Once again, it's time for ENR Southeast to announce the winners of our annual Top 20 Under 40 competition, which recognizes up-and-coming industry leaders from across the Southeast region.

Now in its third year, our Top 20 Under 40 contest has gained considerable traction in a short time. This year's competition, which is conducted on a national basis via a series of regional contests, drew a huge number of entrants this year. Across the country, approximately 700 future leaders were nominated this year, with all of them judged on the basis of their career experience; industry leadership; community service; and other factors.

In the Southeast, ENR Southeast had a record response as well, with 88 entries. With such a high number of solid nominees to consider, it proved challenging to this year's judges to narrow down the group of nominees to a final 20. But, thanks to an extra round of judging, they've determined the latest class.

So, without further delay, we proudly present the 2013 Southeast class for Top 20 Under 40. (In alphabetical order by last name.) Congratulations to all!

  • Kyle Abney – principal, Abney + Abney Green Solutions, Palm City, Fla.
  • OT Delancy – project executive, Skanska USA Building, Tampa
  • David Evans – senior director of business development, Starr Electric Co., Raleigh, N.C.
  • Joel Figueroa-Vallines – chief structural principal, Structural Engineering Partnership, Orlando
  • Josh Flowers – general counsel, Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis
  • Mary French – EIT and senior project manager and designer, Mallia Engineering Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Kevin Friedman – senior engineer, AECOM, Orlando
  • Joseph M. Grantham III – project manager/design manager, Parsons Corp., Morrisville, N.C.
  • Matthew Hirsch – vice president of sales, Primus Builders, Woodstock, Ga.
  • Greg Hunsberger – regional vice president-preconstruction, Brasfield & Gorrie, Kennesaw, Ga.
  • Brandon Lemonier – project manager, exp US Services, Maitland, Fla.
  • Francisco Carlos Perez-Brown – architect, CRB Caribe, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Lucien Richard – manager of piping engineering, PegasusTSI, Tampa
  • Eric Rothrock – director of preconstruction services, Samet Corp., Charlotte, N.C.
  • Mike Schilling – vice president and co-founder, Structor Group, Atlanta
  • Jonathan J. Sigman – project manager, Collins Engineers, Charleston, S.C.
  • Jay Smith – vice president, Ajax Building Corp., Tallahassee, Fla.
  • Jennifer Sturgis – vice president, SEMCO Construction, Bartow, Fla.
  • Tammy Thompson – president, Institute for Patient-Centered Design, Atlanta
  • Matthew Widmaier – project manager, Manhattan Construction Co., Atlanta

The accomplishments of these emerging Southeast industry leaders will be highlighted further in the upcoming January 2013 edition of ENR Southeast.