The National Academy of Construction has elected Harold F. Force, president of Force Construction Co., Columbus, and executive vice president of Force Design Inc., as a member of its class of 2018.

He was formally inducted Oct. 11 during the academy’s annual meeting in San Diego, California.

The class includes 37 new inductees. More than 300 leaders were considered for the selective NAC election process, according to a news release from the academy.

Force is widely known as an advisor to governments and to academia. During the induction, he was cited as a leader, activist, and strategic thinker, noted for his sense of obligation to improving the construction industry.

Force joined his family firm after his post-graduate studies at Purdue and has led the company to its current position as one of the leading contractors in Indiana, according to the news release. He is a past president of both the Associated General Contractors of Indiana and the Indiana Construction Association.

He designed and built the Bowen High Performance Civil Engineering Laboratory at Purdue.

He is a registered professional engineer in 11 states and member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Purdue University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering, has honored him with its Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Award and its College of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

The National Academy of Construction was established in 1999.