Engineer of the Year Nominees.

PositionARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

What makes a great engineer? It's not just a solid grasp of math, physics, science, and technology. There are also intangible qualities in an ideal candidate; creative vision, problem solving skills, and a healthy dose of pragmatism are employed by engineers every day. Put it all together, add a budget and a deadline, and the result is an Alaska built on innovation, safety, and ingenuity. The evidence is all around us, seen in the buildings we frequent, the roads we travel, and even the air we breathe.

Every year, Alaska Business proudly presents the nominees for Engineer of the Year, a list of professionals whose work has left a remarkable, positive impact. Each nominee has achieved impressive accomplishments in a wide variety of projects. But we also ask readers to recognize the countless investments these individuals have made in their communities as well. These nominees engage with professional associations of peers and colleagues, some even serving in leadership positions. They also foster the development of Alaskan youth that aspire to achieve the same success. Rest assured, whomever is named Engineer of the Year, it will not only speak to his or her individual accomplishments but also that nominee's love of this state.

Craig Bledsoe, CSP, PE

Nominated by the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers

Craig Bledsoe got started in his technically oriented career as a young emergency communications volunteer during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was good preparation for handling disaster traffic as a teenage ham radio operator with survivors of the 1964 Earthquake after the state's communications infrastructure collapsed. Bledsoe served in multiple military branches as an aircraft commander and aviation accident investigator, and he became an airline pilot for Flying Tigers, which was subsequently purchased by Federal Express.

Following graduate school at the University of Southern California, Bledsoe became a professional engineer specializing in aviation safety and aircraft accident investigation. He has investigated multiple civil and military incidents and crashes, and he was selected to serve as the head of flight safety for the Air Line Pilots Association at FedEx.

Upon retirement from FedEx, Bledsoe was chosen by Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) to become the site safety superintendent for a major medical facility construction project on Fort Richardson. Subsequently he was promoted to headquarters safety engineer at BBNC headquarters in Anchorage. Bledsoe has published multiple peer-reviewed technical articles in several national professional journals. At the beginning of 2020. the Board of Certified Safety Professionals selected him to fill a paid position writing test questions for the professional certification examination.

Bledsoe is the president of the Alaska Regional Chapter of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, and he is currently serving as the statewide president of the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of California.

Virginia Groeschel, EIT

Nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers

Virginia J. Groeschel is a consultant coordinator and specifications engineer for the DOT&PF-Central Region Aviation Design Section. She is also the Central Region-Design & Engineering Services Internship Program manager.

Some of her notable airport projects (Bethel. Togiak, and Newtek airports) encompass unique design challenges, such as remote locations, permafrost, and a rare new airport construction. As a specifications engineer, she works primarily on updating the 117 airport specifications for FAA approval. As the internship program manager, Groeschel mentors up to twelve engineering and survey...

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