Stephen E. Sandherr—who announced in October that he will retire as the chief executive of the Associated General Contractors of America on March 31 after 27 years in the position—is ENR MidAtlantic’s 2024 Legacy Award winner.

Sandherr, 65, will be featured in the March issue of ENR MidAtlantic and honored at the ENR MidAtlantic Best Projects awards lunch this fall. 

Selected by ENR’s editors, the annual Legacy Award cites an individual in the region who has established a solid “legacy” of lifetime service to the design and construction industry, their colleagues and to their community. ENR MidAtlantic includes Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Sandherr, who has worked for the association for a total of 37 years, maintains relations with approximately 90 AGC chapters nationwide and more than 27,000 member firms. He coordinates government relations activities, and enhances AGC’s involvement with business coalitions. The American Society of Association Executives has cited AGC as one of nine “remarkable” associations. The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, listed Sandherr as a top lobbyist for several consecutive years as he was representing the only commercial construction industry association on its Top Lobbyists from 2009- 2016. 

Sandherr is also a trustee of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Sandherr joined AGC in 1984 as a labor attorney and two years later was named a labor lobbyist. Sandherr left to join a private law firm and in 1989 moved to the National Association of Home Builders as labor and small business counsel. He rejoined AGC in 1991 as executive director for government relations and was promoted to CEO six years later.

To learn more about Sandherr check out the March issue of ENR MidAtlantic.