EOTY History 2024:
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2024 Engineer
of the Year
Nominated by SAME:
Danny Rauchenstei, PE
Danny Rauchenstein has over 20 years of experience as a mechanical and fire protection engineer with a significant focus on energy-related designs. He loves collaborating with intelligent, creative people while creating unique, complex solutions for engineering challenges.
Danny was born and raised in Alaska, which enables him to combine proven knowledge with day-to-day, real-life experience in cold climates. His expansive HVAC design experience includes ventilation, heating, plumbing, controls, fire protection, fuel systems, utilidors, and plant design. He also has broad experience in the energy field, including waste heat recovery, oil and
gas development, and energy studies. Danny uses the industry’s newest tools, including 3D CAD, flow modeling, building energy modeling, and economic analysis software.
His unique resume took him as far as Antarctica to redesign the South Pole Station’s ventilation system. If he can find solutions for a place with temperatures as low as -100°F, elevations at 11,000 feet, and severe winds, he can design facilities anywhere. Danny is a Vice President at RESPEC and manages the Business Unit. Danny leads business development and contract management for facility projects in Alaska and the Lower 48 states.
2025 Engineer of the Year Nominees
⭐⭐⭐ 2025 ENGINEER OF THE YEAR! ⭐⭐⭐
Nominated By ASCE:
David Gamez, PE
David Gamez is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer and certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer with Lounsbury & Associates in Anchorage. He serves as the Engineering Group Staff Manager and Project Manager on a wide range of transportation projects. Originally from Southern California, David moved to Anchorage in 2012 to pursue his engineering career and passion for the outdoors. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from California State University, Fullerton, and has dedicated his career to advancing safe, efficient, and community-focused roadway systems.
David specializes in multimodal transportation design, traffic operations and safety engineering. Over the past 15 years, he has delivered projects for state and local agencies across the western U.S., including preventive maintenance projects, major corridor reconstructions, roundabout design, and complex traffic signal upgrades. His portfolio includes more than 80 signalized intersection improvements in Alaska and Washington, along with engineer-of-record and project management roles on major DOT&PF and Municipality of Anchorage projects, such as urban highway interchanges and multimodal safety and mobility improvements.
Beyond his technical work, David is an active leader in the civil engineering community. He has served as President of the ASCE Alaska Section and continues to participate in statewide advocacy through the Alaska Professional Design Council. He also chairs the 2025 Report Card for Alaska’s Infrastructure and mentors students through the Anchorage School District’s Career & Technical Education programs to help develop Alaska’s future engineering workforce.
Outside of work, David enjoys spending time with his family, competitive cycling, and exploring trails across the country.
Nominated by ASHRAE:
Matt Olson
Originally from Minnesota, Matt came to Alaska in the summer of 2006 after graduating from St. Cloud State University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. What began as a chance to explore the state quickly turned into a long-term commitment, and Alaska has been home ever since.
Matt has spent nearly 20 years designing building systems for interesting and challenging projects across Alaska. Now an Associate and Senior Mechanical Engineer at AMC Engineers, Matt brings a practical, hands-on approach to engineering and project management. His experience covers a wide range of new construction and renovation projects, with a primary focus on healthcare facilities.
A Certified Healthcare Constructor, Matt specializes in complex and highly technical healthcare projects, including hospitals, operating rooms, sterile processing departments, laboratories, pharmacies, cleanrooms, emergency departments, and specialty medical and imaging spaces. His experience spans new construction, phased and occupied renovations, LEED certified facilities, code compliance evaluations, master planning, construction administration, and commissioning.
When opportunities present themselves, Matt shares his knowledge and experience with other medical field design professionals at both local and national conferences. He has presented on topics including compounding pharmacy design and regulatory compliance.
Matt particularly enjoys the technical design challenges often encountered within healthcare facilities. He is committed to providing safe, reliable and operator/maintenance friendly mechanical design solutions for projects throughout Alaska.
Nominated by IEEE:
Ken Pigg, PE
Ken Pigg earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. His diverse career has taken him all around the USA, including seven states and most recently 6 years in Alaska. He worked for 22 years in nuclear power generation, including electrical design work for eight commercial reactors and the Hanford N reactor. The last 10 years were on a team that acquired licenses to build new nuclear plants. Other areas include design for the largest molybdenum mine in the world, technical sales of electrical distribution and control equipment, and IT equipment including cybersecurity, networking, storage, and backup systems.
