Engineer of the Year Nominees.

Marka "Anne" Brooks

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers

Marka "Anne" Brooks, P.E., earned her civil engineering degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1988 and embarked on an extensive career in Alaska. She established her own firm in 1993, with a focus in transportation planning and public involvement, geotechnical project support, and water and wastewater projects. She also has significant prior experience in cost analysis and engineering technical support in the oil industry.

Examples of her 1999 work include. The Alaska Public Transportation Management Plan: 1999 Update; project management; permitting and report preparation for water use and ice road construction for Arco's Alpine development, public involvement for the Anchorage School District's secondary school planning; O'Malley road reconstruction; Fireweed Lane safety project in Anchorage; and the Gravina access project in Ketchikan. Brooks also provided research and development of geotechnical data for housing and airport projects in over 23 communities in rural Alaska.

Her professional society involvement includes 1998/'99 board member of Alaska Engineering Education Foundation, 1998/'99 state secretary for the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers.

Brooks holds a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and an A.S. in business administration from Northern Arizona University. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Alaska.

Herbert E. Everett

Nominated by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Alaska Chapter

Herbert E. Everett is director of Safety and Workers' Compensation for Westmark Hotels Inc. "Safety Herb," as he is known throughout Alaska, is a long-time Alaskan who has dedicated more than 25 years of his life's work to improving safety through safety system engineering and system safety analysis programs.

Everett came to Alaska in 1985 as chief of ground safety for the Alaska Air Command. Upon retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 1989, he joined VECO Corp. as a safety engineer during the Valdez oil spill cleanup operation. He worked as safety coordinator for Anchorage Telephone Utility after the cleanup, then moved to Holland America Westours Inc. in 1991 to serve in his current position.

"Safety Herb" has a track record of continuous success in reducing injuries and cost through implementation of programs that focus on the right and safe way to conduct business. He is active in community service and serves in key positions with professional and non-profit organization throughout Alaska and the Lower 48.

Donald J. Iverson

Nominated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 

Donald J. Iverson is the principal electrical engineer for Coffman Engineers Inc., an Anchorage-based consulting firm. His extensive body of professional work includes national and international projects, many of which are considered "first" among his peers. He has provided expertise to many unique projects in Alaska in the areas of industrial instrumentation and controls, primary power distribution, educational and industrial facilities, and fuel handling and process controls-meeting the geographic and climate challenges of the Last Frontier. Iverson is registered as a Professional Engineer in Alaska, Washington, California, Oregon and New Jersey.

Iverson's reputation and expertise in building safety codes and standards has led to his selection to various state and local public boards and professional organizations, including service in the Anchorage Building Safety Board. Gov. Tony Knowles appointed him to service on the State of Alaska's Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyor's Board of Registration in 1998.

Iverson has a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and was the 1995 chairman of the IEEE Alaska Section. He is also member of Professional Engineers in Private Practice, National Society of Professional Engineers, National Fire Protection Association, Society of Fire Protection Engineers and National Association of Corrosion Engineers.

Colin Maynard

Nominated by the Construction Specifications Institue

Colin Maynard, P.E., is a principal of BBFM Engineers, one of Alaska's premiere structural engineering firms. A West High graduate, he has a B.S. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of technology and M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has 19 years experience in design offices in Anchorage and New York City. His recent experience includes the Unalaska Museum, Consolidated Public Health Lab and Medical Examiner's Facility, three Anchorage elementary school renewals and Teeland Middle School, Wasilla.

Past projects include the Anchorage Museum addition, Ketchikan High School addition and remodel, Seward Army Recreation Camp, Adak Middle School and the PPG corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh.

In addition to his engineering work, Maynard is heavily involved in professional and community activities. He is president-elect of the Construction Specifications Institute, president of the Alaska Engineering Education Foundation, and a past president of the Alaska Professional Design Council and the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers. His community volunteer efforts include membership on the Anchorage Building Board and the Mayor's Task Force on Permitting. He is Scoutmaster of Troop 125 and a member of United Way's Alexis de Tocqueville Society and Trustee Council. The Alaska Society of Professional Engineer's Anchorage Chapter nominated him for Engineer of the Year in 1993.

