Industry professionals from all across the U.S. donated their time and expertise to help ENR identify and honor the most outstanding construction efforts completed in the U.S. and Puerto Rico between July 2012 and June 2013. Nearly 800 project teams submitted their best work to ENR's regional "Best Projects" competitions. For each of the ten regions, our editors assembled an independent panel of industry judges to home in on the winners in 20 categories. The winners of the regional contests moved on to the national competition.

A national jury of independent industry individuals (listed below) was assembled to examine the regional winners to distinguish the "Best of the Best" in teamwork, success in overcoming challenges, innovation and quality. A separate jury of industry safety experts chose this year's "Excellence in Safety" 'award.

Any judge who's firm worked on a project in a given category was assigned to a different category.

ENR thanks the judges for their dedication and hundreds of hours of time they collectively devoted to examining the entries. The awards would not be possible without the efforts of these volunteers.

BANKER

CEO, Banker Steel

Don Banker founded Banker Steel Co. in 1997, where he continues to serve as CEO and principal owner. Under his leadership, Banker Steel has fabricated award winning projects that include the Barclays Center Arena, Washington Nationals Stadium, World Trade Center Tower 1 and The International Gem Tower. Banker has grown the company to include plants in Lynchburg, Va., where it is headquartered, and a plant in Orlando, Fla., enabling Banker Steel to serve the entire east coast. Previously, Banker served as vice president of operations with Hirschfeld Steel Co. He is an active member of the Lynchburg community, where he serves as a board member for the United Way and Sun Trust Bank.

BELL

Glenn R. Bell

CEO, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Glenn R. Bell has led engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. as CEO since 1995, guiding its growth from 140 to over 440 employees and expansion from two offices to five.  He has led major corporate strategic initiatives, such as a full structural reorganization and multiple merger/acquisitions. A frequent guest speaker on subjects such as sustainable design, integrated design, and developing the next generation of engineers, Bell was keynote speaker for Structures Congresses 2007 and 2012. He serves on the Advisory Board for The Charles Pankow Foundation, a private nonprofit public benefit foundation with the mission of providing the public with improved quality, efficiency, and value of buildings by advancing innovation in design and construction. He currently is a member of the advisory committee for the Department of Architectural Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

BIGANE WILSON

Ann Bigane Wilson

President, Bigane Paving Co.

Anne Bigane Wilson is president of two firms: Bigane Paving Co., a fourth-generation family-owned firm specializing in asphalt paving, and Ogden Avenue Materials Inc., an asphalt manufacturing plant, both serving Chicagoland. Wilson served as 2002-03 president of the American Subcontractors Association and is a member of the Construction Engineering & Management Advisory Committee at Purdue University. In 2003, Wilson was awarded the Walter Nashert Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Institute of Constructors for her work in promoting professionalism and ethics in the construction industry.  Bigane Paving earned ASA’s National Construction Best Practices Award in 2011 and 2012.

FRANZ

Anna Franz

Director, Planning and Project Management, Architect of the Capitol and Chair, Construction Industry Institute

Anna Franz joined the Office of the Architect of the Capitol as Director of Planning and Project Management in June 2006, where she oversees a central support organization which provides architecture and engineering design, project and construction management and in-house construction services to the U.S. Capitol, House Office Buildings, Senate Office Buildings, Library of Congress, U.S. Botanic Garden and other Agency jurisdictional facilities.

Ms. Franz’s 24 year federal career in facilities and program management commenced after she served six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy Dept. Civil Engineer Corp. She has also worked with the Dept. of Justice, Smithsonian Institution and the National Institutes of Health. Franz received a Master of Architecture from The University of Texas at Austin, a Doctor of Philosophy from The George Washington University and is a registered architect in Virginia.  She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and has received numerous awards, including The Architect’s Citation Award, General Services Administration Honor Award in Preservation and Conservation and Attorney General Special Commendation Award.

GREEN

William O. Green

President, The RMH Group Inc.

