ENR Texas & Louisiana is honored to name its 2021 class of Top Young Professionals. This annual awards program honors 20 individuals under 40 years of age in each of ENR's 10 regions who have shown exceptional leadership and service throughout their career.
Firms from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas submitted 69 entries into this year’s contest—the most submitted to any of ENR’s regional editions. These individuals were then judged by three primary criteria: industry experience and education; career and industry leadership; and community service and involvement.
We’d like to thank this year's esteemed judging panel for all their efforts in identifying this year's honorees: Lauren Harrell, marketing communications specialist, Associated Builders and Contractors Houston Chapter; Jing Johnson, president, Prism Renderings; Claire Obgartel, vice president, Workforce Development, ABC Bayou Chapter; Tim Pach, senior project manager, Stanley Consultants, an ENR 2020 national Top 20 Under 40 winner; Natalie Pagano, marketing and communications director, Manhattan Construction Group; Jennifer Snape, managing partner, Batture LLC, also an ENR 2020 national Top 20 Under 40 winner; and Silky Wong, lead civil/structural engineer, Technical Expertise and Support, Dow, one of ENR's 2019 national Top 20 Under 40 winners.
Our 2021 class of Top Young Professionals (in alphabetical order by first name) are named below. Please be sure to read more about these rising young leaders in the February 1 issue of ENR Texas & Louisiana.
Congratulations!
Blake Axen, project manager, BGE, Inc.
Bryan Carruthers, CEO, Anser Advisory LLC
Cory Delz, executive vice president, Embree Construction Group
Dedra A. Ecklund, project manager, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc.
Dennis M. Hymel, Jr., senior project manager, T. Baker Smith, LLC
Eric Hudson, partner, Method Architecture
Erin Peavey, architect and design researcher, vice president, HKS
Grace Sober, project manager, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc.
Greg Smith, senior project manager, Project Management Advisors Inc.
Kaley Simon, preconstruction manager - Texas Region, Kitchell Contractors
Mary Elizabeth Mach, Oklahoma water team leader, Garver
Mayank Patel, business and finance manager, Jacobs Engineering
Megan Karsten, project manager, Karsten Interior Services
Natalie Chaney, senior project manager, RPS
Patrick Williams, southwest regional manager, Urban Engineers
Samantha Johnson, senior studio design manager, NANO LLC
Samantha Raburn Markham, associate, project architect, Stantec
Valetta Saldanha, project engineer, AECOM
Vivek Chikyala, principal, Kenall Inc.
Zachary Mitchell, senior associate, PhiloWilke Partnership
