The William A. Bowes Service Award is the highest chapter award given by the Oregon Chapter of APWA. It bears the names of distinguished Oregon public works professionals, one for each year since the inception of the award in 1978. It was established to recognize a public works leader for their far-reaching, positive impact on public works programs, services or policies. Award recipients are selected by the previous award winner. Criteria include promoting chapter growth, signing up new members, participating in committee activities, and gaining public recognition of the chapter.
(Note: historical award information gleaned from chapter newsletters and recollections from award recipients. Information generally based on the time the award was given.)
Bowes Award Recipients |
2023 – Tony Roos
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2022 – Ken Stoneman
- BSCE from OIT
- Professional Civil Engineer & Land Surveyor
- David Evans & Associates, Inc. – 19 years
- ODOT – 30 years
- APWA member – 20+ years including Transportation Committee Chair, Scholastic Foundation Board Member
- 49 years in the industry
2021 – Mike Bisset
- Chapter President 2020
- Former Community Development Director, City of McMinnville
2020 – Terry Song
- Principal Engineer, Murraysmith
- Oregon Chapter President, 2014
- Oregon APWA Scholastic Foundation President, 2018-2021
- When asked what inspires him, his response is, “working as a team to accomplish things bigger than what we can do on our own.”
2019 – Delora Kerber
- Public Works Director, City of Wilsonville
- Oregon Chapter President, 2016
- Scholastic Foundation board member
- President of Puget Sound Chapter of Women in Transportation
2018 – Nikki Messenger
- City Manager (and former Public Works Director), City of Roseburg
- Oregon Chapter Board member and officer
- Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley
2017 – Gregg Weston
- Chief Engineering Manager, 3J Consulting
- Oregon Chapter President, 2009
- Scholastic Foundation President, 2016-2017
- Oregon nominee for Top 10 Leader Award in 2018
2016 – Jenifer Willer
- Principal Civil Engineer – City of Eugene
- Oregon Chapter President 2018
2015 – Bob Patterson
- Public Works Director – City of Pendleton
- Oregon Chapter President 2013
- Top 10 Leader, 2016
2014 – Russ Thomas
- Maintenance Superintendent – City of Newberg
- Oregon Chapter President, 2017
- Oregon nominee for Top 10 Leader Award in 2019
2013 – Mark Schoening
- City Engineer for the City of Eugene
- Oregon Chapter President, 2012
2012 – Todd Watkins
- Washington County
- Principal Engineer, Land Use and Transportation
- Oregon Chapter President, 2015
2011 – Greg Miller
- County Engineer at Washington County’s Department of Land Use & Transportation
- Oregon Chapter President 2005
2010 – Kurt Corey
- Public Works Director at the City of Eugene
- Oregon Chapter President 2007
2009 – Rick Olson
- President and CEO of Spec Industries in Eugene
- Oregon Chapter President, 2008
- Long-time member of the Oregon Chapter Foundation Board
- Provided long, continuous, and outstanding service to the Chapter
- Heads up conference exhibitor shows
2008 – Terry Chamberlin
- Oregon Chapter President 1998
2007 – Eric Jones
- Public Affairs Manager for the City of Eugene Public Works Department
- Nominated as Top 10 Leader, 2015
- Service to APWA: Chapter Public Relations Chair, newsletter editor, and web master; member of Scholastic Foundation board
2006 – Stephanie L. Reid
- Lincoln City City Engineer
- Chapter President, 2003
- Service to chapter: Helped update APWA’s national strategic plan; served on the chapter’s Board of Directors; helped create a new awards program for Oregon APWA; helped the chapter win the PACE Award six years in a row
2005 – Paul Klope
- Principal engineer for the City of Eugene Public Works Engineering Division
- Service to the Chapter: Leadership in the construction of numerous public improvements in Eugene; creativity and willingness to look for new and better ways to deliver engineering service; work with Oregon State University Civil Engineering Cooperative Program; member of APWA National Engineers Joint Contract Documents committee task force, APWA National Congress Program Committee; Chair, APWA National Education Committee; Chair, Specifications Committee, Co-Chair ODOT/APWA Joint Specifications Committee, Chair, National APWA/ACEC Committee
2004 – Ron Polvi
- Director of District Engineering for Northwest Natural
- Member of APWA for more than 20 years
- Chapter president 2001
- Other service: Served on the chapter Board of Directors; vice-president of the Oregon APWA Scholastic Foundation; past president of APWA National Utility & Public Right of Way Committee; president of the Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineer; past president of Professional Engineers of Oregon; president of Oregon MATHCOUNTS
2003 – Donald E. Schut
- Community Development Director in McMinnville
- Member of the Oregon APWA Chapter since 1974
