Awards
Congratulations to our 2025 Award Winners! For more information on our nomination process, qualifications, etc. please contact our Awards & Scholarship Chair Dayna Duffy.
Engineer of the Year
Steve Sommerfeldt, P.E.
Steve is a dedicated stormwater engineer and active ASCE member of the Florida Section East Central Branch. He began his engineering career in 1999 with internships at two local consulting firms before earning his Civil Engineering degree from the University of Central Florida in 2001. After graduating, Steve joined Inwood Consulting Engineers, Inc., where he advanced to be the Stormwater Group Leader and an Associate Principal. As a stormwater engineer, Steve has contributed to over 400 stormwater-related projects throughout his career. Following Inwood’s acquisition by Ardurra Group, Inc. in 2023, he was promoted to his current role of Practice Director of the Orlando office. A committed leader, Steve has served as Chair of the East Central Branch (ECB) Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), Branch President, and Florida Section District 3 Vice President. He continues to contribute to ASCE as Chair of the ECB Sustainability Committee and EWRI PDH Chair. In 2024, he enhanced his leadership skills as a graduate of the FES/ACEC Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI). Outside of work, Steve enjoys spending time with his family and exploring Florida’s off-road trails as an avid mountain biker. His dedication to engineering excellence and community engagement reflects the values of ASCE.
Young Engineer of the Year
Alexis Baugh, P.E.
Alexis Baugh (formerly Perry) has accomplished a lot within her professional career and involvement with ASCE. As a Geotechnical Engineer at Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants (GEC) for the past 5 years, she has performed various geotechnical engineering services for infrastructure- related transportation projects for FDOT, CFX and various counties along with private commercial and residential development projects. Alexis is very involved with community outreach initiatives at GEC including the recent opportunity to judge final design presentations for the UCF geotechnical senior design class.
For ASCE, Alexis currently holds officer positions within ASCE East Central Branch Younger Member Forum (YMF), East Central Branch (ECB), Florida Section and Region 5 Younger Member Council. Her experience within ASCE has proven to be very valuable and she is excited to see how far she can go within the organization.
Government Engineer of the Year
Paul Yeargain, P.E.
At the City of Oviedo, Paul serves as the Assistant City Engineer/Engineering Manager for the Public Works Department. His role involves managing the transportation and stormwater services for the City. While working at the City of Oviedo, he has been active in the EWRI Water Resources Group serving as the seminar chair for the past two years. This has been a rewarding and positive experience as he has been able to collaborate with water resources professionals in Central Florida to bring interesting and innovative water resources topics to the EWRI Water Resources Group. In addition, he has also served on the Water Resources Scholarship Committee: reviewing the annual scholarship applications. For the past 25 years +/- he has served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Central Florida, teaching the Water Resources Design Class. This has been an incredible experience working
with Civil Engineering Undergraduate students as they develop their design skills in Water Resources. He also serves on the Conference Committee for the Florida Stormwater Association (FSA) with the main function of reviewing abstracts and making recommendations for the two FSA Conferences each year. Lastly, he has been active in ASCE for 25+ years, having previously served as the EWRI Water Resources Group Chair and Vice Chair as well as being involved in other committees. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BSCE and the University of Central Florida with an MSCE, and is a licensed professional engineer in Florida and Colorado, and a Certified Floodplain Manager.
Project of the Year
SR 426/CR 419 Widening (Phase 2)
Ardurra Group, Inc.
The State Road 426/County Road 419 project included preliminary and final engineering for the reconstruction from a three-lane rural typical section to a four-lane divided urban roadway with four 11-ft lanes, 5-ft bicycle lanes, and sidewalk improvements on both sides. The 1.5- mile corridor through downtown Oviedo included improvements to four signalized intersections and a fifth was added at the new intersection of Geneva Drive. Stormwater retention ponds along with drainage conveyance systems were provided. Roadway improvements were also proposed along Oviedo Blvd, Lake Jessup Ave, and Windsormere Way as well as a new alignment for Geneva Drive. Additional services included traffic volume studies, safety enhancements, signing and pavement markings, signalization design, lighting design, landscape and hardscape design, box culvert replacement, and environmental permitting. A pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) was designed to serve students crossing the street to Oviedo High School. This project required close coordination with FDOT during plan reviews and right-of-way acquisition as well as the City of Oviedo for aesthetic considerations and upgrades.
Sustainable Project of the Year
Lake Gandy Water Quality Improvements Project
Ardurra Group, Inc.
The Lake Gandy Water Quality Improvements Project in Orange County, Florida, exemplifies sustainable and resilient stormwater management by retrofitting urban infrastructure to address nutrient impairments in a highly developed watershed. The project included implementing a treatment train of Best Management Practices (BMPs) across two key subbasins, including wetland biofilter inlets, upflow filtration systems, tree box inlets, and a subsurface gravel wetland, to improve water quality discharging to Lake Gandy. The gravel wetland, a particularly innovative approach for nutrient removal in Central Florida, enhances pollutant removal without increasing flood risk. Stormwater modeling for various design rainfall events confirmed that the project maintains or reduces peak stages, preserves floodplain storage, and minimizes impacts to sensitive features such as the Lake Eve drainage well. By treating the first flush of stormwater and incorporating native vegetation and natural hydrologic cycles, the project advances environmental stewardship and climate resilience, setting a model for future water quality initiatives in the region.