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Meet the Winners

The hustle and bustle of New York City set the scene for ENR’s conversation with this year’s National Top 20 Under 40 winners. At a March 28 meeting, they discussed solutions for construction’s most pressing challenges and how to pave the way for the next generation of AEC professionals. At the center of it all, the winners said, the industry must continue to embrace change to move forward.

In recounting the beginning of their careers, this year’s ENR Top 20 Under 40 say mentorship, collaboration and calculated risk-taking were key to landing the jobs of their dreams. Now, as emerging leaders helping the next generation of AEC professionals find their footing, they say the circumstances under which someone enters the industry can be a crucial component in understanding how to help them gain a sense of belonging.

Entering the workforce amid widespread layoffs in the wake of the 2008 recession, many of the Top 20 say they felt lucky at the time to have been offered a job. In comparison to today, “it’s a different world,” says Colleen Marnell, Midwest regional leader and senior vice president at Kimley-Horn. In effect, “That shapes you differently,” she says.

Marnell says some design firms now find that graduates have “twenty job offers” before they have any real-world experience from “people in your LinkedIn inbox every day.” For this reason, amid intensifying shortages of skilled and specialized labor, the Top 20 say it’s crucial to think outside the box when it comes to recruitment and retention.

“When we talk about these things, we need to be looking at the underlying environments when we started our career, because that is naturally going to impact how you view a job,” Marnell says.

For Steven Burke, the AEC industry was a path to turning his passion for sustainability into a career amid dwindling prospects. “I was thinking of a time where I didn’t get a minimum wage job planting trees in Georgia for the summer, and that was kind of like a turning point that led me to the industry,” the senior director of sustainability at Suffolk remembers.

For Lauren Alger, director of sustainable design at STV, mentorships helped her find her way during the early stage of her career. Now she is in a position to pay it forward. “There’s a lot of emerging professionals who want to learn,” she says. “It’s a really exciting time to teach them what they need to know.”

Pushing Politics Aside

Enacted through a flurry of executive orders, President Donald Trump’s policies have far-reaching implications for federal contractors, subcontracting partners, the supply chain and construction costs on the heels of new tariffs. Pushing politics aside, Top 20 leaders encourage other AEC professionals to remain committed to achieving what’s best for their clients. At many firms, reducing uncertainty has been the main challenge.

Grisel Gray says Gilmore Construction Corp.’s approach has been “clarity from day one” by “talking to the people who are actually going to be building” a project.

“It’s informing the clients as much as possible, giving them all the information that we have from our partners, and also coming up with the plan together to mitigate issues that we’re seeing,” says Gray, the contractor’s director of preconstruction and estimating.

Larisa N. Escalle, GHD rail and transit lead for Northern California, says the consulting firm has taken steps to determine how its federally-funded projects could be impacted by the developing policy changes.

“How do we then balance our portfolio … with more work on state-funded or locally-funded projects?” she asks. “How do we make sure that if a project comes to a halt, we don’t lose our people. Because once you lose your people, that’s not good for anybody.”

The more certainty the industry can provide, “the better,” says Lauren Ladowski Kraemer, principal and vice president at ARCO/Murray National Construction. She adds, “Because we are a design-build firm, we try to take on that risk as soon as we have those conversations with the client.”

At Kennedy Jenks, Vice President and Project Manager Christopher Baersten says the firm is already seeing an increase in construction costs.

“We’re seeing things like tariffs potentially play an impact there, especially when we have specialized equipment that’s coming from outside the U.S. that’s needed—whether it is tunneling equipment or treatment equipment,” Baersten says. He adds that the firm’s role has been “really helping our clients understand what those pieces are and what the risks are, and helping them to manage those risks in a sophisticated way.”

Adapting to the Market

Hallie Crouch, partner and strategy director at designer Bialosky, says one difference she has noticed in the past decade is how companies are better able to adapt their services to fit the demands and needs of the market. At her firm, she says peers are focused on economic trends.

“We’re studying those reports. We’re laser focused on the architectural billings index” and other market indicators, “just absorbing, gobbling up and dispersing details to each other to try to have the best possible information in that role as possible,” says Crouch.

By the Numbers

Marnell says increased uncertainty has been another opportunity for Kimley-Horn to lean into collaboration.