Patrick L. McGuire

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Petroleum Engineers

Pat McGuire is a senior staff engineer with Arco Alaska Inc. in Anchorage. He has a B.S. from New Mexico State University and a M.S. from the University of New Mexico, both in mechanical engineering. Since 1986 he has been responsible for the management and expansion of the Prudhoe Bay Miscible Gas Project, which is the world's largest enriched gas flood.

McGuire has pioneered several new oil recovery processes and has developed new techniques for the analysis of thermodynamically complex projects. He previously worked for Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories. He authored two technical papers on drilling technology while at Sandia, and four technical papers on the development of methane hydrates as an energy resource while at Los Alamos. He has written five technical papers on Prudhoe Bay enhanced oil recovery while work for Arco. He holds four U.S. patents.

While serving as a disunguished lecturer for the Society of Petroleum Engineers during 1998 and 1999, McGuire addressed approximately 30 SPE sections in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. His Prudhoe Bay papers have been peer-reviewed and published in various SPE journals.

McGuire is an active member of Faith Christian Community, where he has taught both adult and youth Sunday school and is the country director for China Missions. He is also a volunteer for Reasons to Believe, an international Christian ministry to scientists and engineers.

Kelly S. Merrill

Nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers 

Kelly S. Merrill, P.E., is the chief Alaska geotechnical engineer for CH2M HILL and project manager for all phases of geotechnical project execution, including studies, design and construction. He is also the group leader and project delivery coordinator for the CH2M HILL Alaska Transportation Group.

Merrill has 20 years of experience as project manager and geotechnical engineer for numerous projects involving both onshore and offshore facilities throughout the world. He has participated in projects in the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf of Mexico, offshore California and several locations overseas (North Sea, West Africa, Indonesia, Persian Gulf, Eastern Russia).

Merrill's Alaska experience totals 12 years. Recent technical focuses have been cold region applications, deep foundations and landfill geosynthetics. He has authored technical papers in each area and made numerous technical presentations to professional groups. Projects managed by Merrill have won prestigious national awards.

Merrill holds B.A. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering and has attained professional engineering registration in Alaska, Washington and Texas. His American Society of Civil Engineers activities include seven years as an active officer of the ASCE Anchorage Branch or Alaska Section and membership in the Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering.

Mary Catherine Miner Nominated by the Society of Women Engineers

Mary Catherine Miner, P.E, is a commissioned officer with the U.S. Public Health Service and is on detail with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. She has worked for the ANTHC since 1997.

The ANTHC, DEHE provides engineering design and construction services for development of water, sewer and solid waste systems in Native Alaskan communities. As a project manager, she leads sanitation facility design and construction projects.

Miner was transferred to the ANTCH in Alaska in 1990 as a field engineer, assigned to the Western District. She worked in the design branch, developing projects, assisting communities in securing funding, designing systems and coordinating construction permits. Miner took on additional project and program responsibilities and was promoted to senior field engineer. She also served for four years on the DEHE Quality Council, representing the field staff.

Prior to transferring to Alaska, Miner was detailed to the Navajo Area Office of Environmental Health and Engineering at Fort Defiance where she worked as a field engineer, designing and managing construction of water and sewer systems in northeast Arizona. While at Fort Defiance, she served as acting office manager where she oversaw daily operations of the engineering field office in addition to maintaining project-related responsibilities.

Lt.Cdr. Miner began her engineering career as a summer intern with the State of Alaska, Village Safe Water Program. While with VSW, she worked in Bettles, Ivanof Bay, Perryville and Quinhagek performing preliminary design work and construction inspections.

Douglas Murray Nominated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers

Douglas Murray was born in Corvalis, Ore., but spent his formative years in Juneau where he graduated from high school. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1983. He spent an additional year of post-graduate study specializing in arctic engineering.

Murray moved back to Juneau in 1984 and began employment at Vernon Akin and Associates. In 1989 he became a registered mechanical engineer in Alaska. Murray currently resides and works in Juneau.