William O. Green is president of The RMH Group Inc., a mechanical, electrical, industrial process and sustainable engineering firm based in Lakewood, Colo. Green has fostered the company’s growth in sustainable/LEED engineering, and the firm is designing some of the most innovative and energy-efficient buildings in the world. A registered professional engineer and LEED-accredited professional, he holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He currently serves as a board member of the Denver Architectural Foundation, the Design-Build Institute of America Rocky Mountain Chapter, and the University of Colorado Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Executive Advisory Council.

LESKOSKY

Vince Leskosky

Principal, Westlake Reed Leskosky Design

With 31 years of experience at the at Westlake Reed Leskosky, Vince Leskosky as a principal and senior project designer has a deep personal involvement spanning all aspects of the design practice from programming, space planning to architectural and interior design. His responsibilities have included facility master planning, project management and constriction administration with budgets ranging from $50,000 to $120 million. The recipient of numerous design awards for architectural projects, he has also exhibited paintings and other design work in a number of galleries and art museums. As an architect and an artist he brings a unique and creative perspective to the architectural design process.

Magarelli

Marco Magarelli

Architect, Data Center Strategic Engineering and Development, Facebook 

Marco Magarelli holds over 17 years of experience specialized in science technology facilities and data centers. He joined Facebook in 2009 where he oversaw the design and execution of over 1.5 million sq ft of data center.  The design of these facilities is part of the Open Compute Project.  His focus today is on data center research and development. Marco preveiously served as senior data center architect for Equinix Inc. from 2000-2009, where he was involved in the design and execution of over 11 data center facilities globally. He graduated with honors from the Ontario College of Art and Design, and worked for Kuwabara Payne McKenna Bloomberg Architects in Toronto. He was on the team behind ENR’s 2011 Best of the Best Projects Editors’ Choice, the Facebook Data Center in Oregon.

MELTZER

Brad Meltzer

Principal, President, Southeast Region, Plaza Construction Group FL LLC

Brad Meltzer has over 20 years professional experience in the construction industry, starting at Plaza Construction in 1989.  He has demonstrated particular strength working hands-on with projects requiring critical advance planning, difficult staging and logistics, fast-track schedules and maintenance of ongoing operations. Select projects include high-profile hotels and condominiums in Miami, including The Marquis, Canyon Ranch Living and The W Hotel South Beach; commercial and retail projects such as Miami’s TownCenter One at Dadeland. His experience with office build-outs includes work on a number of projects including Credit Suisse First Boston and Credit Suisse Private Banking in Miami.

Meltzer holds a Masters of Architecture from Tulane University School of Architecture. Actively involved in professional organizations, he is immediate Past President of the CEA, a board member of the Construction Association of South Florida and a member of the U.S. Green Building Counsel. He is also a member of the Associated General Contractors of America, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, board member of Miami Beach JCC and advisory board member of Tulane School of Architecture.

PERRIN

Sallye Perrin

Senior Vice President, Parsons Brinckerhoff

Sallye Perrin, a senior vice president at Parsons Brinckerhoff, also serves as PB’s strategic pursuit manager for the development of public-private partnerships throughout the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on transportation. Perrin has spent 32 years planning and engineering for transportation projects throughout North America, and is nationally recognized for her ability to help agencies find innovative and cost effective means to implement their transportation programs and projects.

Perrin earned a master’s degree in civil engineering and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at the University of Virginia. She is licensed as a professional engineer in Maryland and Pennsylvania, serves on the Maryland Board for Professional Engineers and is a member of the Women’s Transportation Seminar.

RAUSCHENBERGER

Michael Rauschenberger

National Corporate Office Executive and Corporate Office Leader, SW U.S,, DPR Construction

At DPR Construction, Michael Rauschenberger drives the building and improvement of corporate settings of all shapes and sizes for small businesses and global enterprises alike. His 20-year plus construction history includes extensive experience with financial institutions, advanced technology, retail, hospitality, community outreach programs, municipal and manufacturing office buildings, improvements and structures. As the founder of Arizona Energy Masters, a solar sustainable consulting firm, Rauschenberger contributes heavily to the growing demand for sustainable environments in tenant improvements and new construction. He is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council – Arizona Chapter, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, and is a leader on the Advisory Council for Banner Desert Cardon Children’s Medical Center and an advocate and volunteer for Lodestar Day Resource Center homeless programs.

