As part of the premier issue of ENR Midwest, we set out to identify the rising stars in construction. We asked readers to nominate talented young professionals who were aged 40 or younger and based in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, or Wisconsin. From a field of 40 highly qualified up-and-comers, an independent panel of judges selected the top 20 on the basis of professional excellence; leadership in their company and profession; service to their profession and community; honors and awards they earned and their involvement in landmark projects. Once ratings were compiled, the 20 candidates with the highest scores were named ENR Midwest’s Top 20 Under 40.