BOSTON – CDM Smith is proud to congratulate Colleen Heath, PE, this year’s recipient of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) Young Professional of the Year Award. The award promotes the accomplishments of young, diverse and talented engineers by highlighting their professional contributions and the resulting impact on society. Heath accepted her award on Wednesday, March 15 at the ACEC/MA 2017 Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala.

Heath’s exposure to environmental engineering began at an early age. She says it’s the power of engineering to make a daily impact on people’s lives that initially intrigued her. Today, her projects at CDM Smith have contributed to measurable efforts in water resource conservation that protect wildlife and the environment without limiting water suppliers and the areas they serve. Her work with water system hydraulic modeling and condition assessments of large diameter water mains has also helped communities meet public safety standards and mitigate water quality issues.

Outside of her work, Heath is fiercely dedicated to community outreach, especially with younger members of the community. Heath serves as a volunteer for the Citizen Schools program, where she works with students in low-income communities to support their academic achievement at critical points in their development. And as chair of the New England Water Works Association’s (NEWWA) Young Professionals Committee, Heath focuses on organizing social and educational events for young engineers, working to integrate them into the association. For her work with NEWWA, Heath was recently honored with the 2016 Younger Member of the Year Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding service through active participation in the association and their communities.

“To me, this award recognizes young professionals who have been working hard to combine technical work with volunteering efforts and advocating for issues that pertain to our field,” says Heath. “In being recognized, I feel that it's more important than ever to do the best work I can— both in the office and out. I want to make sure I’m representing what this award is all about.”

The ACEC/Massachusetts Young Professional Award recognizes the accomplishments of young engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the profession, possess a high level of integrity, and whose work has made a positive impact on society. Award winners are engineers, 30 years of age and under, with a degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited US college or university.