2020 ENR Top 20 Under 40: Powering Their Potential Past the Pandemic

Self-starting construction trendsetters push the industry’s new normal to unexpected places

COVID-19 prevented this year’s group of national Top 20 Under 40 winners from meeting in person to share ideas for tackling key construction challenges, but the virtual voices of these visionaries came through loud and clear.

Cover illustration and photo by Scott Hilling for ENR, some original cover elements courtesy of Getty Images

COVID-19 threw this year’s ENR national Top 20 Under 40 group—like everyone else in the world—for a loop. As the stories here relate, the young changemakers selected were well-positioned to respond to current and future challenges with solid experience and skills gained before the pandemic.

As examples, Elizabeth Joyce, now Arup senior mechanical engineer in Seattle, led clean energy projects with humanitarian agencies, primarily in East Africa, for Engineers Without Borders USA; Tim Pach, senior project manager for Stanley Consultants in Austin, served for 10 years as a civil engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force, including through three combat zone deployments in the Middle East;

When the 2008 recession hit, Caleigh Raymer—currently vice president and operations director at Lendlease in Los Angeles—took on a dual role as project manager and chief estimator at age 24 for her then-employer, Gerardi Construction Inc.

The young achievers who make up the fourth-annual group recognized by ENR could not physically gather this summer.

Instead, they assembled via Zoom to discuss pressing industry issues—from pandemic recovery and harnessing technological innovation to boosting career tracks and making workplaces diverse and inclusive. Read more in the linked stories here about how these standouts, who are also pictured below, see the construction industry transforming.

Todd Abrams
Principal-in-Charge, Civil Engineering
WT Group

David Barritt-Flatt
Vice President, Client Service
Clark Construction Group

Megan L. Crutcher
Principal
Odyssey Engineering Group LLC

Michael Fish
President & CEO
Dellbrook | JKS

William S. Haas
Director, Smart Energy Market Sector
AECOM

Kate Howell
Senior Associate, Interior Designer
REES

Pervez Iqbal
Principal Engineer, Highways Technical Leader
CHA Consulting Inc.

Elizabeth Joyce
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Arup

Ashley Little
Senior Project Manager
Moss Construction

Adrienne Nelson
Architect & Associate
Pickard Chilton

Omotoye Omoniyi
Lead Superintendent
Gilbane Building Co.

Tim Pach
Senior Project Manager
Stanley Consultants

Menzer Pehlivan
Geotechnical Engineer
Jacobs

Caleigh Raymer
Vice President, Director of Operations
Lendlease

Chitwan Saluja
Director of Digital Technology, North
Jacobs

Megan Schulze
Project Manager
Dewberry

Kim Scott
Vice President, Business Development & Marketing
Blach Construction

Jennifer Snape
Managing Partner
Batture LLC

Eric Solem
Senior Project Manager
Exxel Pacific Inc.

Aaron Yohnke
Vice President and District Manager
PCL Construction

Louise Poirier is the former deputy editor of regions and former editor of ENR Texas & Louisiana and ENR Southwest.

Justin Rice is Editor for ENR MidAtlantic and ENR New England

Jeff Rubenstone is Deputy Editor for News and Technology at the Engineering News-Record. As news director of ENR he oversees the publication's news coverage, and also covers emerging technologies and innovations in the construction space. With well over a decade of experience reporting on the industry, Jeff has a broad background in engineering and construction journalism. He is based in New York City.

ENR Associate Technology, Equipment and Products Editor Jeff Yoders has been writing about design and construction innovations for 20 years. He is a five-time Jesse H. Neal award winner and multiple ASBPE winner for his tech coverage. Jeff previously wrote about construction technology for Structural Engineer, CE News and Building Design + Construction. He also wrote about materials prices, construction procurement and estimation for MetalMiner.com. He lives in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, where the pace of innovation never leaves him without a story to chase.

Post a comment to this article

How can you make AI work for your team? Unlock new levels of collaboration by leveraging AI to accelerate contract negotiations, mitigate risks, and streamline project preparation and execution. In this webinar, hear first-hand how industry pros improved negotiation outcomes, resolved sticking points faster, and aligned their teams for project success.