2002 Engineer of the year nominees.

DAVID D. ADAMS, PE., L

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers

Dave Adams is a co-founder and principal electrical engineer of AMC Engineers. A graduate of Petersburg High School, he attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks before transferring to Stanford University where in 1975 he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with honors and a master's degree in electrical engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Alaska and Washington, and holds the "LC" Lighting Certification credential from the National Council on Qualification for the Lighting Professions.

An Anchorage resident since graduation, he worked for private engineering firms, including an assignment at Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Adams formed a sole proprietorship in 1981 that merged into Adams, Morgenthaler and Company Inc., now known as AMC Engineers.

Recent project highlights include numerous major developments at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, such as the new C Concourse, and recent changes within the South Terminal. Within the past two years he has served as overall principal-in-charge for more than 35 multi-discipline airport projects where AMC Engineers was the prime consultant.

Adams is an active advocate for the profession in legislative and local government policy-making, and remains involved in many professional society activities. His work has been published nationally on several occasions.

He has been continuously involved in nonprofit boards over the years, also serving on the executive committees of organizations, such as Alaska Public Telecommunications Inc. and Green Star. He is currently a member of the Anchorage Fish and Game advisory committee and the Green Star board.

Adams resides in South Anchorage with his wife, Jeannie, and their children Emily, Bonnie and Drex.

JOE ANDERS, PE.

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Petroleum Engineers

Joe Anders is the well integrity engineer at the Prudhoe Bay oilfield, working for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. in Anchorage. He has implemented management systems to ensure safe well operations, and has developed techniques for evaluating well mechanical conditions. He also has implemented Web-based data systems providing rapid access to well information. He previously worked offshore at the Gulf of Mexico and in south Louisiana as a production engineer, safety engineer and operations supervisor. He has a bachelor of science degree in geological engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, a master of science degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Houston and is a professionally registered engineer in petroleum engineering. He holds one patent.

Anders is active in Anchorage youth sports and school activities, coaching Junior Nordic skiing and conducting a rocket club for 5th and 6th grade children.

KATHLEEN L. GARDNER, P.E.

Nominated by the Society of American Military Engineers, Anchorage Post

Kathleen L. Gardner has more than 20 years experience in engineering, project management and supervision. She joined Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. in May 2001 and is currently developing and managing the Design Support Services Team in Anchorage. Prior to her time at APSC, Gardner spent 11 years in Alaska working for Enterprise Engineering Inc. and Coffman Engineers Inc. Gardner holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State University and is a registered professional engineer in both Alaska and California.

She has a long-standing dedication to both community and professional service, currently serving as vice chair on the Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors state licensing board. She is a director on the SAME board and stays active through participation in the annual banquet fund-raising and raffle activities. Other activities include former officer positions for the Alaska Professional Design Council, Society of Women Engineers and the Architecture/Engineering Marketing Association.

After-school tutoring and Girl Scout badge activities relating to science and engineering are her favorite activities. Gardner enjoys doing stained glass and all outdoor activities with her husband, Dave. In her 22 years of service, she finds helping others, work travels to Japan and serving as a sea otter rescue volunteer as part of her personally rewarding achievements.

CHARLES E. MAYER

Nominated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 

Charles E. Mayer is professor and department chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Mayer was born in the biggest state of the Union, and then moved north to the biggest state in the Union. (Alaska didn't become a state until 1959.) Coming from a family of educators, he learned early on the hardships and the joys of the education profession.

Education is Mayer's life work-aspiring to train the next generation of young minds--guiding their journey into becoming creative and productive engineers. He has taught 10 different classes at UAF (five on the graduate level), and two classes at the University of Texas. He has taught continuing education courses to engineers south of the Alaska Range. In research, he has brought in more than $1.5 million of external funding used to perform antenna, satellite and wireless research, and train graduate students. He has published more than 80 journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings and reports.

The Alaska Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognized Mayer as the Alaskan Engineer of the Year in 1993 and 2002. His service to the IEEE includes author and reviewer of numerous IEEE journal articles, Alaska IEEE section professional activities co-chair (11 years), and UAF IEEE student branch counselor (12 years).

STEVE NOBLE

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Civil Engineers

Steve Noble is the transportation design group leader for DOWL Engineers and has been a full-time practicing civil engineer at DOWL for the past seven years. In 1995, Noble graduated with a bachelor of science degree in civil and environmental engineering from Brigham Young University and completed his master of science degree in 1999, specializing in earthquake engineering. Noble became a licensed professional engineer in Alaska in 2000 and became a shareholder at DOWL in fall 2001.

Noble's expertise is transportation engineering, and he has performed project engineer/manager responsibilities on projects such as 15th Avenue safety improvements, Vandenberg Highway and Provider Drive upgrades, and Fairview and Mountain View traffic calming improvements.