SALIBA

John Saliba

Director, Project Development, IDS Group

John Saliba possesses over 30 years of experience overseeing the design and construction of major public and private works projects. In his role at IDS Group, a multi-disciplinary engineering and architectural firm headquartered in Orange County, Calif., he manages the business development efforts and directs project development for the company. IDS has successfully completed over 5,000 projects both in the U.S. and internationally. He is certified as a designated design-build professional with the Design Build Institute of America and is a licensed general contractor. His experience at the management level for award winning architectural, engineering and general contracting firms has proven invaluable during his tenure as an award juror for many of the nation’s leading design and construction associations and publications.

SPORIDIS

John A. Sporidis

Managing Principal, Vanderwell Engineers

John A. Sporidis has worked in engineering for over 35 years, focused on the governmental, institutional and commercial sectors. His career is filled with accomplishments that include leading major engineering commissions and supporting nationwide and worldwide building programs for the Federal Government. Sporidis most recently served as a principal with the Washington, DC, office of Arup, and previously was a senior vice president and managing director of the Syska Hennessy Group in the DC area. He has managed projects throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. He was a founding member of the HVAC Advocacy Program of the GSA, a past chairman of the ACE Mentor Program of the Metropolitan Washington Area and the recipient of George Washington University’s Engineering Alumnus of the Year award.

WEEKS

Richard S. Weeks

President, Weeks Marine

Richard S. Weeks began his career with Weeks Stevedoring more than forty years ago, just before starting college. After receiving joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international studies from John Hopkins University, followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School, he began working full time at Weeks Stevedoring in 1977. Weeks managed numerous projects in the New York area, while also pursuing related opportunities in construction, dredging, marine transportation and chartering, leading over time to the merging of American Dredging, MP Howlett, TL James, Healy Tibbitts, Lahaina Dock and Pile, Gates and other marine contracting organizations into what is now Weeks Marine.

Weeks joined MOLES in 1987, a fraternal organization of the heavy construction industry, and in 2009, Rich was honored with the MOLES’ Membership Award. Weeks is also vice president of the Dredging Contractors of America and has served on the boards of the New Jersey Marine Science Consortium, Local 25 Operating Engineer funds, and the New York Maritime Association..

EXCELLENCE IN SAFETY AWARD JUDGES

BALDWIN

Rich Baldwin

U.S. Director of Health, Safety and Environment, PCL Construction Enterprises

Rich Baldwin is a certified safety professional with over 38 years of safety management experience in the government, process chemical and construction industries.  Currently, he is corporate director of Health, Safety and Environment for the U.S. operations of PCL Construction Enterprises, a firm that maintains 13 U.S. operating locations and is #6 on the 2012 ENR top 400 contractor list. Prior to working for PCL, he was corporate safety director for BE&K Construction Inc. in Birmingham, Ala. for 14 years until the firm was purchased. He is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who had several challenging safety management assignments and piloted a variety of Air Force aircraft.

SHELTON

Douglas R. Shelton

Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Parsons Corp.

Doug Shelton was recently selected by the Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons Joint Venture to represent the construction safety, health, and security program for the design build construction of the first 29 mile segment of the California High Speed Rail Project, the first design-build high speed rail project in the U.S., which will eventually link the California cities of San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Shelton, also a former OSHA Compliance Officer, has more than 17 years of safety, health, environment and security management experience supporting not only construction and engineering of light and heavy rail construction, which includes extensive experience in aviation, pharmaceutical and semi-conductor operations. Shelton was a member of the project team that won ENR’s 2012 ENR Best of the Best Safety Award. He has also received commendations from OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program.

TAYLOR

Doug Taylor

Corporate Safety Director, F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co.

Doug Taylor has been in the construction industry for nearly 30 years, a safety professional for 24 years and with Wilhelm Construction for approximately 20 years. Taylor is responsible for developing, managing and implementing every aspect of Wilhelm's award-winning safety program. He manages and advises 17 full-time safety professionals for Wilhelm's annual average of 150 projects. He personally introduces the safety program at the start of each new project and conducts both planned and unplanned safety audits throughout the course of the project.