“It’s all been more about how can we be there for our clients, to understand and unpack it together, so we can be prepared to move forward,” she says. “There is no time in my career that I can think of where anything has been 100% certain, so I think this has been another opportunity to lean into being a client adviser.”

Alger adds, “At the end of the day, clients need designs that are high performance, efficient, low cost and lowering material usage and waste. If we can strengthen their ability to achieve those key needs and reduce environmental impacts, this is really huge. With a shift from federal to really the community focus, we all have to collectively work together with our clients, advising them and helping them achieve these goals, even with fewer federal funding opportunities.”

Amid increasingly complex challenges, design firms and contractors would do well to focus on choosing the right teams and providing value add, says Anthony Valdiosera,VST Engineering Inc. CEO.

Speaking from a small business perspective, he adds, “A lot of times, the larger primes are our clients.” Finding ways for the company to add value for its clients fosters “more integration within teams and collaboration,” he says.

Valdiosera says his company is willing to learn from “everyone and anyone,” including its contracting partners and employees. In hiring workers with “multiple backgrounds, different diversities, different career paths,” VST has been able to take that knowledge and harness it for growth, he says, encouraging the industry to continue embracing a diversity of voices and backgrounds. Valdiosera notes his own “willingness to recognize that you’ve learned quite a bit over your career, but you definitely don’t know everything.”

Digging Into Diversity

Ethan Walton, project director at McCarthy Building Cos., says even when his company is not working on federal projects, there are corporate guidelines to which they must adhere to be in the federal contracting pool. Despite “some name changes” to be compliant with new federal guidelines, Walton says the company has not slowed its investment in the culture that has helped it attract a diverse workforce.

“We’re doubling down on our … culture, and part of our culture is people, community and top talent,” he says. “It’s just good business now. Diverse opinions bring better business results.”

Gray says that as a certified small business, Gilmore works with underrepresented companies and has made a commitment to continue diversity, equity and inclusion. “Unfortunately, we do see it being an issue for the smaller businesses right now when they don’t know what is coming up, if they’re going to continue to grow and if they’re going to continue to get projects in the city,” she says. “It’s a really unfortunate situation.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion has always been an integral part of the AEC industry, says Adrian Russell, director of supplier diversity at Shiel Sexton Co. “Regardless of what we call it, we still need to champion our people and the causes that mean most to them,” he adds.

Russell notes that Shiel Sexton Co. is recognized in Indiana for its outreach and inclusion. “That’s our reputation, that’s our brand and that’s something that has really given us great distinction in the marketplace,” he stresses. His hope is to continue pushing forward industry’s understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We’re seeing at the end of the day, regardless of what we call things, we just want to celebrate people and we want to bring the best of what our people have to offer, put it all in one pot, stir it up and see where that takes us,” Russell says.

How the Top 20 UNDER 40 Winners Were Picked

ENR’s 2025 Top 20 Under 40 were selected from more than 450 nominations submitted last fall from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Candidates had to be under 40 years old as of Jan. 1, 2025. ENR’s five regional editions assembled local juries that each scored and selected up to 25 winners per region.

The top scoring candidates in each region automatically advanced to the national level, where a new panel of independent industry judges reviewed approximately 50 nominees and chose 20 individuals who represent the pinnacle of leadership skills, community service, work ethic, talent and diversity.

Jake Schmidt
Regional Project Development Manager
FCI Construction Inc.

Building Momentum

On the jobsite, Hensel Phelps Area Superintendent Catherine Woodworth says she has noticed how good work-life balance and a strong workplace culture has resonated with younger generations of workers.

“They want to prove themselves and do a good job, but it’s not about one-upping. They want to get the job done well, and they’re going to put in the effort,” she says, but they care just as much about their lives outside of the workplace.

“I think it’s our responsibility to make sure they have that ability to come to work and be present and to go home and be present, and their whole lives are not revolving around work,” Woodworth adds.

As a senior superintendent for JE Dunn Construction, Jeff Byrne says jobsite leaders can help set the tone for work-life balance. “There’s no one else besides us who can either correct that, speak to that—or gather the whole jobsite, speak to a few hundred people and explain what we stand for, how we’re going to treat each other,” he says.

