Tonopah Award

An Arizona Society award that may be presented annually to an Associate Member of the Arizona Society ASCE who is judged to have provided outstanding service to the Arizona Society. Nominations are made by the Committee on Awards and Prizes. A wall plaque is provided to the recipient at the Annual Arizona Society Meeting. The award was established by the Arizona Society in 1978 and presented at the Spring 1978 Arizona Society meeting. The award is intended to recognize the contribution of an outstanding young Civil Engineer to Arizona’s programs. The first recipient was Kent Dibble.

History of the Award
In February 1978, Jim Anderson and Kent Dibble were Arizona Society delegates to the Pacific Southwest Council meeting of ASCE in Reno. Upon flying from Phoenix to Las Vegas, they found their flight to Reno was canceled by bad weather. They rented a car and drove all night to arrive in Reno at 6:00 a.m. for an 8:00 meeting. In Tonopah, Nevada, the roads became so bad that they had to buy a set of chains to proceed. Those chains subsequently became property of the Arizona Society and some of the links are attached to the Plaque we present.

History of Award Recipients
The following is a list of past award winners.

Year – Recipient

2023 – Allison Sadow

2022 – Fausto B. Burruel

2021 – Thomas Hull

2020 – Ted Smithwick

2019 – Breanna Connolly

2018 – Chelsi Remme

2017 – Jose Aguilar

2016 – Melanie Sikes

2015 – Marlo Abramowitz

2014 – Mark Lamer

2013 – Chad V. Drago

2012 – Frederick Tack

2011 – Ryan Circello

2010 – Samuel A. Credio

2009 – Chris Milner

2008 – Brent Borchers

2007 – Jennifer Kroening

2006 – Martha J. Davis

2005 – Lani Good

2004 – Daniel Yu

2003 – Anna Leyva-Easton

2002 – Sheina Pool

2001 – Chris Kmetty

2000 – Jason Mikkelsen

1999 – Dana Owsiany

1998 – Kwame Agyare

1997 – Michael Smith

1996 – Ken Walsh

1995 – Michael Kies

1994 – Michael Barton

1993 – Stephanie Yard

1992 – Eric Garner

1991 – Jody Kliska

1990 – Andy Brown

1989 – Jim Glock

1988 – Ron Hilgart

1987 – Mike Beehler

1986 – Bob Hughes

1985 – Tom Galeziewski

1984 – Gary Timmerman

1983 – Darrel Wood

1982 – Bill Kantor

1981 – Not Given

1980 – Not Given

1979 – Not Given

1978 – Kent Dibble