- Service to Chapter: served on the Oregon APWA board directors from 1987 to 1993; served on numerous chapter committees; chaired the task force that recommended establishing the Oregon APWA Scholastic Foundation and served as the Foundation’s first president
2002 – Gordon L. Merseth
- Principal of Crane and Merseth
- Chapter president 1994
- Member of APWA for more than 25 years
- Other service: Chapter newsletter editor; Futures Committee member, helped organize conference and made presentations; Oregon APWA Scholastic Foundation Board
2001 – Les A. Lyle
- Eugene City Engineer
- Joined the chapter in 1984
- Chapter president 2000
- Other service: chapter board member, treasurer, secretary and then treasurer and secretary combined, chaired the communications task force, helped set up the chapter’s web site; championed the chapter’s strategic planning efforts; strong supporter of the Scholastic Foundation
2000 – Dan Boss
- Operations Director for the City of Tualatin
- Member of APWA since 1980
- Chapter president 1995
- Other service: Served several years as chair of the Computer Technology Committee, active with the Education Committee, Oregon APWA Chapter Scholastic Foundation (treasurer)
- Other awards: Top 10 Public Works Leader<
1999 – Jeanne Nyquist
- Chapter president 1997
- Other service: Chair, Education Committee, Oregon APWA Scholastic Foundation Board
- Other awards: Donald C. Stone Award, Top 10 Public Works Leader
1998 – Lori D. Faha
- Chapter president 1996
- Early Chapter scholarship recipient
1997 – Robert Adams
- Vice-President of CH2M Hill (retired)
- Member since 1968
- Service to Chapter. Encouraged chapter participation by consultants/private sector, served on chapter board and State Board of Higher Education
1996 – Eugene Appel
- Principal engineer for the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
- Member since 1978
- Chapter president 1989
- Other service: National APWA Education Foundation, Institute for Municipal Engineers, Environmental Strategy Committee, Reorganization Strategic Committee, Oregon Scholastic Foundation Board
1995 – Steven M. Hall
- Public Works Director for City of Milwaukie and City of Ashland
- Chapter president 1992
1994 – Jeffrey A. Ballard
- JSL Company
- Chapter president 1990
- Chair, Industry Relations Committee
- Conference exhibitor coordinator
1993 – Hugh H. Kalani
- Clackamas County
- Chapter president 1987
- Other service: National delegate
1992 – Jack H. Guthrie
- District Engineer, ODOT
- Specifications Committee Chair
1991 – David J. Vargas
- City of Portland
- Chapter President 1988
- Other service: Scholarship Committee, Newsletter editor
1990 – Carlos Van Elsberg
- Public Works Director, Umatilla County
- Chapter president 1983
- Chapter Awards Chair
1989 – Alan J. Van Horn
- Member since 1969
- Service to Chapter: Chair of the Publicity Committee for the APWA International Public Works Congress in Portland (1979), active in Oregon Utilities Location Council
- Other awards: National Meritorious Service Award (1984)
1988 – Merle E. Langley
- Sales Manager for Eugene Concrete Pipe Company (Spec Industries)
- Chapter president 1986
- Member of specifications committee for a number of years
1987 – A. Gordon Wyatt
- City of Corvallis
- Chapter president 1991
- Other service: Membership chair, Specifications Committee member
Marlin J. DeHaas - Principal of Marlin DeHaas and Associated (previously Director of Public Works in Lake Oswego)
- Chapter president 1976
1985 – Michael Soderquist
- Oregon Operations Manager for Kramer, Chin and Mayo, Inc.
- Chapter president 1982
- Other service: Guided the reorganization of the chapter committee structure
Chapter historian for 10+ years
1984 – Allen A. Alsing
- Ashland Director of Public Works
- Chapter president 1971
- Other service: Chapter Historian
- Other awards: Public Works Top 10 Leader
1983 – Edward A. Sigurdson
- Salem office manager for Kramer, Chin and Mayo, Inc. (previously City Engineer for the City of Salem)
Chapter president 1978 - Other service: National delegate
1982 – Donald N. Harwell
- County-City Engineer for Oregon Department of Transportation Local Program Unit
- Active in APWA since 1969
- Chapter president 1980
- Other service: National Delegate 1984-1987, Public Relations Committee Chair
1981 – LeGrande Marchant
- Engineering Design Manager for Port of Portland
- Chapter president 1979
1980 – Richard L. Dopp
- Chapter president 1972
1979 – William M. Blum
- City of McMinnville
- Chapter president, 1984
- Chapter photographer for 15+ years
1978 – Kenneth A. Meng
- Associate with Zarosinkski-Tartone Engineers (previously Public Works Director for Washington County)
- As a charter member of Oregon APWA Chapter, he was Chairman of the committee created to form the chapter and was the first president of the Oregon State Chapter
- Other service: served on the Oregon APWA Board of Directors, co-chaired the specifications committee of the chapter, served as national delegate from Oregon, and in 1973 was elected as Region IX director of APWA National
- Other awards: selected as a top ten Public Works Man of the Year in 1975