FES offers the opportunity for professional recognition through its various awards programs. Selection is made by the FES Awards Committee, and recipients are recognized at the Annual Conference each summer and through the Society’s publications.
To complete and submit entry forms for annual awards, please read the Award Criteria and Procedures for each award and review the nomination forms carefully before beginning entries.
FES Annual Award Recipients
- Fellow Memberships
- Engineer of the Year Award
- Young Engineer of the Year Award
- Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession
- Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
- FECON Individual Excellence Award
- FPEG Professional Development Award
- FPEG Engineer of the Year Award
- FPEI Engineer of the Year Award
- FPEI New Product Award
- Award for Chapter Excellence (ACE)
Fellow Memberships
Fellow memberships are awarded to Professional Engineer members of FES in recognition of their high character and distinguished achievements. It is given to those members who best exemplify the ideal image of the Professional Engineer. It is desirable that the candidate has a well-rounded record of achievement in education, employment, and professional and public service activities.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by February 15, 2025.
2025 Fellow Nomination Form
2024 Fellow Members
Rick Acree, PE
Rick has 30 years of experience as a Geotechnical Engineer, and has worked on hundreds of local municipal, FDOT, private sector and commercial projects throughout Florida. He is currently a Senior Principal and Vice President at Terracon. He has been active with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Transportation Committee since 2002 and is the incoming President of the ACEC Florida Executive Board. He is a proud graduate of the inaugural class of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (2003).
Gustavo Quesada, PE
With a focus on transportation infrastructure, Gus has more than 30 years of diversified technical experience in the capacity of a consulting engineer, construction manager, and program manager for major construction projects. He is licensed Profession Engineer in Florida, and by reciprocity, in Texas, Georgia and Puerto Rico. Gus is an equity partner with BCC ENGINEERING, LLC., where he resides as one of the firm’s leaders, supporting growth and development in his industry.
Engineer of the Year Award
The Engineer of the Year Award is given to the one member of FES each year that best exemplifies the ideal image of the Professional Engineer. The award may be given in recognition of an individual who has established a record of consistent quality over a long period of time or to an individual who has established an outstanding record over a short period of time. It is desirable that the candidate has a well-rounded record of achievement in education, employment, and professional and public service activities.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by March 15, 2025.
2025 Engineer of the Year Nomination Form
2024 Engineer of the Year
Jose L. Acosta, PE
Jose is the Executive Vice President for Chen Moore and Associates. He has served as President of the Miami Chapter of the Florida Engineering Society (2022-2023) and serves as Florida Chair for the ACEC/PAC. He’s known for his hundreds of successful Florida public and private civil engineering utility, municipal and land development projects as a Senior Engineer and Engineer of Record. He’s a graduate of the University of Miami with a bachelor’s in civil and architectural engineering, and he holds a master’s in business administration from Auburn University.
Young Engineer of the Year Award
The Young Engineer of the Year Award is an opportunity to distinguish an up-and-coming leader from your chapter. The award honors the FES member who is 34 years of age or younger on January 1 of the year in which the award is presented, who best exemplifies the ideal image of the young engineer. Nominees shall be a registered Professional Engineer or Engineer Intern and be an FES member in good standing. It is desirable that the candidate has a well-rounded record of achievement in education, employment, professional, and public service activities. The award is given to one member of FES each year.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by March 15, 2025.
2025 Young Engineer of the Year Nomination Form
2024 Young Engineer of the Year
Enit Medina, PE
Enit brings 11 years of engineering expertise to her role as Project Engineer at Halley Engineering and Contractors. She focuses on conventional, design-build, and cost-saving initiatives, delivering outstanding results throughout her career. During her tenure, she has also distinguished herself in maintenance of traffic and large design-build contracts, showcasing her exceptional technical and management skills. Her proficiency extends to successfully completing designs for a diverse array of transportation projects in South Florida.
Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession Award
The Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession Award is given each year to an individual who has, by virtue of his/her service, had a significant positive impact on the engineering profession. The award may be given in recognition of an individual who has established a consistent record of service over a long period of time or to an individual whose contribution is short-lived but exceptional. It is desirable that the candidate has a well-rounded record of achievement in education, employment, professional, and public service activities.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by March 15, 2025.
2025 Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession Nomination Form
2024 Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession Award
Carnot W. Evans, PEÂ
Carnot is a Senior Project Manager with Dewberry. He has 19 years of experience in delivering program management services for transportation agencies and managing a wide range of roadway and transit projects. During his career, he has worked on a variety of transportation projects for local, state and federal clients across six states. Carnot currently serves as the Deputy Program Manager for the General Engineering Consultant to the Central Florida Expressway Authority. He is responsible for managing several complex design and construction projects and helping DFX deliver on its $4.17 billion Five-Year Work Plan.
Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
The Outstanding Technical Achievement Award may be given each year to an individual who, as project engineer or project manager, has achieved particular distinction in his/her own technical field and mode of practice, which may be government, education, industry, construction or private practice. The technical achievement shall be one that enhances the engineering profession and contributes to the good of the public. The award may be given in recognition of a singular achievement or a series of achievements which are recognized within the profession as being unique, innovative and/or outstanding. The candidate shall have a record of active participation in professional and technical society activities and shall have a record of professional development through continuing education.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by March 15, 2025.
2025 Outstanding Technical Achievement Nomination Form
2024 Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
Christopher Frank, PEÂ
Christopher understands the importance of combining sound engineering with local community needs while producing innovative, clear and thorough construction plans to ensure successful project delivery. During his 23 years in the transportation engineering industry, he has taken multiple transportation projects from the PD&E study phase, through design optimization, and supported them through final construction. He serves as President of the Florida Engineering Society’s Central Florida Chapter board, and is a graduate of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute Class of 2024. He also holds a civil engineering degree from the University of Central Florida with top of class recognition from Chi Epsilon.
Dana Gillette, PEÂ
Dana is a Principal Associate at Erdman Anthony, bringing over 30 years of experience as a civil engineer and land surveyor in Florida. She has designed numerous projects for both public and private clients. In 1995, she founded Crossroads Engineering and Surveying, serving as president until its merger with Erdman Anthony in 2004. At Erdman Anthony, Dana continues to lead the civil engineering efforts for the firm’s Florida operations. She holds an engineering degree from the University of Florida.
FECON Individual Excellence Award
The Florida Engineers in Construction Individual Excellence Award (IEA) is presented to the nominated professional who has made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement, improvement, and accelerated awareness of how engineers shall protect, defend and maintain the safety and welfare of the public.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
2024 FECON Individual Excellence Award
Omar Rodriguez, PE, CGC, Assoc. DBIA
FPEG Professional Development Award
The Professional Development Award recognizes employers of engineering personnel that have made outstanding contributions to the advancement and improvement of the engineering profession through employment policies and practices. These Professional Development Awards are presented to the nominated employer of engineering personnel who has made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the engineering profession through its employment policies and practices in accord with established professional practices as outlined in Guidelines to Professional Employment for Engineers and Scientists. Factors considered include indoctrination, conditions of employment, recruiting practices, utilization of personnel, encouragement of registration, compensation, professional development, and internal communications.
This award is presented to employers in government (FPEG).
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
2022 FPEG Professional Development Award
City of Clearwater
FPEG Engineer of the Year Award
Engineer of the Year awards recognize the nominated engineer who has made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement of engineers in government (FPEG).
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
2024 FPEG Government Engineer of the Year AwardÂ
Kevin Thibault, PE
FPEI Engineer of the Year Award
Engineer of the Year awards recognize the nominated engineer who has made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement of engineers in industry (FPEI).
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
Please contact Kamryn Hacker for additional information or questions.
2023 FPEI Industry Engineer of the Year Award
Nitesh Goli
FPEI New Product Award
New and improved products stimulate the life and growth of Florida. These benefits result from research and development to which engineers make a unique contribution. This competition recognizes the results of those efforts and the foresight of the companies whose support brings new products to the marketplace. The purpose of the FPEI New Product Award is to recognize the full spectrum of benefits that come from the research and engineering of new products in our state.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
Please contact Kamryn Hacker for additional information or questions.
