ENR Texas & Louisiana’s Legacy Award honoree, Anthony Mbroh, has been a problem-solver throughout his life journey from Ghana to the U.S. Mbroh, who founded Dallas-based Mbroh Engineering Inc. in 2006 when he was 39, has achieved and contributed much to his company and community over those 17 years.

For instance, not only has he and his company helped complete megaprojects such as the highly recognized Wilson Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Texas, Mbroh has endowed a $50,000 scholarship for future engineers at the University of Texas at Dallas and was appointed to the board of the Brazos River Authority by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“I have had great people around me during my engineering journey, and this is my season to give back to the engineering world and continue to make an impact in the community,” Mbroh says.

From its home in Dallas and branch offices in Oklahoma City and Houston, the diverse 35-employee company provides a slate of services such as planning, electrical engineering, design, construction management and inspection services, among others. Clients include water, wastewater and industrial plant operators, port facilities, transit systems, airports and commercial project owners.

“All of us have unique gifts, and I believe my No. 1 attribute is solving problems—to figure out what needs to be done and then do it,” Mbroh says. “I have always believed that challenges sharpen skill sets, and that builds confidence for the next time you are faced with an obstacle.”

Mbroh addressed attendees at the Mbroh Engineering Terrace unveiling at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas campus in April 2022.
Photo courtesy of Mbroh Engineering

From Ghana to the Midwest

In the early 1970s, when he was 7, Mbroh immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana. His father, Harry, had preceded him to attend an engineering program. “He realized that by moving he would have more opportunity here than what he would have had” in Ghana, Mbroh recalls.

He and his brother watched his father and learned how to solve problems. “I was intrigued by how my father could find solutions to things that were difficult,” Mbroh says. “He would create cool projects with batteries and magnets to demonstrate various principles. I wanted to emulate those abilities and be able to think through problems and create cool things, too.”

Mbroh realized he had a calling. “I found myself naturally suited for that work because of my problem-solving abilities, so I found that it was natural for me to pursue a career in something I loved to do already.”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State. Teachers mentored him, helping him build confidence in his studies, including members of the university’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, one of the organizations that his company now supports.

“Everyone helped me feel that I was capable of doing this type of work despite the fact that engineering is highly competitive, requiring confidence for early success,” he says. “I accepted early failures as learning experiences and moved on.”

When Mbroh was in college, his mother died of cancer. His dad died 12 years later. “I know they are proud of all of us and the things we’ve been doing,” he says.

Mbroh during a site visit at the Lower Bois d’Arc Lake project.
Photo courtesy of Mbroh Engineering

Firm Success

After college, in 1994, he began working for Camp, Dresser & McKee in Dallas. A dozen years later, he founded Mbroh Engineering as a boutique firm providing instrumentation and SCADA services for water and wastewater treatment plants in collaboration with state and local agencies. In 2009, the company added electrical engineering services.

Since then, the company has expanded its scope from smaller projects to larger ones. These include the $16-million Wilson Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Electrical Improvements Phase 2 Project for the North Texas Municipal Water District, providing reliable backup electrical energy for the 500,000 residents and businesses across the area.

“We had to figure how to provide a flexible power distribution system for the facility, which would lose power from time to time,” Mbroh explains. “We designed it with the best-suited backup generators available and worked with the utilities to ensure the equipment would not compromise their grids.”

The water district knew it had chosen the company correctly because of past collaboration. “We selected Mbroh Engineering for their first major electrical design project in 2009 or 2010. What an excellent decision; we got a $15-million construction project which was well designed and had no change orders,” says Donna Long, wastewater program manager at NTMWD.

For the city of Houston, Mbroh Engineering is working on the Regional Water Supply Program. With an expected delivery date of August 2024, the project includes three water-construction contracts to provide treated water to north and west Houston. Mbroh Engineering is providing engineering services during design and construction on all three of the program’s core projects, with efforts underway at the ongoing $1.77-billion NEWPP site that expands the plant from 80 to 400 million gallons per day.

Also for NTMWD, the $1.6-billion Lower Bois d’Arc Lake Reservoir Design is crucial for supplying the state’s future drinking water. On that project, Mbroh Engineering is providing onsite electrical and SCADA inspection services for several components that will help clean, treat and then distribute water from the lake to the water district’s service areas.

The 16,641-acre lake, the state’s first major reservoir in nearly 30 years, is located northeast of the city of Bonham. Begun in May 2018, the project is estimated for completion in 2023.

Mbroh with Dr. Stephanie Adams, dean of the College of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, at the terrace unveiling on UTD’s campus.
Photo courtesy of Mbroh Engineering

A Legacy of Engineering Futures

“I have been given so much guidance in my journey as an engineer that really shaped who I am and how I go about doing things, people believing in me and making themselves available to me,” Mbroh says. “I have been blessed. Today I want to be that beacon as well.”

That light-giving began years ago at home in Dallas with his wife, Mia, a licensed professional counselor. Their daughter, Dr. Hayden Mbroh, is a clinical psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston; their son, Donovan, is an electrical engineer for Northrop Grumman at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Okla.

“Tony has gone out of his way to mentor others, and he graciously volunteers his time and talents to helping other people and our community,” says John D. Rosenberg, principal of Mbroh Engineering’s law firm in Dallas. “He has continuously been involved in the various churches he and his family attend.”

In addition, Mbroh has personally mentored disadvantaged students and has worked to help create opportunities for future engineers. In 2020, he established an endowed scholarship at the University of Texas at Dallas. At the school’s Erik Jonsson Engineering and Computer Science Building, the company logo appears on a courtyard terrace with Mbroh’s biography displayed in the hallway.

Mbroh actively participates in the local community and is a member of a number of organizations, including the NSBE and the Community Foundation of Texas’ Community Leadership Council and is a board member of the North Texas Commission. Mbroh was appointed to the Brazos River Authority board in October 2021.

He also speaks at career success events, financially supports scholars and mentors other small business leaders. In 2022, he was honored with the Philanthropy Award from the North Texas Commission.

Tony and wife, Mia Mbroh, in front of the Mbroh Engineering logo and dedication plaque located at UTD’s Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Photo courtesy of Mbroh Engineering

“Tony grew his knowledge and abilities by seeking out mentors to guide him,” says Mark S. Mihm, senior engineer for the city of Dallas Water Utilities. “In turn, Tony has become the mentor to help people grow in their knowledge and abilities to serve others like he continues to do.”

Mbroh says, “At the end of the day, I want to know that I’ve made a difference, had an impact on others’ lives. When people think about me and Mbroh Engineering, I want to be known as an advocate for people—not only as being involved but as having served, that we have been privileged enough to help build the communities in which we live. Those things will be around much longer after I am gone.”