SPEO Election Results!
SPEO ELECTS NEW CHAIRPERSON, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS AT ANNUAL MEETING
Elections were held at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Engineering Outreach (SPEO) annual meeting in May 2020.
Sheena Sundin was elected Chairperson of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Engineering Outreach (SPEO) Board during the annual meeting. She is the Marketing Manager of Hayes Design Group Architects.
Additional Officers included:
Vice Chairperson – David Troianos, Engineering Director, Water/Wastewater, GAI Consultants
Secretary – Brad Duda, Technical Manager, Michael Baker International
Treasurer – Donna Chappel, President, Advanced Integration Group
Ex-Officio – Suresh Ramanathan, President, KORYAK
Those who were elected as SPEO Directors for a first term include:
Suresh Ramanathan – President, KORYAK
Jennifer Threats – Senior Communications Specialist, McCormick Taylor, Inc.
Edward Reese – Director – Pennsylvania Markets, GPD Group
Daniel Laird – Director of Business Development, Hill International
Vaibhar Swami – Operations & Strategy, AWK Engineering
Jeff Rossi – Business Development Manager, ATC Group Services
Those who were re-elected as SPEO Directors to a second term include:
Renee DeMichiei Farrow – Director of Business Development, Architectural Innovations, LLC
Lisa Edmonds – Acting Director, Allegheny County, Department of Equality and Inclusion
Jonathan Shimko – Sr. Project Manager, McKim & Creed, Inc.
Charles Jordan – Business Project Manager, MS Consultants
George Robinson – Director of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, UPMC
PA Brownfields Highlights
The ESWP was pleased to partner again with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in presenting the 2020 Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference. Held at State College, PA in the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center over March 9-11, almost 400 participants attended the conference.
This year we attracted 55 vendors to the exhibit hall, making it the highest attended in our history. In addition, attendees were able to select from over 20 different presentations and three general sessions which included state and federal updates on Brownfields programs, a futures forecast, and an informative, educational, and uplifting story on one business’s success that chose a brownfield as a place to build and expand their business. (Learn more about Crazy Aaron’s “Thinking Putty” success at Puttyworld.com.) To learn more about the conference and the presentations please visit our Brownfields Conference page: https://eswp.com/brownfields/overview/
ESWP Member News
With sadness, we reflect in the passing of Dr. Alfred Ackenheil, longtime member of the Engineers’ Society of Western PA. He was a consulting civil engineer for 65 years. He was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 42 years and was a respected mentor of his students. He was an avid supporter of overseas Christian missionaries as well as ESWP’s Student Outreach activities. “Doc” as he was affectionately known, was the 1996 recipient of ESWP’s William Metcalf Award, given for lifetime achievement. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
ESWP Banquet Recap
Oh what a night! Nearly 400 guests participated in the ESWP 136th Annual Engineering Awards Banquet, held in the Allegheny Ballroom of the Westin Hotel on Thursday, February 6. Master of Ceremonies Rick Sebak presided over the event, providing a few tantalizing trivia questions to the crowd, in the style he is so famous for. Along the way, awards were presented to Trevor Divine and Simone Stein, recipients of the George Washington Prize, presented by the University of Pittsburgh’s Dean of Engineering James Martin, and Carnegie Mellon University’s Dean of Engineering Bill Sanders respectfully. Following, ESWP President Dave Borneman presented Mr. Bill White with ESWP’s inaugural Educator of the Year Award for his in-class and extracurricular activities at the Avonworth School District, promoting STEM education. Following, Mr. Borneman recognized Dr. Brandon Grainger with the Engineer of the Year Award for his work in electrical power industry and leading the EPIC Conference in 2019. The Projects of the Year Awards were next up, recognizing the following:
- In the Transportation Category, we recognize the Bentleyville Interchange, and the Owner, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; the Engineer, ms consultants; the General Contractor, Golden Triangle Contracting; Survey Services, Monolah Basin Engineers; and Geotechnical Engineer, AWK Consulting Engineers
- In the Rehabilitation Category, we recognize the Liberty Tunnel Rehabilitation, and the Owner, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, District 11-0; the Engineer, WSP USA, Inc.; CM/CI Services, Hill International; and the three Contractors on this project: Wellington Power Corporation, Swank Construction Company, and Mosites Construction Company
- In the Innovation Category, we recognize the Pennsylvania Turnpike Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost 39.62, and the Owner, the PA Turnpike Commission; the Engineer, McCormick Taylor; the Construction Manager, Hill International; and the General Contractor Trumbull
- In the Education Category, we recognize the Point Park University Playhouse, and the Owner Point Park University; the Engineer/Architect, Westlake Reed Leskosky; and the General Contractor, PJ Dick.