Currently Ken is a Facilities Engineer for GCI, with more than a thousand facilities all over Alaska. Projects range from tiny villages to major networking hubs. Types of projects include satellite earth stations, wireless sites, central offices, communications shelters, and a major pipeline. His most interesting project was the first of a kind addition of rubber bladders to a communications tower on top of a small mountain to prevent ice accumulation.
Ken’s volunteer time has included the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers, Launch Alaska, and IEEE. IEEE volunteer roles included chair and treasurer in Oklahoma City, Eastern North Carolina, and Alaska sections. At the regional level, his service included treasurer for two regions and a conference. At the international level, he served on the board of Educational Activities, Finance Committee, and Conferences Committee. Ken is currently serving as Past-Chair of IEEE Alaska and a third term as IEEE-USA treasurer.
Nominated by ITE Alaska:
Brad Coy, P.E., PTOE
Brad Coy, P.E., PTOE, is Anchorage’s Municipal Traffic Engineer and Traffic Engineering Department Director, where he leads a team that operates, maintains, and improves the city’s transportation system. Brad earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and is a licensed Professional Engineer and certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer.
In 2024 and 2025, Brad advanced several high-profile engineering initiatives in Anchorage, including protected bike lane pilot projects, a refresh of the city’s Vision Zero program, and a new Neighborhood Greenways program. His strong working relationship with the State of Alaska continues to be instrumental. Brad also spearheaded Anchorage’s effort to become a member city of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
Brad is actively engaged in professional leadership and service at the local, state, and national levels. He served on the ITE Alaska Section Board from 2021–2024, serves as the Roadways Focus Area Leader for the State of Alaska Strategic Highway Safety Plan, and chairs the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) Technical Advisory Committee. He is a member of the NACTO Designing Cities Conference Program Committee and is beginning his service as Vice-Chair of the ITE International Public Agency Council. Brad is also involved in the UAA Civil Engineering Advisory Council, regularly visits local classrooms, and organized the Engineering and Skilled Trades section of the Academies of Anchorage 2025 Freshman Career Expo.
Brad bike commutes year-round and enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife and five children.
Nominated by NAWIC:
Xuan Ta, PE
Xuan Ta, PE, is a Principal Electrical Engineer at RSA Engineering and one of Alaska’s most respected technical leaders, known for her four decades of expertise, mentorship, and dedication to advancing the engineering profession. Born in Vietnam and immigrating to Alaska as a teenager in 1975, Xuan learned English, excelled academically, and went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1982—the only woman in her engineering cohort.
Xuan joined RSA in 1988 as the firm’s first female electrical engineer and quickly established herself as a trusted expert in complex electrical design. Over her career, she has led projects across healthcare, housing, education, government, and industrial markets, consistently delivering reliable, efficient, and client-focused solutions. Her work has taken her far beyond Alaska, including three tours at the South Pole as an on-site inspector for the U.S. Navy, where she oversaw critical facilities and earned the Navy’s confidence for her precision and professionalism in extreme environments.
As a Principal Engineer and longtime mentor, Xuan plays a pivotal role in shaping RSA’s next generation of engineers. She is known for her calm leadership style, thoughtful problem-solving, and unwavering commitment to high-quality design. Her career stands as a testament to resilience, technical excellence, and the vital contributions women make in engineering.
Nominated by SPE:
Bryan McLellan
Bryan McLellan is a senior petroleum engineer with the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC), responsible for permitting oil & gas wells across the state and for enforcing AOGCC regulations. He is also the Orphan Wells Program Manager for Alaska, responsible for implementing the Orphan Wells Plugging Program in the State of Alaska. He previously worked for a major oil and gas company, BP, for 20+ years as a drilling, completions, interventions and well abandonment engineer in Alaska, Norway and Azerbaijan. He is married and has two children and two hunting dogs. He enjoys boating in Prince William Sound, skiing and spending time in the Alaskan outdoors with his family and friends. Bryan has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and is a registered Professional Petroleum Engineer in the State of Alaska.