Currently Noble is the independent design quality manager for the Glenn Parks Interchange and is working on several exciting transportation projects such as the Muldoon Town Center traffic study, West Northern Lights Boulevard upgrades, Denali Street and Lake Otis Parkway surface rehabilitation, Northwood Drive upgrades, and several large road reconstruction projects around Alaska in places like Prince of Wales Island, Gulkana, Deering and Kodiak.

Noble co-authored the Municipality's Traffic Calming Protocol Manual and is working with the Mat-Su Borough on a similar manual. In fall 2002, Noble taught transportation engineering as an adjunct faculty member at UAA. Noble has been married for eight years and is the father of five boys with twins due after press deadline (January).

JANET REISER

Nominated by the Society of Women Engineers

Janet Reiser is the president of NANA Pacific LLC, a design-build company and a subsidiary of the NANA Regional Corp. She has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo.

Reiser moved to Alaska in 1985 as a process engineer for Fluor Daniel. She was a designer of the vapor recovery, separation and compression systems. In 1991 she went to work for Test Alaska to head up the process-engineering group. Test Alaska went through a series of name and relationship changes. Test Alaska became NANA Test, then NANA Technical Services and finally NANA/Colt Engineering LLC. During this time she was promoted to management.

As vice president of NANA/Colt Engineering, she negotiated agreements for engineering alliances, service contracts and subcontract relationships. She also was responsible for the firm's performance on its contract terms and conditions, business development and financial oversight.

After four years as vice president of NANA/Colt Engineering, Reiser formed the startup team and devised the business plan for NANA Pacific LLC. NANA Pacific has been in operation less than a year, but during this time has achieved 8(a) certification, SOA DBE certification and various licenses to practice both in Alaska and Hawaii. NANA Pacific was recently selected for the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) with the U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska. MATOC has an anticipated contracting level of $ 120 million over three years.

Reiser is often asked to appear as a keynote speaker or panel participant at the Girls' Math and Science conference, give presentations to local classrooms and participate in Engineers Week. She enjoys running, swimming and competing in triathlons and distance swimming events. She devotes most of her time to her three children, volunteering as a volleyball coach, soccer coach and Girl Scout leader.

JOEL STOUT, P.E.

Nominated by the Institute of Transportation Engineers 

Joel Stout has more than 20 years of experience designing and building projects in Alaska. As a senior project manager with Lounsbury & Associates, he leads civil, street, and highway design teams and mentors young civil engineers. Currently, his teams are designing improvements for Victor Road and Muldoon Road.

Stout contributes significantly to improving traffic flow and traffic safety in Alaska. His Southport Drive project introduced modern roundabouts in Alaska and earned the Heart of Anchorage 2002 Urban Design Honor Award. Another recent project on Dowling Road includes an innovative interchange roundabout that will reduce traffic delay and save the cost of widening a bridge.

Stout was born and raised in Anchorage. He graduated from Dimond High School and received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from UAA. He is active in the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Stout enjoys tutoring students pursuing engineering education, and he served as the Institute of Transportation Engineers liaison to UAA. Other highlights of his community service include working on the Anchorage 2020 plan and organizing a public/private partnership to construct lighting along the Chester Creek Trail at no cost to Anchorage taxpayers. He also developed the informational www.alaskaroundabouts.com Web site that is receiving acclaim worldwide. The Web site describes the use and benefits of roundab outs and will continue to serve the public for many years as this form of traffic control is applied elsewhere in Alaska.

RONALD J. THOMPSON

Nominated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers Inc.

Ron Thompson is the building official for Anchorage, appointed by the mayor in April 2002. As building official, Thompson is responsible for all aspects of building safety in the community. Prior to being appointed building official, Thompson was the senior plan review engineer for Anchorage. His duties included supervising the plan review section of building safety; organizing and coordinating the operation of the permit counter and plans coordination sections; facilitating the building permit process for contractors, homeowners and other customers; and facilitating preliminary plan review meetings with customers. He was also the project manager for all outside plan reviews. Before he was promoted to the senior plan review engineer position, his job title was plan review engineer, specializing in reviewing mechanical/plumbing plans for compliance to adopted codes.

Prior to joining city government, Thompson was a mechanical engineer for FPE/ROEN Engineers Inc. Job duties there included designing and drafting mechanical/plumbing plans associated with construction projects.

Thompson has been an Alaska state licensed mechanical engineer since 1996. He graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1990 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He is a lifelong Alaskan and spends his free time coaching girls softball for Dimond West Little League and helping out with his son's hockey team in the Anchorage Hockey Association Northstar Comp program.