ENR Midwest has announced its 2019 Class of Top Young Professionals. These 20 individuals have built extraordinary industry portfolios, given back to their communities and professions, and have moved design and construction technology forward with their innovative ideas and applications of existing tools. ENR Midwest received 61 entries for this year's competition and it was a real challenge for our judges to winnow the list down to just 20. Several hard decisions were made this year.

I strongly encourage anyone who submitted but did not win to resubmit. Save a copy of your nominee's entry so you can add in all accomplishments in the next year. Our judging panel featured several former Top Young Professionals who selected and vetted our winners based on the standards of accomplishment they, themselves, set in previous competitions. Any judges whose companies or co-workers were nominated did not submit a review of those applicants to avoid conflicts of interest.

Our judges were; Patricia "Tisha" Scroggin, Midwest regional practice manager for Burns & McDonnell's energy division and a 2018 ENR Midwest TYP. Kimberly D. Moore, founder and president of KDM Engineering and a 2018 ENR Midwest and National ENR National Top 20 Under 40 honoree; and Mani Golparvar-Fard, associate professor of civil engineering, computer science and technology entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois and a 2017 ENR Midwest TYP as well as a 2017 ENR National Top 20 Under 40 winner.

ENR Midwest's 2019 Top Young Professionals

Danielle DyBuncio, CEO Viatechnik, Chicago, 36

Mark Cochran, COO S.M. Wilson & Co., St. Louis, 39

Chris Vaeth, VP McCownGordon Construction, Kansas City, 39

Kevin Grittner, director and general manager, the Weitz Co., Minneapolis, 39

Mike Stapf, vice president of design integration, McCarthy Building Cos., St. Louis, 39

Myesha McClendon, vice president Milhouse Engineering & Construction, Chicago, 38

Karen Bray, principal and business development manager, Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, 38

Virginia “Ginger” Roether, east region power client development leader, HDR, Lexington, Ky., 38

Islam El-adaway, Hurst-McCarthy professor of construction engineering and management, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Mo., 38

Joshua Salazar, Michigan transportation business group manager HDR,  Ann Arbor, Mich., 39

Kristin Schultes, president Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors, Eden Prairie, Minn., 38

Kyle Schott, senior project manager, Ryan Cos., Naperville, Il., 37

Amanda Bogner, president of Energy Studio, Inc., Omaha, Neb., 39

Michelle Hack, vice president and project director, Sargent & Lundy, Chicago, 38

Chris Turnbull, vice president Kiewit Power Constructors, Lenexa, Kansas, 39

Christian Lubrano, director of technology and design, Kiewit Power Engineering, Lenexa, Kansas, 37

Jeannie Cullen-Schultz, healthcare construction director, JP Cullen, Madison, Wis., 35

Jennifer Rittler, sr. associate, Moody-Nolan, Columbus, Ohio, 32

Hardik Shah, director of development, American Structurepoint, Indianapolis, 38

Abby Pertzborn, sr. engineer, IMEG Corp., Middleton, Wis., 39