded in 1994, is a no-cost after-school program that prioritizes workforce development for high school students by connecting them with experts from the design and construction industry. ACE Mentor addresses pressing workforce needs, offers a range of exciting opportunities for students, and plays a crucial role in bridging the skills gap, with continuous mentor opportunities from high school through to full-time employment. To learn more about the ACE Mentor program of Southeast Michigan, visit acementor.org/affiliates/detroit-mi.
About Plante Moran Realpoint
As a full-service real estate advisor, Plante Moran Realpoint is built different. The firm’s comprehensive, end-to-end, industry-specific specialization spans clients’ real estate needs, from consulting and transactions to capital projects and development advisory. Its team has guided clients across the public and private sectors through millions of square feet of real estate transactions and $1 billion in investment real estate transactions. It is currently acting as an owner’s representative for more than $5 billion in active construction projects. With Plante Moran Realpoint, clients make well-informed real estate decisions, achieve their milestones and flourish in great spaces. Realize what it means to be built different at pmrealpoint.com.
