ENR New York's 2014 Top 20 Under 40

The professionals selected for ENR New York's Top 20 Under 40 list this year span a variety of disciplines, from urban planning to construction management. As a group, they represent work on a range of projects, such as building bridges, improving water quality and boosting audio-video design. But they also share a few things in common, namely a passion for the fields they've chosen.

That is evidenced by their professional achievements, honors and awards and by how they have given back to their communities.

Like last year's winners, this year's rising stars do a lot of community service work. Many participate in the ACE Mentor Program or other initiatives aimed at encouraging students to consider industry careers. Also like last year, many of this year's winners are involved in environmental sustainability initiatives and have obtained certification in at least one of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) credentials.

To qualify for the competition, nominees had to be located in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and be under age 40 as of Jan. 1. Candidates were nominated by colleagues or could nominate themselves.

Submission forms asked nominees for descriptions of their demonstrated excellence and leadership qualities and career experiences, including current job responsibilities, project work, certifications, professional licensures and/or accreditations. Candidates were asked for specific community service involvement and why they chose such involvement.

The six industry judges, noteworthy in their own right (see p. 14), selected the winners from this year's pool of 59 candidates.

After the winners were chosen, ENR New York followed up with a few questions that the 20 had the option of answering for readers. These included what their short- and/or long-term goals are, what drove them to enter their particular field and what they might be doing if they had not taken that path. Many of those responses also appear in the profiles that follow.

Meet The Jury

Casey

Theresa M. Casey
Executive Director
Connecticut Building Congress, Rocky Hill, Conn.

Casey runs day-to-day operations at CBC and was instrumental in starting the organization's new young professionals group. She also is a principal of AEC-focused On Target Market & Communications, Columbia, Conn., and a fellow of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Casey's other activities include mentoring and training technical and marketing professionals, writing for and about the industry and speaking at industry events.

Mauer

Steven G. Mauer
Senior Vice President
Torcon Inc., Red Bank, N.J.

Mauer has been with Torcon for 26 years and is a member of its executive leadership team. In this role, he oversees various operations groups and business activities at the company. Mauer has more than 35 years of experience in the construction industry and is actively involved with projects in a wide range of markets, including the pharmaceutical, health care and education sectors.

McGough

Michael McGough
Principal
Buro Happold, New York City

McGough manages all aspects of building services for projects from inception through completion. He has more than 25 years of experience designing and managing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for commercial, hospitality, civic, education and cultural facilities. Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of engineers, he has also taught and lectured at Harvard and Columbia universities.