Many industry organizations annually recognize leaders who have helped to shape the future of all the sectors and professions that make up the construction industry. And through its Best Projects program, as well as the Newsmakers and Award of Excellence programs, ENR each year also offers its own awards to the people and projects that deliver the most noteworthy contributions to the industry.
Professional awards do much more than honor their recipients. The selection processes that lead to identifying the recipients, as well as the award presentation events themselves, help to improve the entire industry by provoking thoughtful assessments and discussions about the kinds of work, leadership and contributions that best show people and companies the path to greatness.
As ENR’s editors prepare for the next Best Projects, Newsmakers and Award of Excellence award presentations, which take place April 7-8 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City, we are impressed by the depth of talented leadership in the industry and note with interest that two very long-running programs—our own Award of Excellence, now in its 51st year, and The Moles’ member and non-member awards, now in their 75th year—have singled out the same individuals for top recognition only four times, this year being one of them.
The Moles’ 2016 non-member award was presented on Jan. 27 to Traylor Brothers’ Wayne E. Jones, who won ENR’s Award of Excellence in 2013 for his creativity, execution and leadership as a project manager during construction of an enormous storm surge barrier wall in New Orleans (ENR 4/18/13 p. 38).
Other people who have won both awards include Clyde N. Baker, J. Robert Fluor and Steven D. Bechtel Jr. The Moles gave its non-member award to Baker in 2006, Flour in 1982 and Bechtel in 1977; ENR honored them with its AOE in 2008, 1980 and 1974, respectively.
The Moles’ member award went this year to Arthur B. Corwin, president and CEO of Moretrench.