Award for Chapter Excellence (ACE) Award
The ACE Award competition emphasizes individual chapter activities. The ACE Award is presented to the winning chapters at the FES/ACEC-FL Annual Conference in August. The emphasis on individual activities should allow for even competition between all chapters — small, medium, or large.
The award nomination form is due to FES Headquarters by Friday, April 18, 2025.
Please contact Kamryn Hacker for additional information or questions.
2025 Award for Chapter Excellence Application
2024 ACE Award Recipients
First Place – Miami Chapter
Second Place –Â Northeast Chapter
Third Place –Â Palm Beach Chapter
Student Chapter Award Recipients
Student Service Award
The Student Service Award is given to an officer or committee chairman of an FES Student Chapter who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the promotion of the engineer image by their professionalism and ethics, technical societies, campus politics or activities, engineering college projects, or community service.
2024 Student Service Award
Veronica Calzadilla Sosa, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Veronica attended the rigorous “Lenin” boarding school, fostering responsibility and camaraderie. She graduated from Miami Dade College in April 2024 with an Associate’s Degree in chemical engineering, and is now poised to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, driven by a passion for science and a determination to succeed.
Outstanding Service to a Student Chapter Award
The Outstanding Service to a Student Chapter Award is given to a member of FES who is not a faculty member who consistently works to instill the ideals of professional engineering in the students, shows support and offers guidance to engineering students, and encourages participation in a worthwhile student activities and societies.
2024 Outstanding Service to a Student Chapter Award
Abid Hossain, Florida International University
Abid is a Ph.D. Candidate at Florida International University (FIU). He completed his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). His research revolves around Transportation Planning, Asset Management, and Data Analysis. His work on pavement quality control, bridge life expectancy modeling, and UHPC concrete has been published in esteemed journals. He has also reviewed papers for peer-reviewed journals like Transportation Research Record. In addition to his academic pursuits, Mr. Hossain has demonstrated leadership skills through various roles within the academic community. He has served as the Vice President of the Florida Engineering Society at FIU, the President of the Bangladesh Student Organization at FIU, and the RSO representative for the FIU ITE Student Chapter.
2024 Outstanding Contribution to a Student Chapter Award
Sarah Paschke, University of Miami
Sarah Paschke is a Civil Engineering major in the class of 2025 at the University of Miami. She
served as the External Vice President of UM ASCE-FES and the Project Manager for the 2024
Concrete Canoe Competition. She led her team to their first appearance at the SE Symposium
since 2019. She is immensely grateful for this award and is excited to see the future of UM ASCE-FES!
Engineering Faculty Member of the Year
The Engineering Faculty Member of the Year is awarded to a member of the engineering faculty at a school with a current FES student chapter who consistently works to promote the ideals of professional engineering within the educational system, shows a superior ability to communicate the fundamentals of engineering to engineering students on a consistent basis, supports and guides engineering students, and encourages participation in worthwhile student activities and societies.
2024 Engineering Faculty Member of the Year
Carlos M. Chang, PhD, PE, Florida International University
Dr. Chang is recognized as a global expert on infrastructure specializing in pavements and bridges. His research focusses on innovative concepts, methodologies, and practical tools for engineering and management applications. With over 30 projects in a leadership role, his academic work is documented in over 200 publications. Driven by a passion for education, Dr. Change has developed an extensive teaching portfolio with more than 20 courses. He is committed to integrating cutting-edge research with engineering best practices ot sustain infrastructure systems.
2024 Most Active Student Chapter Award Alpha/Beta & Delta
Alpha/Beta Chapter: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Honorable Mention: University of Florida
Delta Chapter: Valencia College
Honorable Mention: Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
2024 Most Improved Student Chapter Award
2024 Most Improved Student Chapter: University of Central Florida
2024 Honorable Mention: Florida International University