2026 Young Professionals Take Center Stage at ACEC Fall Conference
At the 2026 Fall Conference in Phoenix, ACEC honored five exceptional engineers with its Young Professional Award, recognizing individuals whose accomplishments have distinguished them early in their careers. Among this year’s finalists, Timothy D’Agostino, project manager at P.W. Grosser Consulting, was selected as ACEC’s 2026 Young Professional of the Year.
Nominated through ACEC’s state Member Organizations and selected by the ACEC College of Fellows, these finalists exemplify professional excellence, leadership, and service to the profession. Employed by ACEC member firms across the country, these young professionals are helping shape the future of engineering. Meet the 2026 honorees below.
ACEC 2026 YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Timothy D’Agostino, PE, ENV SP
Project Manager, P.W. Grosser Consulting, ACEC New York
Timothy D’Agostino is a project manager at P.W. Grosser Consulting, specializing in drinking water infrastructure. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware.
His experience includes well, water main, and water treatment plant design, plus construction management and inspection. Timothy is passionate about solving water quality challenges that affect public health and quality of life.
Timothy holds leadership and outreach roles in professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels and mentors high school students through the ACE Mentorship Program. Timothy was named a Young Professional of the Year by ACEC New York.
Timothy D’Agostino
“I would like to thank my family, my firm, and the many teachers, mentors, colleagues, and friends who have supported me throughout my life and helped shape the engineer and person I am today. Their love, encouragement, and unwavering support have played an instrumental role in my professional growth and personal happiness, and I am truly grateful for the impact each of them has had on my life!”
Kimberly Koehl, PE
Louisiana Group Manager, McKim & Creed, ACEC of Louisiana
Kimberly Koehl is a civil engineer and project leader specializing in flood protection, stormwater management, and resilient infrastructure at McKim & Creed. Inspired to pursue engineering after her family’s home flooded during Hurricane Katrina, she has built her career around helping communities reduce flood risk.
Her expertise includes hydraulic and hydrographic modeling, drainage systems, and permitting. She has successfully led complex federal and grant-funded projects throughout Louisiana, including the Bayou Manchac Regional Flood Risk Reduction Plan and the Fish Bayou Control Structures project, a 2023 ACEC of Louisiana Engineering Excellence Honor Award recipient.
Kimberly approaches engineering as a profession rooted in service, integrity, and stewardship. She is committed to mentoring younger professionals, serving her community, and improving the lives of the people that engineering serves.
Kimberly Koehl
“I am incredibly grateful for the mentors, colleagues, family, and friends who have supported me throughout my career, especially Glenn Shaheen, whose mentorship, trust, and encouragement have played an important role in my professional growth. I have been fortunate to learn from leaders who challenged me, gave me opportunities to grow, and demonstrated the importance of investing in others. Their support has shaped the engineer and leader I am today and inspires me to do the same for the next generation of professionals.”
Farrell Nicholson, PE
Roadway Department Manager, Wetherill Engineering Inc., ACEC North Carolina
Farrell Nicholson holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University. Her career in transportation engineering began with a hands-on foundation, working alongside her father in highway construction.
As roadway department manager at Wetherill Engineering, Farrell leads multidisciplinary teams delivering transportation design projects for federal, state, municipal, and county agencies. She is known for her strategic mindset and collaborative leadership style.
Farrell is deeply committed to developing future leaders. She served on the inaugural ACEC North Carolina Junior Board and currently serves as a Trustee for the CECNC-PAC and on the Board of Directors of the WTS Triangle Chapter, championing mentorship and opportunity for the next generation of transportation professionals.
Farrell Nicholson
“I am incredibly grateful to all who have supported, mentored, and encouraged me throughout my career. From those like Roberto Canales who invested in me early on to colleagues Erin Krayer and Greg Purvis, mentors, family, and friends who continue to challenge and inspire me, each has played a meaningful role in shaping the professional I am today.”
Alyssa Susanna Sooklal, PE, ENV SP, CFM®
Senior Project Engineer, Barton & Loguidice, ACEC/Maryland
Alyssa Sooklal is a senior project engineer in the environmental practice area of Barton & Loguidice in Annapolis, Maryland. Her experience includes stormwater, drainage, erosion and sediment control, and green infrastructure design.
Alyssa earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and holds a PE license in five states. Alyssa is president of the ASCE Maryland Section and a member of the ACEC/Maryland Environmental Committee. Her honors include ACEC/Maryland’s Young Professional of the Year (2023) and ASCE National’s New Face of Civil Engineering (2024).
In her community, Alyssa served on the Board of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools and has volunteered with Meals on Wheels for nearly a decade.
Alyssa Susanna Sooklal
“I am deeply grateful to Rob Marchetti and the ACEC/Maryland leadership, ACEC National, my current and past managers and coworkers, my educators from pre-K to undergraduate university studies, my family, my friends, my partner Grayson, and many others for their support of my career, goals, dreams, ‘second job’ (volunteering!), and life. Most importantly, I want to humbly thank my parents who gave up everything in their home country for me, and I want to thank God for guiding me every step of the way.”
Raeanna Thiele, PE
Vice President and Geotechnical Engineering Department Manager, Thiele Geotech, ACEC Nebraska
Raeanna Thiele is vice president and Geotechnical Engineering Department manager at Thiele Geotech, Inc., where she leads its geotechnical practice and serves on its Board of Directors. A licensed professional engineer in Nebraska and Iowa, she has led the department through record-setting revenue years.
A lifelong Nebraskan, Raeanna earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska Omaha, inspired by her grandfather, a 39-year Douglas County Engineer.
A graduate of ACEC Nebraska’s Emerging Leaders Program, she is an inaugural mentor in the Let’s MEET program for female engineering students. As the first woman to manage a department and serve on Thiele Geotech’s Board in its 30-year history, she is committed to expanding opportunities for others.
Raeanna Thiele
“I am especially grateful to my parents, Mark and Aldona Doyle, who opened my eyes to the possibilities of engineering as a career and have always been an unwavering source of encouragement and guidance. They have always believed in me, provided a trusted sounding board, and given me the confidence to pursue opportunities I may not have otherwise imagined for myself.”
