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2018 Federal Engineer of the Year

2018 Federal Engineer of the Year Award Winner

2018 Federal Engineer of the Year Awards Video Highlights

Keynote Speaker Emilee P. Blount, P.E.

Emilee P. BlountEmilee P. Blount, P.E., is the Director of Engineering, Technology and Geospatial Services for the US Forest Service, headquartered in Washington D.C. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she is responsible for a complex infrastructure which includes over 300,000 miles of roads, 6,000 bridges, 16,500 administrative and research facilities, 2,000 broadband communication towers and 500 dams. This infrastructure supports the active management of 193 million acres of our nation’s forests and grasslands. In addition to traditional infrastructure, her portfolio encompasses 30,000 fleet, environmental restoration of past mining operations and formerly used defense sites, physical security, vulnerability assessments, remote sensing, aerial imagery, cartography, and technology transfer through product testing and development.

Ms. Blount graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and received a Master’s in Administration from Central Michigan. Following graduation, she spent several years in commercial development as a licensed General Contractor working for the private sector in the Research Triangle Park, NC. Ms. Blount entered federal government with the Department of Defense working both at an Air Force Installation level as well as for the Air Force Petroleum Agency. She then was selected as the Installation Support Site Director with the Defense Logistics Agency where she was responsible for a $900M environmental, security, safety, real property and infrastructure program for over 400 fuel depots worldwide. She spent several years in charge of project controls for the Washington Headquarters Services overseeing, cost, quality and scheduling for the Pentagon Renovation program and had the honor to oversee the construction of the Pentagon Memorial. Ms. Blount is a registered Professional Engineer and a licensed General Contractor in the state of North Carolina.

2018 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year Agency Winners

* Top Ten Finalists

  • Frank Block III, Ph.D., P.E.
     

    Frank Block III, Ph.D., P.E.*


    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    Food and Drug Administration

  • CDR Martin Casey, E.I.T.
     

    CDR Martin Casey, E.I.T.*


    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  • Raymond Hansen, P.E.
     

    Raymond Hansen, P.E.*


    U.S. Air Force
    Air Force Civil Engineer Center

  • COL John Henderson, P.E.
     

    COL John Henderson, P.E.*


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‐Omaha District

  • Phillip Hinson, P.E.
     

    Phillip Hinson, P.E.*


    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
    Veterans Health Administration

  • Garrett Karnowski, P.E.
     

    Garrett Karnowski, P.E.*


    U.S. Air Force
    Special Operations Command

  • Rafid Kully, Ph.D., P.E.
     

    Rafid Kully, Ph.D., P.E.*


    U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command

  • Marketa McGuire, P.E.
     

    Marketa McGuire, P.E.*


    U.S. Department of the Interior
    Bureau of Reclamation

  • MAJ Steven Schuldt, Ph.D., P.E.
     

    MAJ Steven Schuldt, Ph.D., P.E.*


    U.S. Air Force 8th Civil Engineer Squadron

  • Theresa Shirey, Ph.D., P.E.
     

    Theresa Shirey, Ph.D., P.E.*


    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division

  • Calvin Austin, P.E.

    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Facilities Engineering Command

  • Benjamin Blazek


    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Air Warfare Center ‐ Weapons Division

  • Ryan Owen Buckalew, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Europe

  • MAJ Adam William Burwinkle, P.E.


    U.S. Air Force
    Air Force Material Command

  • LT William Cotta, P.E.


    U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    U.S. Coast Guard

  • Lubin Gao, Ph.D., P.E.


    U.S. Department of Transportation
    Federal Highway Administration

  • Gregory Goza, P.E.


    Tennessee Valley Authority

  • LT Kelly Kachurak, P.E.


    U.S. Department of Interior
    National Park Service

  • David Kiefer, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‐Louisville District

  • Steve Marchi, P.E.


    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    U.S. Forest Service

  • Melissa Mullen, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‐Mississippi Valley Division

  • Mathew Panicker, Ph.D., P.E.


    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

  • Rick Poeppelman, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‐Sacramento District

  • Chandraika Sugrim, P.E.

    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Air System Command

  • LCDR Ryan Thrun, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Facilities Engineering Comman

  • Dennis Tierney, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport

  • Lyle Warnagieris, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Navy
    Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division

  • Patrick Wheeler, P.E.


    U.S. Department of the Army
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‐Seattle District

  • Julie Kramer White


    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Johnson Space Center

  • CDR Charissa Williar, P.E.


    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    Indian Health Service

  • Kip Yasumiishi, P.E.


    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Natural Resources Conservation Servic

Past FEYA Winners and Events »