The National Society of Professional Engineers celebrates Professional Engineers Day in honor of Charles Bellamy being issued the first professional engineering license on August 8, 1907 in Wyoming.
To mark the inaugural Professional Engineers Day in 2016, governors from Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Wisconsin signed proclamations recognizing the contributions licensed professional engineers make to their states and society.
"Being a licensed professional engineer means more than just holding a certificate and possessing technical competence. It is a commitment to hold the public health, safety, and welfare above all other considerations.”
- NSPE's Statement of Principles
For the sixth annual Professional Engineers Day, Middough is celebrating our staff of PE’s and finding out what they do, what inspired them to become Professional Engineers and learning what they enjoy about working in the engineering field.
John Ross (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Project Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Chemical
Years in the Engineering field: 23
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE? Advancement in the field
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering Field? Realizing safe & effective solutions to innovative challenges
Sukdev K. Sinha (PE, Chicago)
Official Title: Senior Electrical Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Electrical
Years in the Engineering Field: 25
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE? Working in a consulting firm.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field? Designing, reviewing and assisting other young engineers.
Mike Smith (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Senior Structural Engineer
Credentials: PE, Licensed Structural Engineer in Illinois
Discipline: Structural, Civil
Years in the engineering field: 42
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Career advancement
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Solving problems
John Micheli (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Staff Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Chemical Engineering
Years in the engineering field: 48
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
By the recommendation of one of my professors.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Understanding how things work and problem solving.
David Hurst (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Senior Department Manager, Mechanical/Piping
Credentials: PE
Years in the engineering field: 40
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Advancement in the engineering field
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field: The diversity of engineering problems that we encounter.
Chris Black (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Project Manager
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Mechanical
Years in the engineering field: 13
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Continuous improvement
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field: Problem solving
Bob Strosnider (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Senior Project Manager
Credentials: PE, PMP
Discipline: Chemical
Years in the engineering field: 40
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Generations of engineers have come before us, working under difficult conditions with rudimentary tools have made the world I live in, a better place.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field: Almost every day, I learn something new. I get to work with people, solving practical problems, by often creatively applying bodies of knowledge.
T. Lynn Ho-DePeder (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Sr. Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Chemical engineering
Years in the engineering field: 20
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
To validate my understanding of engineering basics and to aid in my return to the workforce after being a SAHM.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field: The never-ending problem-solving opportunities.
Kent Flanery (PE, Ashland)
Official title: Senior Project Manager
Credentials: PE, MBA, Certified, TOC Jonah
Discipline: Electrical
Years in the engineering field: 42
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Professional Licensure is a part of an engineer’s education.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field: Creative problem solving
Donald Stalter (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Senior Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Electrical
How long have you been in the engineering field: 38
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
To honor my father.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Solving problems and learning about new things.
William Freivald (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Staff Process Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Chemical Engineering
Years in the engineering field: 27
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Additional Credentials
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Diversity of projects
Gregory DiFrank (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Vice President - General Manager
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Electrical
Years in the engineering field: 36
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
A lifelong fascination with electricity, and the chance to design big things!
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Solving real world problems that make peoples lives better.
Ronald Cuculic (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Senior Electrical Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Electrical
Years in the engineering field: 40
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Lionel Electric Trains
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Designing systems to satisfy customer needs and solving problems.
Kyle Cussen (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Senior Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Civil
Years in the engineering field: 10
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
My brother
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Identifying and resolving infrastructure problems.
Matthew Althouse (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Staff Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Industrial Engineering
Years in the engineering field: 25
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
I wanted to formalize my commitment to the engineering field and the ethics which guide us.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Finding elegant solutions to complex problems.
Steve Bogaert (PE, Chicago)
Official title: Sr. Quality Manager
Credentials: PE; Certified by the American Society of Quality as a "Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence" CMQ/OE
Discipline: Mechanical
Years in the engineering field: 38
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
When working for Fluor Daniel in the early 1990s it was highly encouraged.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Creating with teams
George M. Hlavacs (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Senior Structural Engineer
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Structural
Years in the engineering field: 27
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Sights, sounds and smells of being in a steel mill.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
I can point to a structure on Google satellite view and say, “I made that."
Nitin Mahajan (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Sr. Technical Manager
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Mechanical
Years in the engineering field: 29
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Being a PE demonstrates commitment to public safety and high standards of Engineering.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
The ability to understand client problems and finding solutions.
Tony Sansone (PE, Cleveland)
Official title: Senior Technical Manager
Credentials: PE
Discipline: Structural
Years in the engineering field: 25
What was your source of inspiration for becoming a PE?
Driving over bridges while growing up in Pennsylvania.
What do you enjoy most about working in the Engineering field?
Seeing structures that I helped design and pointing them out to friends and family.