Colleen Heath Named ACEC Young Professional of the Year

BOSTON – CDM Smith is proud to congrat­u­late Colleen Heath, PE, this year’s recipient of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Mass­a­chu­setts (ACEC/MA) Young Profes­sional of the Year Award. The award promotes the accom­plish­ments of young, diverse and talented engineers by high­light­ing their profes­sional contri­bu­tions and the resulting impact on society. Heath accepted her award on Wednesday, March 15 at the ACEC/MA 2017 Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala.

Heath’s exposure to envi­ron­men­tal engineering began at an early age. She says it’s the power of engineering to make a daily impact on people’s lives that initially intrigued her. Today, her projects at CDM Smith have contributed to measurable efforts in water resource conser­va­tion that protect wildlife and the environment without limiting water suppliers and the areas they serve. Her work with water system hydraulic modeling and condition assessments of large diameter water mains has also helped communities meet public safety standards and mitigate water quality issues.

Outside of her work, Heath is fiercely dedicated to community outreach, especially with younger members of the community. Heath serves as a volunteer for the Citizen Schools program, where she works with students in low-income communities to support their academic achievement at critical points in their development. And as chair of the New England Water Works Association’s (NEWWA) Young Profes­sion­als Committee, Heath focuses on organizing social and educational events for young engineers, working to integrate them into the association. For her work with NEWWA, Heath was recently honored with the 2016 Younger Member of the Year Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding service through active partic­i­pa­tion in the association and their communities.

“To me, this award recognizes young profes­sion­als who have been working hard to combine technical work with volun­teer­ing efforts and advocating for issues that pertain to our field,” says Heath. “In being recognized, I feel that it's more important than ever to do the best work I can— both in the office and out. I want to make sure I’m repre­sent­ing what this award is all about.”

The ACEC/Mass­a­chu­setts Young Profes­sional Award recognizes the accom­plish­ments of young engineers who have made outstanding contri­bu­tions to the profession, possess a high level of integrity, and whose work has made a positive impact on society. Award winners are engineers, 30 years of age and under, with a degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited US college or university.

CDM Smith provides lasting and integrated solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide. As a full-service engineering and construc­tion firm, we deliver exceptional client service, quality results and enduring value across the entire project lifecycle.