NACE Rural County Engineer of the Year – Greg Isakson
GREGORY A. ISAKSON, P. E., COUNTY ENGINEER, GOODHUE COUNTY MINNESOTA IS SELECTED NACE 2010 RURAL COUNTY ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Photo courtesy of NACE; pictured (left ot right): Phil Demery, NACE President; Gregory Isakson, Goodhue Conty Engineer; Ken Stone, NACE Awards Chair
Gregory A. Isakson, P. E., County Engineer, Goodhue County, MN has been selected as the 2010 Rural County Engineer of the Year by the National Association of County Engineers (NACE). Announcement of this honor and appropriate recognition of Mr. Isakson was made at the Annual Management and Technical Conference recently concluded in Minneapolis, MN on April 21, 2011.
In receiving this award, his citation read “for the application of efficient engineering management principles and standards of economic design, construction, maintenance and operations of public works facilities”. Mr. Isakson has been recognized as a leader in his career spanning 20 years in Minnesota first as a County Engineer in Faribault County and since 1998 in Goodhue County. Some of his achievements have included his creation of the 50 Year Life Cycle Cost Analysis method of determining the statewide county highway preservation shortfall. His statewide assessment was accepted and has been used by the Minnesota Association of Counties and the State Senate’s Transportation Action Committee as the unmet County Highway Preservation Funding shortfall. He is currently serving on a State legislatively authorized committee to monitor County Design-Build projects and as well as developing standards/guidelines to implement a component of the FHWA Complete Streets program. As a County Engineer he has had several projects receive design and construction excellence awards and has instituted organizational efficiencies through competitive outsourcing of certain functions. He recently completed a County Roadway Safety Plan prioritizing specific road segments where safety improvement funds will achieve their maximum benefit. Finally, as a member of the FHWA Technology Transfer program he was selected to travel to Russia in 2007 to share his knowledge of bituminous full depth reclamation.
A member of NACE since 1991 he is currently serves as the NACE State Director representing Minnesota. His service to the Minnesota Association of County Engineers has included a term as President in 2004 and co-chair of the MCEA Legislative Committee. His work on a State Task Force including testimony to the State Legislature advocated a 2008 funding package which was finally approved by the State resulting in the first state gas tax increase in 20 years.
The National Association of County Engineers, with approximately 1900 members in 50 states and Canada, has a fourfold objective: (1) To advance county engineering and management by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information, (2) To foster and stimulate the growth of individual state organizations of county engineers, and (3) To improve relations and the spirit of cooperation among county engineers and other agencies in the solution of mutual problems and (4) to monitor national legislation affecting county transportation departments and through NACo provide legislative opinions.