Celebrating Outstanding Achievements from #OurJacobs Teammates

Our brilliant teammates all around the world are doing incredible things every day to make the world smarter, more connected and more sustainable. In this article we’re celebrating the successes of our visionaries, thinkers and doers who are pushing the limits of what’s possible to create a better future for us all.

We do things right

We always act with integrity – taking responsibility for our work, caring for our people and staying focused on safety and sustainability. We make investments in our clients, people and communities, so we can grow together.

SHP named Global HSE Strategy Lead Fiona O’Donnell as its winner of the Trailblazer Workplace Wellbeing Award for 2022. Launched by SHP in 2020, the Trailblazers are health & safety professionals who are going above and beyond to make a positive difference – in some cases within their own organization, in other cases more widely in the community. Fiona was honored for her work on our One Million Lives tool and the World’s Biggest Mental Health Check-In event, our pandemic response and her wider work across the safety and wellbeing space.

The Florida Engineering Society (FES) designates Vice President of Strategic Growth in Fort Lauderdale, Ronald M. Colas, as a 2022 Fellow Member. In recognition of Ronald’s and seven other FES members’ accomplishments, Executive Director of the FES Allen Douglas says, “Florida is fortunate to have highly talented engineers that have been designing and shaping Florida’s future, and we’re pleased to honor their excellence and achievement in this industry.”

Vice President and Operations Leader PMCM Buildings Northeast Christine Oates has been appointed Chair of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). In this role, she’s responsible along with other members of the Board of Directors for governing the association and setting its strategic direction. Christine has been heavily involved with CMAA and has previously served as President of the CMAA Metro New York/ New Jersey Chapter 2010-2012.

Kyrra Mosely has received the 2022 Member of the Year Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) in New Jersey. The award is presented to the individual that has shown an extraordinary commitment to the goals and growth of WTS, promoted the reputation of WTS within the transportation industry and expanded a chapter.

Seasonal Ecologist Adam Cook has earned the status of Qualifying Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). CIEEM is the leading professional membership body representing and supporting ecologists and environmental managers in the U.K., Ireland and internationally. Qualifying membership is given to those looking for opportunities to start making a real difference for the benefit of nature and society and provides opportunities for new professionals in this area to build on their knowledge and skills through training, practical experience and supervision.

Senior Engineer Ben Robbins has been recognized at the Flood & Coast Excellence Awards as Graduate of the Year by England’s Environment Agency. Ben was awarded for his significant contribution to the strategic goals of the Environment Agency’s vision for climate resilient places, inspiring his peers, embracing innovation, furthering the understanding of climate resilient places and delivering holistic cross-sector solutions and approaches.

Senior Sustainability Consultant Michael Bentham has been awarded the Rising Star Award - Highly Commended by Environmental Analyst. This award recognizes the inspiring efforts and achievements of an early career sustainability and environmental professional who is driving positive change within their organization and the wider environmental and sustainability consulting sector.

Project Manager Cheryl Rankin has been awarded the title of Division Director by District 86 of Toastmasters International, a non-profit that operates clubs that promote communication, public speaking and leadership. Having previously served as president and area director, in her new role she’s responsible for four areas that include 16 clubs. As a comfortable speaker who has presented at national and international conferences, she’s excited to give back and help other people grow and improve their communication skills.

Principal Water Engineer Sandeep Kinge has been awarded the title of Fellow by Engineers Australia. Sandeep has been supporting colleagues to become chartered and sharing information with his community of practice, as well as motivating university students from universities such as the University of Wollongong in Dubai. Sandeep showcased leadership through voluntary organizations such as Engineers Without Borders to build sustainable infrastructure for the developing communities.

We challenge the accepted

We do not settle – always looking beyond to raise the bar and deliver with excellence. We are committed to our clients by bringing innovative solutions that lead to profitable growth and shared success.

Division Vice President Isaac Henderson has been awarded the title of 40 Under 40 Honoree by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Tampa Bay Business Journal receives a high volume of applications, with their 40 under 40 far and away receiving the most, thus making it the most competitive. This year was no exception as they received well over 500 nominations of highly distinguished leaders in Tampa. After reviewing over 1400 pages of nominee submission materials and deliberating for several weeks, Isaac was informed that his application rose to the top.