Agreeing with her fellow Top 20 recipients this year, Woodworth says that entering the workforce during a recession negatively impacted her work-life balance, since she felt that overworking was the only way forward. In newer generations, she sees a change in that balance that she wants to help champion. “It’s like, no, I’m going to be kind. I’m going to be good. I don’t need to fit a mold. I am who I am, and I’m inspired by the newer generation,” Woodworth explains.

Amid increasingly complex politics, the Top 20 professionals said the industry must fearlessly set its own priorities.

In the sustainability space, Burke contends that one of construction’s “biggest potential shortcomings” has been in embracing the idea of leading “by virtue, instead of by the business [case].” He adds: “The larger considerations of the environmental impacts of what we’re doing are important. But you’re not going to convince somebody who’s on the fence.”

As firms and others look to accomplish more with fewer resources, HDR’s Will Kirby adds that burnout could also affect bottom lines.

Employers “are trying to do more with less: fewer staff, less funding. So it’s a big challenge … to keep doing the things they want to do, or to have high performing design that does more with less and to create resilient infrastructure,” says Kirby, the firm’s transportation sustainability leader.

Championing Change

PCL Construction Services Inc. recruited Priscilla Chavez 10 years ago to build an internal and external diversity and inclusion program. Now a business development manager, she urges employers to take care in determining what drives change in their workplaces.

Chavez says she believes many of the current changes happening around diversity, equity and inclusion programs “came as a result of reactivity.” She adds that the best way for the industry to “double down” on DEI is to “put money where our mouth is by having champions who will be ambassadors of that work.”

Jennyfer LaBuff, director of data engineering and application development at Sundt Construction, recommends that construction industry professionals support each other and serve as advocates.

At engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, associate Jennifer Mahan adds that the industry’s emerging leaders are uniquely positioned to inspire positive change for the future.

“We’re in a curious time where there are a lot of problems that no one has solved before, and I think that’s also opened the door for us,” she says.

Nila Abubakar, principal and managing director at Walter P Moore, says AEC professionals must seize opportunities to promote positive change wherever and however they can. “I would say that in any position that you find yourself in, just be open to learn from everyone,” Abubakar points out.

That includes extending a helping hand to others, according to Wesley Southall, department manager at design-build firm Burns & McDonnell.

“I’m so thankful for all the mentors that I know who were busy and still took time out to make time for me throughout my career,” he says. “We really do have to train up that next generation, and really look out for our communities and look out for each other. It’s just critical to continue to pass it on.”

Abubakar established herself in the industry by performing engineering assessments and providing technical support for expert witness testimony. She has led investigations and testified on matters related to construction defects, design deficiencies and the aftermath of natural and other disasters.
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Following her father’s footsteps into civil engineering, Alger worked for several contractors before taking a new position in 2022 as sustainability manager at professional services firm STV. In her current role, she helps mitigate environmental impacts on projects and ensures their sustainable design.
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After interning for Kennedy Jenks, Baersten steadily rose through its ranks, from staff engineer to client director to his current role. His work primarily focuses on planning, design and construction management services for treatment plants, pipelines and pump stations for public agencies.
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As a field engineer for a small Cleveland construction firm in 2005, Belkofer, who could not attend the Top 20 round table, was challenged by his boss to learn the then-emerging technology platform BIM. He remains a technology pioneer and evangelist who strives to stay at the forefront of the construction industry’s digital transformation.
Belkofer says data exchange between project team members “is still where the industry needs to take that big leap forward next. How are you going to be able to exchange information without loss of data, without loss of expectations and just being able to use tools in a seamless way?”
While there’s room for improvement, he says data exchange is getting better “because we’re picking better tools to integrate into our projects. These tools are becoming easier to use. But we don’t have the Holy Grail yet.”
He says active listening is key to adding new technology. “You’ve got to meet people where they are,” he says. “It’s really difficult in the construction industry to push one agenda and expect everyone to get aligned. There’s a lot of legacy knowledge. A lot of folks have been doing things for certain ways for a long period of time and they think, ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’”

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Burke, who has given more than 50 external presentations on sustainability, played an active role on the first net-zero hotel in the U.S., and works with climate tech companies through Suffolk’s start-up accelerator. He also helped form the national Sustainable Construction Leaders network.
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Jeff Byrne
Senior Superintendent
JE Dunn Construction, Beaverton, Ore.

