Florida Engineering Society Announces Outstanding Engineering Leaders
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (July 29, 2024) – Miami’s Jose L. Acosta, PE has been named Florida’s 2024 Engineer of the Year, and Enit Medina, PE, also of Miami, has been named Florida’s 2024 Young Engineer of the Year by the Florida Engineering Society (FES).
These, and six additional top engineering professional recognitions, were awarded to Florida’s top professional engineers during a ceremony held last week in Aventura.
“Florida is fortunate to have highly talented engineers that have been designing and shaping Florida’s future, and we’re pleased to honor their excellence and achievement in this industry,” said Allen Douglas, Executive Director, Florida Engineering Society.
2024 ENGINEER OF THE YEAR:
Jose L. Acosta, PE of Miami
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:
Enit Medina, PE of Miami
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.
Additionally, a professional engineer has been awarded the Outstanding Service award for making substantial contributions to the engineering profession.
The Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession honor was awarded to:
Carnot W. Evans, PE of Orlando
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.
Two were honored with the Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement:
Christopher Frank, PE of Orlando
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, PE of West Palm Beach
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.
The Faculty of the Year Award goes to:
Carlos M. Chang, Ph.D., PE of 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.
Additionally, two engineering leaders were designated as Fellow Members of FES for their exemplary character and distinguished accomplishments.
Engineers designated as 2024 Fellow Members of FES include:
Rick Acree, PE of Orlando
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 of Miami
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.
