The ACE DC Board and Affiliate Director are excited to invite you to our
26th Annual Scholarship Awards Breakfast!
Thursday, May 14th 2026
7:30am Networking, Program begins at 8:15am
to be held at
1127 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
Each year, ACE DC awards thousands of dollars in college scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in architecture, construction, or engineering. We invite you to celebrate this year's recipients, our mentors' dedication, and another successful program year! We are so excited to see you in person!
This event also provides the best opportunity for you to network with fellow peers in the built professions, find out about how you can engage more with ACE, and celebrate the awesome work of our industry!!
ACE DC is thrilled to welcome Derek Ross as our 2026 Keynote Speaker! Derek Ross is the director of the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction (OPDC) at the Smithsonian Institution. The office is responsible for all the capital projects throughout the 21 museums, multiple research centers, and the National Zoo. Encompassing over 12 million square feet, the Institution has facilities in Washington, D.C., eight states, and the countries of Panama and Chile.
Ross has served as the director of OPDC for over five years where he has managed the Institution’s capital program, including the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum. He joined the Smithsonian Institution in 1992 as a construction manager who was responsible for all construction projects on the South Mall. In 1996, Ross was selected as chief of construction. The construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture were completed under his leadership.
Ross earned a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Miami, holds current Architecture Registrations in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia, is certified in Erosion and Sediment Control for the State of Maryland, and is an Accredited Professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP).