During the past decade, Byrne has earned five promotions and become one of only a few dozen senior superintendents at JE Dunn. He has worked on projects in nearly every construction market, from government to health care and advanced manufacturing.
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Priscilla Chavez
Business Development Manager
PCL Construction Services Inc., Glendale, Calif.

Chavez drew on her background in economic development to build PCL’s outward looking economic development program focused on supplier diversity, workforce development and community investment that prioritizes building positive and impactful relationships across stakeholder communities.
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The first woman, first millennial and first nontraditional practitioner to hold ownership in her Cleveland-based design firm, Crouch, who has a Master’s in architecture, found her true calling in business development and marketing. She has also helped improve the firm’s paternity leave policy and pay equity.
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Larisa N. Escalle
Rail and Transit Lead, Northern California
GHD Inc., Concord, Calif.

Leading multiple landmark projects, such as the $12.2-billion BART Silicon Valley Phase II, Escalle also serves on several American Public Transportation Association committees and is a longtime member of the Women in Transportation Seminar and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.
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Transforming her department into “a client-focused powerhouse” supporting $300 million in proposals and $150 million in contracts, the El Salvadoran native is pursuing a doctorate degree and teaches estimating classes in Spanish for the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado academy.
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Kirby, who has held various positions dedicated to improving the environment, leads development of the Omaha Climate Action Plan, which is identifying the city’s climate risks and vulnerabilities and will include a set of suggested actions to enhance preparedness and resilience.
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Jennyfer LaBuff
Director of Data Engineering and Application Development
Sundt Construction, Tempe, Ariz.

LaBuff enhances Sundt’s data security and quality while improving data literacy firmwide. She migrated the firm’s enterprise resource planning and human resources systems and developed internal company applications such as monthly progress reports, project management and go/no-go apps.
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Since moving to Dallas in 2018 to start her firm’s tenant solutions business, the first woman partner in the company’s history is growing its client base and team, increasing division revenue to approximately $64 million in 2024 from $6 million in 2020 and boosting team members from two to more than 30.
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Specializing in mitigative designs for climate change-related shocks and stresses, and in post-loss investigations and assessments, Mahan is an expert in synthesizing research, geospatial data and post-disaster crowd-sourced information. She has also helped coordinate firm DEI initiatives.
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One of the youngest regional leaders and the third woman in the role, Marnell joined the firm’s small development services team in 2008. Computer-aided design standards she created helped streamline workflows and improved structures. She also helped her region’s job starts grow by $170 million from 2017 to 2023.
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Participating in landmark projects such as Lucas Oil Stadium and the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital, Russell has helped elevate numerous diverse businesses that would otherwise have had little chance to succeed in an industry and market that have historically struggled to embrace diversity.
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Wesley Southall
Department Manager
Burns & McDonnell, Roanoke, Va.

Leading the mechanical department in his firm’s aviation and federal group, Southall’s team services several clients including the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Architect of the Capitol and design and construction of a more than $1-billion naval dry dock facility.
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Anthony Valdiosera
CEO
VST Engineering Inc., Oakland, Calif.

Before building a firm focused on quality services with a diverse and multicultural team, this CEO started as a highway designer at Jacobs and Parsons. He also worked on rail programs in California and in the UAE before he was a PM on the BART rail system’s Traction Power Replacement Program.
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Walton quickly progressed to his current role at McCarthy, earning seven promotions and dual master’s degrees in business administration and strategic management from Indiana University after joining the firm in 2011 as a project engineer. His high-profile projects include the MARS Chocolate food grade production and manufacturing facility in Topeka, Kan.
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Catherine Woodworth
Area Superintendent
Hensel Phelps, Irvine, Calif.

Woodworth has worked on the $194-million Caltech Chen Neuroscience Research Building and $2.3-billion Delta Sky Way Program at LAX International Airport, where she led underground and apron paving for two terminals. She revolutionized large-scale apron paving with a comprehensive plan and cost-tracking system. Her guide still is a valuable resource for similar projects.
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