Transit Market Leader for the Americas Gary Thomas has been inducted into the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) prestigious Hall of Fame. Citing his decades of engineering and transit leadership contributions, APTA highlighted that Gary is a productive, effective and transformative leader in the public transportation industry. The APTA Awards Hall of Fame is a special honor reserved for individuals who have long and distinguished careers in the industry who have made extraordinary contributions to public transportation and actively participated in APTA activities.

Senior Mobile Developer Dave Murray has been recognized by GitHub, an internet hosting service or software development and version control, for being sole maintainer of an open-source project used by GitHub and over 250 other organizations and developers when they build software. A memorable aspect of this award for Dave was recognition by his peers in the open-source community.

The Gulf Coast Chapter of Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) has awarded Transportation CEI-UC Program Manager Lee Upkins with the 2022 CMAA Transportation Program Management Award. This award is designed to recognize and promote professionalism and excellence in the management of the construction process and is given to construction management practitioners for projects and programs that reflect this mission.

In the U.K., Divisional Director Yan Zhou has been re-elected to sit on the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) council for another three-year term. The ICE supports civil engineers and promotes their work to build awareness for the impact they have on our society. Yan is one of the youngest Fellows of the ICE and has been involved with the institution’s activities and committees for the last ten years.

Another Jacobs teammate has also been celebrated by the ICE recently: Graduate Water Civil Engineer Benjamin Delmond has been selected as one of the ICE President’s Future Leaders. In this role Benjamin will take part in policy dinners, attending regional visits and working with senior civil engineering professionals on projects that shape the profession. On his new position, Benjamin says, “this will be a very exciting year, allowing me to work on various projects integral to the ICE business plan... Our year will play a particular focus on linking the ICE trustee themes with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

Senior Project Controls Manager Shariq Siddiqui has been awarded the Certified Reference Class Forecasting Practitioner distinction by the Oxford Global Projects Academy. Reference class forecasting is a new field and is being used by governments and consultants for forecasting. This certification is prestigious as Oxford Global Projects Academy is a leading authority in the study of projects, especially mega projects. Shariq says this certification will help him utilize the newfound knowledge for better forecasting.

Finance Business Partner Lead Justin Lang has been awarded the distinction of President by the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants, which is the oldest Society of Chartered Accountants in the U.K., having been formed in 1870. Justin believes it’s a great honor to lead such a historic society and gives him an opportunity to give back to both the city and his profession.

We aim higher

We know that to create a better future, we must ask the difficult questions. We always stay curious and are not afraid to try new things.

Process Engineer Naomi Ballenger has been awarded the Champion award by the Enginuity 2022 - Global Business Management Competition, which provides participating teams with the chance to pit their leadership and management skills against their colleagues and peers from around the world in the ultimate construction management experience. Naomi’s team, Babble Royale, was named the winner of the global competition.

Highway Technical Manager Abdul Rauf has been awarded the titles of Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia, the highest level of membership granted by the organization. This acknowledges Abdul’s professional achievements on delivering major highway and infrastructure development projects in the Middle East region, as well as his extensive experience, commitment and contributions to the field of civil engineering and society.

Intelligence Instructor Audreunna Cleveland has been awarded the distinction of Distinguished Honor Graduate by the U.S. Army Reserves. Audreunna achieved the accolade as the first of 18 students who scored over 98.6% for the Army's senior leadership course (SLC). The SLC is a professional development course designed to teach non-commissioned officers how to apply practical experiences through education. The course helps individuals become more effective leaders and instills self-confidence.

Senior Mechanical Engineer Cameron Isaman has been named Chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Hydropower Technical Committee. Cameron has been on the committee for the last 10 years and says that being named the chair of the committee is a great opportunity to connect with the larger hydropower sector, including other consultants, manufacturers and owners.

Project Manager Varun Madan has been awarded the distinction of Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification by the Project Management Institute. To achieve PMP® Certification, Varun had to sit a global exam which covers the holistic view of project management tools, knowledge areas and processes. The Certification is for individuals looking to excel in the field of project management, irrespective of the industry they serve.

Northern California Structures Deputy Group Lead Sebastian Varela Fontecha has been selected as Member of the Board of Directors, Central District by the Structural Engineers Association of Central California. Sebastian was chosen because of his ability to leverage diverse expertise and professional connections, as well as his drive to give back to the profession by helping steer and grow the association. This position enables Sebastian to network with other professionals, continue developing his leadership and communication skills and attend technical development events on a regular basis to stay up to speed with the latest advancements in the field of structural engineering.

