BY ZANA RAYBON, FBPE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FEMC PRESIDENT
Sometimes, changes that may seem small on the surface can represent something much bigger.
At its 2026 Annual Meeting, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) approved two changes that I believe are important steps forward for engineering regulation. The Council voted to rename the Member Board Administrator (MBA) to Member Board Executive (MBE) and to add MBE representation to its Board of Directors.
You might wonder why the name change matters, or why having an executive represented on the NCEES Board of Directors is significant. After all, isn’t the important work of regulating the engineering profession already being done?
Of course it is. But how that work gets done has changed considerably over the years, and these decisions recognize the important role executive leadership plays in making regulation effective.
The responsibility of regulatory boards has always been to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the environment in which those boards operate. Advances in technology, changes in engineering practice, increased professional mobility, legislative requirements, and growing public expectations have made regulation more complex than ever.
Addressing those challenges takes more than establishing good policies. It also takes experienced leadership, effective management, and people who understand how to put those policies into practice.
For years, member board administrators have played an important role in NCEES and in the operation of engineering and surveying regulatory programs across the country. They work closely with their boards, oversee day-to-day operations, manage resources, and help ensure that licensing and enforcement programs operate effectively.
But their responsibilities go well beyond administration.
Today’s regulatory executives manage complex organizations, address financial and legal issues, work with legislators and other stakeholders, and help their boards respond to an ever-changing regulatory environment. The title Member Board Executive more accurately reflects the leadership and responsibilities that come with the position.
Just as important, in my opinion, is the decision to give MBEs representation on the NCEES Board of Directors.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend two NCEES Board of Directors meetings, and I can tell you firsthand how valuable it is to be part of those discussions. Sharing an executive perspective, offering input, and knowing your experience is valued makes a difference.
And that is really what this change is about.
It isn’t about taking anything away from the professional engineers who serve on regulatory boards. Their technical expertise, professional judgment, and commitment to protecting the public are essential to the regulatory process. Instead, it recognizes that effective regulation requires a partnership between those who set policy and those who carry it out.
Both perspectives matter, and both contribute to better decisions.
We see that partnership at work every day here in Florida. The Florida Board of Professional Engineers is responsible for establishing regulatory policy and carrying out its statutory duties. The Florida Engineers Management Corporation provides the administrative and operational support needed to put those decisions into action and help the Board fulfill its mission.
Florida’s structure may differ from other states’, but the need for a strong working relationship between board members and executive management remains the same.
As engineering continues to evolve, the organizations that regulate the profession must evolve as well. That doesn’t mean changing the fundamental purpose of regulation. Protecting the public will always come first. It means recognizing that today’s challenges require a combination of professional expertise, sound judgment, experienced leadership, and effective management.
That’s why I see the decisions made at this year’s NCEES Annual Meeting as more than a change in title or an additional seat on the Board of Directors.
They recognize something that those of us working in engineering regulation have understood for a long time: Developing sound regulatory policy and successfully implementing it go hand in hand.
At the end of the day, we are all working toward the same goal: protecting the public while supporting a strong, responsible, and accountable engineering profession.
And having everyone who contributes to that mission represented at the table is a step in the right direction.