In 1992 he purchased the firm from Vernon Akin and is currently president of Murray & Associates, P.C. He has been the project manager and design mechanical engineer for numerous projects.

Murray also has a strong background in adjusting and troubleshooting mechanical systems. His engineering experience includes condition surveys of existing facilities; design of heating, ventilation, fire suppression and piping systems; and design and coordination of a building energy management automatic control system.

His project experience ranges from public facilities and multiple-dwelling housing units to commercial offices, retail shops, elderly housing, schools, hospitals, swimming pools and industrial shops. He is affiliated with many national and regional organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers; the National Society of Professional Engineers; the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers; Professional Engineers in Private Practice; and the National Fire Protection Association.

Thomas J. O'Grady, II Nominated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 

Thomas J. O'Grady, II, P.E., is principal mechanical engineer with VECO Alaska Inc. Current projects include the $38 million Point McIntyre Project, the largest oilfield development project to be completely engineered in Alaska; the $50 million Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar project for SRI International; the Valdez Marine Terminal Incinerator Waste Gas Piping project; and the recently awarded $25 million co-generation plant at Unocal's Nikiski plant.

Prior to joining VECO, he retired from Arco Alaska Inc. after a 23-year career in engineering and project management. During that time he wrote new standards and criteria for pipelines and module piping that have been adopted throughout the North Slope. He conducted Supplier Quality Surveillance assessments of engineering contractors, as well as numerous manufacturers, both foreign and domestic.

He managed the reconditioning of 80 miles of above-ground lines experiencing severe external corrosion and led an interdepartmental team to analyze the complete life-cycle costs of valves. He has authored a number of technical papers and is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, currently serving as the secretary for the Alaska Section. He is also a member of several national standards committees, serving as vice chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers B31.4/l1 Liquid and Slurry Piping Transportation Systems, and as a voting member of the B31 Mechanical Design Technical Committee and the B31 Standards Committee. He has a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Scott E. Thomas Nominated by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and Planners

Scott E. Thomas, P.E., is a professional civil engineer with 12 years experience in transportation design and construction. He studied engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and worked summer internships on village sanitation projects and survey crews. After graduating, he trained for two years with the Ohio Department of Transportation. He returned to Alaska to apprentice in the construction trades and then later began work with the Alaska Department of Transportation. For the past 10 years, he has supported a wide range of road projects in Alaska.

Thomas has performed field surveys, laid out gravel roads, an arctic pipeline, and a sewage lagoon. He's prefabricated, adjusted and installed water mains. His designs successfully stabilized and helped pave roads in downtown Sand Point and Bethel under the worst of soil conditions.

He has developed road projects in Homer, Soldotna, Kenai, Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer. Thomas is continuing to advance major intersection projects to ease congestion in Anchorage. He recently completed critical traffic studies, which helped gain approvals to extend C Street south. Thomas is active with the Alaska Institute of Transportation Engineers. He assists with student events at the University of Alaska and volunteers with the Alaska National Guard Youth Corps.

James R. Volz

Nominated by the Society of American Military Engineers

James R. Volz has been the chief of the Environmental Engineering Branch of the Alaska District since April 1993. He is responsible for investigation and design of environmental projects in Alaska under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites, support for the Installation Restoration Program for the Army and Air Force, and support for other federal agencies. The district's environmental program over the last five years has been between $60 and $80 million per year.

Prior to this assignment, Volz was the chief of the Environmental Program of the Projects and Program Management Division from October 1990 to April 1993. From 1982 to 1990, he was administrative contracting officer and Elmendorf resident engineer of the Construction Operations Division.

Major projects constructed under his supervision included a $60 million Snettisham hydroelectric power project near Juneau, $40 million minimally attended radar facilities at four remote Air Force sites, a $10 million Homer small boat harbor expansion, and various other military and civil works projects throughout Alaska.

Volz received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from South Dakota State University and has attended the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers and the treasurer for the Benjamin Talley Scholarship Endowment Fund. He was also treasurer of the Ptarmigan PTA, financial secretary for the Knights of Columbus, and on the board of the Alaska District Engineer Federal Credit Union.