CH2M HILL Senior Executive Named Distinguished Member of National Civil Engineering Society
Reston, Va.—Retired Maj. Gen. Joseph A. "Bud" Ahearn, P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, NAC, a senior executive with CH2M HILL in Denver, was recently named a distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Formerly known as honorary membership, distinguished membership is the Society's highest accolade and recognizes those who have achieved eminence in a branch of engineering. The active roster of distinguished members is comprised of only 193 of the Society's more than 140,000 members worldwide. Ahearn—who is being honored for his demonstrated leadership in the design and construction industry, his advocacy for innovation as a means to improve industry productivity, performance and quality, and his dedicated military service—will be formally inducted on Thursday, November 6, 2008, at ASCE's Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Pittsburgh.
In his current position at CH2M HILL, Ahearn serves as the executive sponsor for the $11 billion U.S. Forces Korea Relocation program. During his 16-year tenure with the company, he has served in several capacities, including transportation business group president, eastern region manager and senior vice president, federal programs director and principal-in-charge for two major transportation corridor projects in California. In addition, he has served as vice chairman of the board, where he worked in collaboration with senior executives to effectively represent the firm and was responsible for strategic planning, governmental affairs, strategic communications and leadership development. Prior to joining CH2M HILL, Ahearn served in the military for 34 years, retiring with the rank of major general of the U.S. Air Force. As the Air Force Civil Engineer, he was responsible for the war fighting readiness of combat engineering forces and for shaping financial strategy, developing budgets and executing infrastructure programs totaling more than $10 billion annually.
Ahearn has been actively involved in ASCE's Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation (CEFI) and, as a founding sponsor, an active board member of Engineers Without Borders–USA. He is a former national president of the Society of American Military Engineers and the 2008 recipient of their Golden Eagle Award for exemplary industry leadership. He is also a founder and leader of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Coalition in Denver, an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and a member of the National Academy of Construction. In addition to his numerous military awards, Ahearn received the Air Force Order of the Sword—the highest honor the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the U.S. Air Force can bestow, the University of Notre Dame College of Engineering's Honor Award for Professional Achievement and the Newman Medal from the Society of American Military Engineers for outstanding military engineering achievement in Europe.
Ahearn received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame and his master's degree in engineering administration from Syracuse University. He is a resident of Greenwood Village, Colo.
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
