Gayle Roberts recently retired as chairwoman of the board at Muscatine, Iowa-based Stanley Consultants, concluding a 35-year career all with the consulting engineering firm, including stints as president and CEO. She was a unanimous choice of the editors to be ENR Midwest's Legacy Award recipient shortly thereafter.

“Thinking back on my years at Stanley Consultants, I am so fortunate to have worked alongside members and clients who unfailingly recognize the importance of maintaining strong values to serve as guideposts,” said Roberts. “It’s been extremely fulfilling to collaborate with them, some of the greatest minds in the industry, to help solve issues and see these projects become a reality for communities all over the world.”

Roberts joined Stanley Consultants shortly after graduating from Iowa State University with a chemical engineering degree. She accepted the firm's most-challenging assignments, steadily advanced and, in 2007, was elected the firm’s fifth president, becoming the first female president of a global consulting engineering firm. She was elected CEO in 2012 and chair of the board in 2017.

Throughout her career, Roberts served on boards at Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, St. Ambrose University and Engineers Without Borders — USA. She recently completed a two-year term as vice chair of the American Council of Consulting Engineering (ACEC) firms.

A longtime champion of women in engineering, Roberts regularly encourages young women to consider the field. These efforts, and her many contributions to the engineering profession, have been recognized with multiple awards. They include the Athena Award from The Women's Connection, Upward Mobility Award from the Society of Women Engineers, Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (PACE) Award from the Iowa State University Alumni Association, Woman of Influence Award from the Corridor Business Journal, Voice of the Engineer Award from the Iowa Engineering Society, 50% Solution Award from the Iowa Women's Foundation and the Large Company Innovation and Leadership Category of the Iowa Women of Innovation Award from the Technology Association of America.

Roberts will be joining our other award winners November 28 at the Westin River North for ENR Midwest's Annual Awards Breakfast. We hope you can join all of our award winners and hear more about her extraordinary career.