Mark Casso, longtime president of the Construction Industry Round Table who led the Washington, D.C.-based group of about 130 leading U.S. and global design and construction firm CEOs that advocated for improved company performance and industry influence on government policy, workforce development and innovation, died suddenly on June 25 at age 70, said a Linked in post from the group.

The cause of death was heart complications, according to a source close to the group.

Casso led the organization since 1998, when it was incorporated as a not-for-profit association “to be a force for positive change in the construction industry while helping CEOs … improve management performance of their individual companies,” according to the organization’s website. 

Among other initiatives he championed is the National Design and Construction Competition, an annual event for high school students as part of teams in collaboration with the ACE Mentor Program, to develop solutions to real-world design and construction challenges, foster innovation, promote the industry’s image and offer a networking and education platform, says the industry group. 

Entries from ACE Mentor teams are judged each year by Round Table member executives. This year the group said an “unprecedented” 74 submissions representing 19 state ACE Mentor Program groups and 27 affiliates were received. The top three finalist teams vie for a prize of $5,000.  

“Mark was a man of great brilliance and even greater humility. He carried no ego, and his instinct was always to offer help to those around him. whether in the boardroom or in a quiet moment of counsel,” said Round Table current Chairman Thomas V. Reilly,  president of Turner Construction Co., who noted his efforts “to influence public policy, elevate the industry’s image and foster meaningful connections among members.”

Diana T. Eisenshink, current ACE Mentor program president, termed Casso in a tribute note as a “wonderful partner and leader for our program for the past 20 plus years.”

Joey Bahnsen, an architect and CannonDesign associate, who met Casso as a high school senior competing in the National Competition and became a leading ACE mentor, noted “his lasting impact on myself and many other young people and professionals across the U.S.” 

Prior to joining the Round Table, Casso was deputy executive vice president and general counsel of the American Council of Engineering Cos. (ACEC), with more than 5,000 member firms, and director of government affairs for the American Institute of Architects. Casso earned a law degree from Brooklyn Law School and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Maryland.

Details of a remembrance event for Casso are forthcoming, according to the Round Table posting. No decision has been announced on a successor as group president.