Siemens Corp., Damrauer and Corso honored by ACEC New York at spring conference

The Siemens Corporation, Lewis Damrauer (retired) and Gregory Corso were honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York for their leadership, support and contributions to the state's consulting engineering community. The awards were presented at ACEC New York's Spring Conference (June 10-11) at the Union League Club in Manhattan. Tom Haas, chief marketing officer for the Siemens Corporation, accepted the President's Award for his organization. "Giving these annual awards is always one of the most pleasurable acts in which we engage," said Del Dausman, P.E., president of ACEC New York, "because the amazing contributions that engineers make throughout their careers often go unnoticed or under appreciated by those not aware of how engineers make peoples' lives safer and more enjoyable. It is up to associations such as ACEC New York to recognize those who have excelled and deserve recognition." President's Award: Siemens Corporation The President's Award is given annually to a non-member of ACEC New York in recognition of an activity or activities during the year that promoted the association's mission. During National Engineers Week in February, Siemens, at its expense, generously invited ACEC New York to run its new advertising campaign in animated form on the ABC Studios Jumbotron sign in Times Square, thereby reaching an estimated 1.2 million people each day. The 30-second spot, shown on this page, appeared on the curved screen once an hour every hour throughout the week, bringing the message that engineering is a vital and creative profession. Siemens AG is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens has U.S. sales of $22.4 billion and employs approximately 69,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In the U.S., the Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Prestigious programs such as the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology and prepare future generations of engineers and scientists. Engineer of the Year Award: Lewis Damrauer, P.E., (retired), Lizardos Engineering Associates The Engineer of the Year Award is given to an active or retired member of ACEC New York who has made significant contributions to the consulting engineering profession, to ACEC New York and to his community. Damrauer joined Lizardos Engineering Associates in 1977 as an electrical engineer. He was soon promoted to the position of chief electrical engineer. In this role, he was responsible for establishing an electrical engineering department and for establishing and maintaining electrical design standards and specifications to be used by the company. Lewis became a principal of the firm in 1987 and was named treasurer of the corporation. He continued as chief electrical engineer, serving as principal-in-charge for major clients and large projects and took on the responsibility of business development and human resources, overseeing personnel matters. He retired in 2007 after a 45-year career as an engineer. Damrauer was principal-in-charge of the electrical design for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's AirTrain Terminal at Jamaica, N.Y., for which he directed a staff of 15 engineers and designers over a period of almost six years. The design included a new Long Island Railroad headquarters building, a vertical circulation building to allow AirTrain passengers to move between the AirTrain station, the street, the Jamaica Station and a nearby subway station, and total renovation of the railroad's platforms and station. Other projects included renovation of four New York City lift bridges, a lift bridge in Lockport, N.Y., the locks and dam on the New York State Barge Canal in Waterford, N.Y. and the design of the power distribution system and control system for a new can filling line for a major soft drink bottler. Damrauer's service to ACEC New York included nine years on the Board of Directors representing the Long Island Region, service on the Executive Committee from 1996 until 2001, president of the Long Island chapter of ACEC New York from 1994 until 1996, and membership on the association's Port Authority and the Standards of Practice committees. Due to falling school enrollment in his community, Damrauer served on a local school district committee charged with reviewing schools for closing and recommending alternative uses. During his tenure, all but one school were given new life. New Principal of the Year: Gregory Corso, P.E., CHA Inc. This award is given to the ACEC New York member who has been a principal less than five years and who has made significant contributions in the form of ideas and service to the consulting engineering community. Gregory Corso became a partner of CHA Inc. in 2006. He developed and now manages CHA's Utilities Business Unit, which serves major investor-owned utilities throughout the eastern United States. He is responsible for building and maintaining client relations through project management and completion. The position demands strong knowledge of a wide variety of engineering disciplines that impact infrastructure redevelopment in the eastern United States. Corso is credited with expanding CHA's lines of business, including its fastest growing market, the utilities sector. He has done this by providing the best client service possible, applying cutting-edge technology and retraining selected technical staff. To accomplish so much in so short a time period, Corso has invested many hours advancing his leadership skills through CHA's Project Management Program and its Leadership Programs, which he began in 2002 and completed in 2007. He also graduated from the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Tech Valley program in 2008, a program designed to prepare individuals who seek a leadership role in the growth of New York's Capital Region. As part of his involvement in this program, Corso worked on projects to assist the Boys and Girls Club at Lawson Lake, purchased and procured donations to fill bags with toiletries and other items for children and adults staying at Safehouse in Schenectady, assisted in organizing a book drive for children and worked to raise awareness of non-profit organizations in the Capital Region. Corso is a member of the Energy Council of the Northeast, Air and Waste Management Association, American Academy of Environmental Engineers, Municipal Electric Utilities Association, IEEE and ASCE.