Woolpert Senior Vice President Melvin Spinks Named 2024 Houston Area Engineer of the Year

Spinks has helped shape stormwater design policies and criteria throughout the Houston area for over three decades.

HOUSTON (Dec. 20, 2023) — The Houston Engineers Week Committee has named Woolpert Senior Vice President Melvin Spinks as the 2024 Houston Area Engineer of the Year. The award recognizes engineers who have made significant contributions to both the profession and Houston area. It will be presented in February during Houston Engineers Week and National Engineers Week.

Spinks, who founded Houston-based engineering firm CivilTech in 1997, has spent his 34-year professional career working on community flood resilience planning and sustainable flood infrastructure projects. Woolpert acquired CivilTech in 2021 to expand support for water and transportation initiatives throughout Texas.

As a risk analysis and economic expert in flood financing, Spinks served as the economic lead for federal flood risk reduction projects for Houston’s Harris County Flood Control District, including Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Buffalo Bayou, and Halls Bayou. Spinks has participated in American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Texas at the local, state, and national levels for over 25 years and has been an active member of the ACEC Texas Public Policy Council since 2016.

“Melvin is known for his out-of-the-box approach to projects and commands the highest quality on his projects and from his staff,” Woolpert Business Development Manager Sandra Ortiz said. “Throughout his career, Melvin has invested countless hours in his employees and interns and has unselfishly provided his mentorship and friendship to all young and senior professionals alike.”

Spinks is nationally recognized for his work in flood management and risk analysis for riverine and coastal urban flooding. He has provided testimony in federal and district courts on water cases in Texas and across the U.S. He also has testified on federal litigation related to Hurricane Katrina and in district courts on flooding cases associated with tropical storms Allison and Imelda and hurricanes Ike and Harvey.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the 2024 Houston Engineer of the Year. It will be a great privilege to represent Houston’s engineering community when we celebrate National Engineers Week in February 2024,” Spinks said. “I want to thank the Houston Engineer Week Committee for their wonderful work in promoting the engineering profession and the many activities that support our student scholarships across our Texas universities. Engineers are vital to bringing prosperity and improving the quality of life in our great cities and counties, and I am so proud to live and work in the world class city of Houston!”    

About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, has earned seven Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.