There are several times in their work lives when journalists try to say something important to readers—and one of those for ENR editorial staff is the profile of the annual Award of Excellence winner, which this year tells the story of Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

In 2025, ENR marks the award’s 60th anniversary. A selection process that extends over several months sees editors nominating and weighing candidates based on industry achievement and impact as reported online and in print, all to agree on a winner who made the biggest difference in serving the industry and public. Winners in the past six decades clearly reflect evolving social norms, political realities and industry change.

For his achievement in 1965 to lead military construction during the war in Vietnam, ENR recognized a senior manager of former contractor Morrison Knudsen. In the following five years, recipients also included those who led an anti-corruption program in Chicago public works, who developed federal policy efforts to promote affordable housing and who used systems building to expedite wider use of compatible building components. By the 1970s, scope of recognition expanded to include those excelling at corporate management, unifying industry advocacy on key issues and executing some of the largest government public works programs across the U.S.

In the two next decades, the award recognized, among others, a private developer for investment to expand affordable housing and the leader of the first state environmental program to clean up legacy hazardous waste. Another overseas war with U.S. involvement, this time between Kuwait and Iraq, was the award backdrop for an American construction manager who led the complex effort to extinguish deliberately set oil fires. The leader of another mammoth environmental challenge—launching cleanup of huge stores of nuclear waste lingering since the 1940s at a little known former federal weapons production site—also was recognized, as was the construction manager of another large public works project, the new Denver International Airport.

Trends in Recent Awards

In the last quarter century, ENR editors have continued to recognize those who accelerate innovation, such as development of the Speedcore construction system that uses tied dual-plate wall modules field-filled with concrete to expedite high-rise building, and creation of the rigorous Living Building Challenge sustainability program. Also cited were innovations to steer young people toward industry training and experience, and to improve workplace quality and safety throughout their careers.

The campaign for safe drinking water in the U.S. spurred by the Flint, Mich., lead contamination crisis brought recognition to a crusading university engineering researcher. Other recent Awards of Excellence winners included industry experts who donated professional skill and company resources to rebuild global infrastructure after natural and human-caused disasters.

In making each selection, ENR does not just recognize the winner’s individual achievement, it also showcases out-of-the-box effort that can inspire others to replicate—hopefully filling our pages and website for at least another 60 years.