Graduate Transport Engineer Edwin Lai has been awarded the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management (AITPM) Young Professional Award. Through this award, Edwin will learn more about the traffic and transport profession and help inspire other graduates to follow in his footsteps. As a current member of the AITPM New South Wales (NSW) Young Professionals Network Committee, Edwin is excited at the opportunity to contribute new ideas and continue the great work of the NSW Branch Committee. He is passionate about giving a voice to young professionals and hopes to inspire greater collaboration between all levels of government, academia and industry to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society.

Lead Design Engineer Satya Srinivas Yalamati has been awarded Chartered Professional Engineer status by Engineers Australia. Satya demonstrated and maintained competency across 16 elements related to civil engineering in order to reach chartered status. Gaining the relevant experience in commercial, health and safety and project management within her exposure to projects was challenging but Satya says the process in place at Jacobs made it really straightforward.

Head of Product Marketing Rachel Goodacre has received the Rising Star award at the UK Business Tech Awards 2022. The award recognizes up-and-coming talent who are making a name for themselves in the industry. “Leading marketing in tech is a dream, so this really is the cherry on top,” says Rachel. “It was an honor to even be considered against such fierce competition.” Rachel has also been named Young Marketer of the Year at the Construction Marketing Awards.

We live inclusion

We put people at the heart of our business. We embrace all perspectives, collaborating to make a positive impact. Through an unparalleled focus on inclusion with a diverse team of visionaries, thinkers and doers, we build trust – in each other and across our company

Water Resources Engineer Monica Morales has been awarded the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Community Service STAR Award by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Community Service is introducing largely first-generation students of color and girls to STEAM professions. Since 2016 it has helped over 10,000 individuals by sharing similar career paths to a first-generation college graduate and providing fully funded field trips to Title I schools. This is the first time someone from Jacobs has been recognized with an SHPE award since nominations began through our Latino employee network, Enlace.

Regional Solutions Leader for Architecture and Interiors for the Americas South Region Dan Kirby received the inaugural American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida Honor Award for Social Advancement of the Profession. The AIA Florida Honor Award recognizes an individual or a firm in Florida who has brought about positive change toward social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue promoting equity, diversity and inclusivity through architecture to advance the profession. Dan was the first African American to serve as president of AIA Florida and has been committed to the social advancement of the profession for more than 20 years as a voice for equity, diversity and inclusion.

Architectural Historian Jessica Wobig has been awarded the honor of PastForward Speaker by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As an advocate and lifelong volunteer, Jessica is known for her dedication to advancing social inclusion in historic preservation. Two of Jessica’s recent volunteer endeavors gained national notoriety and garnered an on-demand session at this year’s National Trust for Historic Preservation conference. The session presents the Save Club Azteca and Keep Hessler Historic campaigns that raised awareness for the conservation of Mexican American heritage, countercultural history and the need for improved public engagement in real estate development in Cleveland.

Project Manager/Horizontal Portfolio Manager Heidi Schram and Deputy Program Manager Kristin Lang have been recognized as Women in Construction Waymakers. This honor is given to those who stand out and go the extra mile to empower, inspire and pave the way for others. Heidi has over 20 years of experience delivering transportation and construction projects and is passionate about supporting women coming up in the industry. Kristin also has over 20 years of complex and varied experience and works to build teams so that everyone is positioned for success.

Senior Associate Victoria Ly has been recognized by the International Association for Public Participation with an award for a photograph that demonstrates authentic engagement in action on a project. The photo, Community engagement journey starts at a bar, was used for the authentic engagement competition and won against 20+ other Australian projects.

Client Account Partner Nikki O’Donnell has been awarded the title of Member of Board of Directors by Texas Humane Heroes. Nikki has a passion for saving animals and put in many hours volunteering at this local non-profit. She was recognized by a veteran board member who asked her to interview – in her new role she has the opportunity for her to add value and strengthen the organization for the future.

Year in industry Transport Planner Charly Beeson was awarded the Dedicated Student Volunteer award by the University of Plymouth Students’ Union for completing over 100 volunteering hours through various societies and supporting students. Charly has led projects to combat social issues within the local community as well as running training sessions for a student netball team as the coach. Charly has thoroughly enjoyed helping others and is also immensely proud of the work others around them have done to help in these efforts.

Congratulations to all of our visionaries, thinkers and doers who have been recognized for their positive contributions to make the world a better place!