PUBLIC WORKS LEADERS OF THE YEAR

Mr. Bennett Howell 

Mr. Bennett Howell is the City Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director of Haltom City. He holds Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degrees from the University of Houston. Bennett has more than 18 years of professional experience dealing with all aspects of management, staff development, project management and design. He serves on many committees at the North Texas Council of Government and conducts presentations to various government entities, clients, and trade shows.

Mr. Rueben Delgado

Mr. Ruben Delgado has been County Engineer in Collin County for almost 28 years. During his tenure, he has seen Collin County population grow from approximately 100,000 to over 650,000. Known for many contributions during this rapid growth, Ruben is responsible for Engineering and Development services for the county. As County Engineer, he successfully oversees the development and implementation of several transportation bonds that have reached almost $1 billion.

Mr. Shawn Poe

Mr. Shawn Poe is the Assistant Director of Public Works/City Engineer for the City of Rowlett. He is committed to every aspect of city projects to ensure successful completion. His technical and managerial skills and sensitivity to the community are cited as the reason for the success of his projects. Shawn is recognized for his outstanding job in managing engineering projects in his community.

PROFESSIONAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD:  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Mr. Ken Olson

Mr. Ken Olson has served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Lubbock for 12 years. Prior to being appointed to this position, Ken served as Fleet Services Director for 15 years. He is Past President of the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association and served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Texas Municipal League representing TPWA. He also served two terms as Chairman of the Emergency Management Committee for APWA.

PROFESSIONAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD:  SOLID WASTE

Mr. Bill Hindman

Mr. Bill Hindman is a managing principal at Chang, Patel and Yerby and his primary responsibilities include business operations, personnel supervision, project execution, and business development. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Masters of Engineering degree from Texas A&M University. During his 35-year career, Bill has provided professional engineering services to public and private clients in all areas of transportation, waste management and water/wastewater facilities.

PROFESSIONAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD:  TRANSPORTATION

Mr. Butch Davis

Mr. Butch Davis serves as a Vice President of Parkhill, Smith and Cooper. He is the Lubbock and Amarillo Offi ce Manager responsible for managing transportation engineering projects. Prior to joining PSC, Butch worked for six years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Texas Tech University and is a licensed Professional Engineer with 30 years of experience.

THE RICHARD RIDINGS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AWARD

Mr. Jerry Holder

Mr. Jerry Holder is an active community leader in Frisco, Texas. As a graduate of Leadership Frisco, he chaired the class project, WaterWise. The WaterWise project developed a water conservation program for the community. Jerry serves on the Board of Directors of the Frisco Family Services Center and is now serving his second term as President of the organization. The Frisco Family Services Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide social services to individuals and families in need and assists them in becoming productive members of the community. He also serves as a Board member of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation.

THE BILL HOGGE AWARD: OUTSTANDING CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENT AND EXCELLENCE IN CHAPTER SERVICES

Ms. Jayne Longley

Ms. Jayne Longley continues to be active in TPWA even after retiring from City of Houston in 2001. She was the fi rst female President of the Texas Chapter APWA. She recently completed 13 years of continuous membership in the organization and has served through all the chairs of the South East Texas Branch as well as the Texas Chapter. Currently she serves as Executive Administrator of the South East Branch and is the newly appointed Texas Chapter Historian. Jayne worked tirelessly to bring training programs to every level of public works. Her passion for public service and the development of public works professionals is contagious – she has initiated several training and professional development programs.

THE JOHN TIEPEL AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE

The City of Grapevine and Keep Grapevine Beautiful Coalition

The City of Grapevine and the Keep Grapevine Beautiful Coalition are committed to environmental excellence and have established many programs that enhance environmental awareness and the wise use of natural resources. One of the programs is a comprehensive recycling effort during festivals. The environmental stewardship during the festivals is very hard work but the results are remarkable. The Grapevine Steering Committee and the Festival Staff have worked diligently to initiate responsible environmental administration at community festivals throughout the year. The program encompasses the entire community including city staff, volunteers, contractors and citizens.

PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OF THE YEAR:   STRUCTURES $2-10 MILLION

The Culebra/Loop 410 Regional Storm Water Detention Facility
CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

This detention facility was proposed in the 1996 Leon Creek Watershed Master Drainage Plan – the first of its kind in the Leon Creek Watershed. The 50-acre site is located on private property and is designed to operate in a straightforward manner using only gravity flow to get floodwater in and out of the facility. The primary concern was building an effective structure while preserving the natural environment. Great care
was taken to preserve the old grove of pecan trees and archeological finds including native Indian artifacts. The project was handled in the utmost sensitive manner with great respect and dignity ensuring that our heritage and diverse culture is preserved.

PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OF THE YEAR TRANSPORTATION: LESS THAN $2 MILLION

The City of Sugar Land
Traffic Management Center

In 1997 the City of Sugar Land owned and operated one traffic signal and had no dedicated traffic management personnel. Today, Sugar Land has a dedicated team that manages 68 traffic signals within the city from the Traffic Management Center (TMC). The first three phases of the Traffic Management Center were completed in 2005 and Sugar Land is in the process of developing the second Master Plan. Recently the City was awarded federal grant funding to tie the TMC to the Houston TranStar system.

President George Bush Turnpike Landscaping Project

The President George Bush Turnpike Landscaping Project is the first major landscape project implemented under the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) system wide design guidelines. NTTA oversaw this project from conception to completion with a finesse that comes with years of experience and dedication. NTTA partnered with cities and industries along the corridor to build consensus and the results have been outstanding from both an aesthetic and practical viewpoint.

J.C. Wood, Mike Dillow, Bryan Dennis, Mark Parsons, Marc Moser, Tony Lucido, Roy Hoffman, Tom Kramer, Del Essary

The Milwaukee Avenue Project 
City of Lubbock

The $18 million seven-lane urban arterial project in the City of Lubbock was taken from conception to completion in just over two years. In less than one year, the Milwaukee Avenue project moved from conception to contract bidding. The 3.7- mile thoroughfare – consisting of new-location roadway construction – was funded entirely by the City of Lubbock and adjacent landowners. This project represents the first time the City of Lubbock built a major thoroughfare ahead of adjacent development, collecting roadway funds from landowners to help fund the project.

The Rustic Channel 
City of Pasadena

The City of Pasadena undertook this project to find a solution to a drainage problem. The objectives of the project were diverse and included reduction of maintenance and the creation of an aesthetically pleasing project to the community with minimal disruption to the environment. The project objectives were met and embraced by the community. The project involved coordination between the city, the engineers, the contractors, and the residents living along this project.

PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OF THE YEAR: DISASTER OR EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION LESS THAN $2 MILLION

The Tanker Fire Emergency Construction and Repair

The North Texas Tollway Authority is challenged with meeting regional transportation demands while achieving its mission of improving mobility and providing fiscally sound toll facilities in the Metroplex. The Tanker Fire Event occurred on a busy Saturday during the start of a holiday season and tested the NTTA strategy to achieve its mission. The North Texas Tollway Authority and its consulting team demonstrated a well-thought-out strategy accomplishing the reconstruction and repair of a tanker within two weeks of the initial fire. The success of the project is attributed to teamwork and constant communication with the public. 

Charles Wallace, Rocky Gill, Nathan Hale, J.C. Wood, Mike Dillow, Dave Fink, Mark Parsons, Clarence Daughtery, Trish Blackburn, Del Essary

TPWA South East Branch

In 1998 the South East Branch began hosting a website, with South East Branch member Mark Hochstein serving as web master. As the brainchild of Jayne Longley, the website was opened to the entire Texas Chapter, making it possible for all Branches to have a page announcing information and meetings. The South East Branch continued to provide the hosting for eight years. Today, Mark Hochstein remains an outstanding webmaster for the Chapter and Branches. Because of the commitment of the South East Branch, the website has evolved to become the most readily accessible source of all TPWA Chapter and Branch activity.

South East Branch President Naomi Hines accepts award on behalf of the South East  Branch

TYMCO Regenerative Air Sweepers Waco

TPWA counts on the generosity of its vendors and exhibitors to support our Annual Conference and Short Course allowing public works professionals to develop their technical and managerial skills through low cost programming. TPWA can count on TYMCO support that is genuine and heartfelt with no expectation of return. The sincerity of TYMCO support is shown by the number of TYMCO employees who are members of APWA. “What can we do?” is the phrase heard often from TYMCO’s Kenneth Young and Tom Roykas.

Ron Harper

While serving as an associate for Freese and Nichols in McKinney, Mr. Ron Harper, P. E., led the Texas Chapter through many successful projects which resulted in the Texas Chapter receiving the coveted American Public Works Association President Award for Chapter Excellence. He facilitated the creation and adoption of new Chapter bylaws and initiated a much-needed and beneficial membership survey. Ron oversaw the expansion and naming of the new Chapter Awards program, the successful 2005 Short Course and Annual Conference, the beginning stages of the 2007 Congress and the growth of the Participant newsletter in to a full fledge professional magazine. The Texas Chapter sincerely thanks Ron for a productive year and for his service as President.