- In the Emergency Rehabilitation Project of the Year, we recognize the Station Square Norfolk Southern Derailment, and the Owner, Port Authority of Allegheny County; the Engineer, GAI Consultants; the Construction Manager, SAI Consulting Engineers Inc.; and the General Contractor, Michael Facchiano Contracting, Inc.
The evening was highlighted by the presentation of the William Metcalf Award to Thomas G. Leech, P.E., S.E. Tom’s long career as a bridge engineer, along with his publishing and family interests were presented in video showing much of Tom’s work in all three areas. Special remarks were included by colleagues Tom Costello, Steve Shanley, Eric Veydt, and David Dzombak. Congratulations to Tom, and all of the award recipients, and thanks to all those who attended the Banquet!
ESWP’s Engineering Career Fair
ESWP’s Annual Engineering Career Fair was held on Friday, January 31, 2020 at the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania.
28 companies participated in greeting over 100 students from the tri-state area, providing a rare opportunity for students and professionals to meet employers and company representatives. Students also took advantage of the mock interviews, an opportunity for students and professionals to interact and get quick feedback on their resume and interview skills.
Thank you to all the companies and students who participated.
Future City Competition Results
The 20th Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition was held on January 19, 2019 at the Carnegie Science Center in the brand new PPG Science Pavilion.
Congratulations to the following winners of the 20th Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition!
- 1st Place: Fort Couch Middle School
- 2nd Place: St. Edmund’s Academy
- 3rd Place: West Mifflin Area School District
- 4th Place: St. Bede School
- 5th Place: Marion Center Jr./Sr. High School
Future City Pittsburgh Alumnus of the Year – Eric Belski, M.Sc.
Also, visit (and like!) our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pghfuturecity for more competition photos.
ESWP 2019 Awards of Excellence announcement!
Congrats to all the award winners!
Click on the picture to make your reservation for the annual banquet..
2020 ESWP Election Results
The election for the 2020 ESWP Board of Directors has officially closed on December 31,
and We are pleased to announce the following results:
For Officers:
President: David W. Borneman, P.E.
1st Vice-President: Tammi A. Halapin, P.E.
2nd Vice-President: James R. McMaster, PMP
Secretary: Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, P.E.
For Directors:
Christopher Hill
Wayne Johnson, P.E.
Patrick Leach, P.E.
Greg O’Hare, P.E.
Suresh Ramanathan
George Robinson II
Thomas Woodrow, P.E., BCEE
Congratulations to all of the newly elected Board Members!
To view the complete list of the 2020 Engineers’ Society Board of Directors please click here
‘Menard Group’ Company News
Seth Pearlman, P.E., D. GE, M.ASCE, the President and CEO of Menard Group USA,
- will be receiving ASCE’s 2020 Wallace Hayward Baker Award for Ingenious Innovation in the field of ground modification.
- The prestigious Wallace Hayward Baker award is given by the Geo-Institute in recognition of creative and innovative contributions in the field of ground modification.
- Pearlman, who earned a BS and an MS in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has more than 40 years of engineering experience and has worked on some of the most challenging ground improvement projects in the US.
Commenting on the award announcement Pearlman stated, “This is a great honor, and it is humbling to know that my contributions have been appreciated.”
Southern Beltway Tour
Twenty ESWP members participated in a presentation and tour of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Southern Beltway construction project on December 4. Presenters included Steve Hrvoich of the PATC, and Dale Rosinski and Matthew Steele from CDR Maguire. The tour was sponsored by Trumbull Corporation. During the presentation overview, participants learned some of the many details involved in this 13-mile long mega-project. Participants then boarded a shuttle bus to visit several points along the still-under-construction roadways and bridges, including a drive along a portion of the new roadway, not yet open to vehicular traffic. Big thanks to the PATC, CCDR Maguire, and Trumbull Corporation for hosting this tour.