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The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has welcomed seven (7) professional engineers to its 2025 class of Fellow members. The Fellow designation honors active NSPE members who have demonstrated exemplary and devoted service to their profession, the Society, and their community. Requirements for the title include holding at least one elected office at any level and active involvement at the national level.

Among this year’s distinguished honorees is Brian LaFoy, P.E., ENV SP, from Texas. LaFoy has been a dedicated member of NSPE and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) for many years. LaFoy has more than 30 years of design and construction experience across a diverse array of infrastructure projects. He serves as a vice president and North Texas market leader at Halff, where he provides guidance, strategy, and direction for various market areas. He previously worked for Kimley-Horn for nearly a decade and last served as a practice builder and specialized in transportation, structural engineering, and construction management at Nathan D. Maier Consulting Engineers (1997-2015).

As a project engineer and manager, La Foy has been involved in the building of bridges, roadways, and other heavy civil structures. These are endeavors that have afforded him an extensive skillset and knowledge base that has allowed him to bring projects in on-time and on-budget. He has become an industry leader in bridge rehabilitation innovation and accelerated bridge construction methods, and he holds US patents for the methods he has devised. Among his successes are the rehabilitation of some of the country’s most iconic bridges, including the Houston Street Viaduct Bridge in downtown Dallas and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge in Louisiana. He has also worked on the design and construction of many light rail systems.

La Foy has long been a strong advocate for both TSPE and NSPE, encouraging and promoting the licensed practice of engineering. He first became active through the Dallas Chapter and rose through the ranks to serve as the TSPE president (2023-2024). During his term, he visited 21 of the 25 state chapters and implemented numerous task forces, roundtables, and subcommittees with the goal of encouraging participation, improving member value, and strategizing about future plans. He currently serves on the Texas Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees and is the chair of the education committee. He recently helped the University of Texas at Austin to restart their student chapter and continues to serve as a chapter mentor.

Over the course of his career, La Foy has won numerous engineering awards. He received the TSPE Engineer of the Year in 2016 and the TSPE President’s Award in 2021. He also received the Urban Design Award, ASLA Merit Award, and Envision Platinum Award.

NSPE state and territorial societies can nominate one person for each 500 voting members on their rolls per year. Nominations are also open to NSPE interest groups, chartered affinity groups, and the Board of Directors. Since its establishment in 2000, around one percent of all NSPE members have advanced to this highest rank in volunteer membership.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we recognize this year’s class of Fellows, who have been selected by their peers for exceptional and dedicated service at the chapter, state, and national levels of NSPE,” says NSPE President Brian Malm, P.E., F.NSPE. “NSPE is proud of their accomplishments and indelible mark on the engineering profession, the Society, and their communities. We look forward to their continued leadership and contributions.”

The 2025 NSPE Fellows include the following (in alphabetical order):

Phil Gundvaldson, P.E., South Dakota – North Central 
Susan Habina-Woolard, P.E., North Carolina – Southeast Region
Colin Hewett, P.E., Maine – Northeast Region
Brian LaFoy, P.E., ENV SP, Texas – Southwest Region
Jennifer Nolan-Kremm, P.E., Pennsylvania – Northeast Region
Travis L. Rhoades, P.E., Ohio – Central Region
Aurea L. Rivera, P.E., PMP, PMI-ACP, Ohio – Central Region