Catlin wins “Engineer of the Year” award

Wilmington, NC – The Professional Engineers of North Carolina (PENC) awarded local environmental engineer, Rick Catlin with the 2010 “Engineer of the Year” award at a banquet held Saturday night at the Holiday Inn at Wrightsville Beach. This is a statewide award and is considered to be PENC’s most prestigious honor.

Catlin is also a candidate for New Hanover County Commissioner.

The first award was given in 1984 and recipients since then have been chosen from nominations from each of 9 state chapters. The annual award is given to the person who best exemplifies the ideal image of the Professional Engineer. According to PENC the recipient of this award “must possess professional reputation and integrity beyond question, have consistently worked for the professional and technical interests of the engineering profession and have achieved particular distinction in their technical field and area of practice. The achievements and professional reputation of the winner must be decidedly statewide in character.”

In addition to Catlin’s achievements in the profession of engineering his notable public service includes: NC Public Health Commissioner, Chairman of the Wilmington-New Hanover County Ports, Waterways and Beach Commission, Executive Director of the NC Water Resource Congress, and a Founding Director of the North Carolina Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association.

Rick Catlin is owner and president of Catlin Engineers and Scientists. Catlin started the firm 25 years ago and while it has grown to include offices in metropolitan areas such as Raleigh and Atlanta, the headquarters remains in Wilmington where Rick and his wife Janice have made their home since 1979. Rick Catlin received his North Carolina Professional Engineer license in 1985.

Professional Engineers of North Carolina (PENC) is a professional association of over 1,500 individuals including Professional Engineers, engineering interns, engineering graduates and engineering students. PENC has nine local chapters plus student chapters. PENC is a state society member of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Members represent all technical disciplines and all practice areas including construction, education, industry, government, and private practice. The mission of PENC is to promote ethical, competent, and licensed engineering and to enhance the professional, social, and economic well-being of its members.

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