Catherine Diaz DeWitt, CPSM
Since 2007
Active
SMPS Maryland member
AEC marketing professional
Catherine brings exceptional C-suite executive leadership and integrated marketing strategy expertise to MEP engineering, currently serving as Principal and Chief Marketing/Strategy Officer at Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates (BKM), a Baltimore-based mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design firm founded in 1968. In this strategic role, she leads firmwide marketing and business development operations while serving as the creative force behind BKM’s strategic plan and primary strategic adviser to firm principals.
Her comprehensive expertise spans integrated marketing, corporate communications, business development strategy, proposal management, brand elevation, and high-performing team leadership with over 25 years of experience across AEC firms throughout Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Catherine specializes in developing marketing leaders, fostering inclusive communication practices, and ensuring that all marketing efforts reinforce mission, values, and long-term vision.
With deep expertise in healthcare, education, government, science and technology, and commercial markets, Catherine excels at aligning business goals with client engagement strategies while elevating brand recognition. Her passion lies at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and execution—translating technical excellence into compelling strategic positioning that drives measurable growth and competitive advantage for professional services firms.
Catherine demonstrates extraordinary professional leadership through both her CPSM certification and her prestigious FSMPS designation, representing the highest level of achievement in AEC marketing. As a Fellow of SMPS, she has been recognized for sustained excellence and exceptional contributions to advancing the professional services marketing profession through transformative chapter leadership across multiple regions and sustained national engagement.
Her most significant leadership achievement came through her service as SMPS Maryland Chapter President (2015-2016), where she led the chapter to win the prestigious Striving for Excellence Grand Prize Award—the highest recognition among all 57 national SMPS chapters—for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Under her presidential leadership, the Maryland Chapter achieved remarkable accomplishments including: offering 70 CEU hours (39% increase) and 35.5 AIA learning units (17% increase), garnering $6,275 in program profits with average attendance of 85 attendees, establishing the Key Awards program to support the Scholarship Fund, creating Senior Advisory Council Roundtables as track-based learning programs, maintaining an 88% chapter membership retention rate, increasing overall membership by 10.2%, attaining over 1,000 Twitter followers, and experiencing a 23% increase in chapter website traffic.
Catherine’s leadership excellence extends beyond Maryland. She previously served as President of SMPS Research Triangle Chapter (North Carolina), demonstrating her ability to lead transformative change across multiple geographic markets. Her progressive board leadership included President, Past-President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Director of Membership roles—a comprehensive governance experience spanning both the Research Triangle and Maryland chapters.
At the national level, Catherine has contributed to SMPS through service on the CPSM Certification Committee, Striving for Excellence Committee where she served as Section Head, and the Build Business Social Media Committee (2013). Her expertise in CPSM professional development led her to launch and lead CPSM Study Groups in both the Research Triangle and Maryland chapters, personally mentoring numerous professionals to certification success.
Catherine’s impact on developing the next generation of marketing leaders is profound. Four individuals she has supervised have gone on to serve as Presidents of their local SMPS chapters—a testament to her mentorship excellence and commitment to cultivating future industry leaders. Her dedication to professional development and inclusive leadership has created lasting impact throughout the AEC marketing community.
Her industry recognition includes SMPS Maryland Board Member of the Year (2014 and 2019), SMPS Maryland Firm Leader of the Year (2020) with scholarship to attend The Pinnacle Experience symposium for senior marketing leaders, and the Leadership Advancement Program Certificate. She was also honored with the Striving for Excellence Grand Prize at the national level for her chapter’s exceptional performance.
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