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Kim Johnson, civil engineer at 7 Oaks Engineering, has built an 18-year career centered on community-focused infrastructure solutions. She specializes in navigating complex regulatory environments to advance projects serving vulnerable populations.

A defining achievement came during work with Family Building Blocks, where Johnson successfully resolved a development moratorium threatening housing for families in need. Through collaborative problem-solving with municipal officials, Johnson identified viable solutions that allowed the critical project to proceed, demonstrating how technical expertise combined with advocacy creates meaningful community impact.

Johnson serves as a board member for the Silverton Chamber of Commerce and maintains active membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers, Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs, and Commercial Real Estate Women鈥檚 Oregon chapter.

Johnson explained that her leadership philosophy centers on accountability and leading by example, using both successes and setbacks as opportunities for growth while maintaining focus on creating lasting positive community impact through purpose-driven project management and persistent advocacy.

Amber Kelel, a leader at Systems West Engineers, has spent eight years building high-performing teams and fostering a culture of excellence in the engineering industry. As a firm leader, she has developed lasting partnerships with clients and communities through her focus on quality, integrity, and empowering professionals to grow and collaborate.

Kelel explained that effective leadership begins with personal accountability and a growth mindset. At Systems West Engineers, she has cultivated a people-first environment built on trust, competence and character, creating space for team members to thrive both personally and professionally.

She serves on the board of directors for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Willamalane Park Foundation. Kelel chairs the Community Steering Council for Lane Transit District. She is a member and mentor with SMPS鈥� Oregon chapter and holds affiliate membership with AIA Oregon. Through these roles, Kelel extends her commitment to supporting professional development and community impact.

Matt MacRostie joined Century West as a project engineer and has since served as a project manager, municipal business development manager and vice president before taking on his current role.

MacRostie describes the firm鈥檚 bread-and-butter work as designing roadways, runways, taxiways and utilities, and acknowledges that civil engineering is somewhat standardized. It can be challenging to try to be inventive without incurring higher costs to clients, he says. Creativity is the key to unlocking innovative solutions, he notes.

鈥淏y offering alternative perspectives and solutions we empower our clients to make informed decisions that align with their objectives and priorities,鈥� he said in a Century West article.

MacRostie strives to foster a culture of cross-office teamwork and knowledge sharing, and points to the company鈥檚 pairing of mentors and mentees who are not in the same office. Its mentorship program encourages collaboration between offices and individuals so they can get to know everyone in the company and be able to learn from them.

鈥淲e know that our collective strength is greater than the sum of our individual efforts,鈥� he said.

Jennifer Mendiola, manager of the Marine Services Division at David Evans and Associates, has built a 26-year career in the architecture and engineering industry. She began her professional career at a small engineering firm in Tigard, where she developed her foundation in collaboration and operational excellence.

At DEA, Mendiola started as a project assistant and progressively advanced into leadership roles spanning contract management, business development, and operations. She has been instrumental in shaping the Marine Services Division, building systems that support both project success and team development.

Mendiola explained that her leadership philosophy centers on service, fostering environments where others can grow and succeed. She focuses on making complex systems more efficient while ensuring team members feel supported, included, and empowered.

Beyond her professional work, Mendiola remains actively involved with Jesuit Volunteer EnCorps. She has also contributed to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, Potluck in the Park, and other local organizations through her church and schools.

Anne Monnier started her career at KPFF in 1993 and was named a partner in its Portland office in 2009. She was the first female KPFF owner in the Northwest. Her most prominent projects have accumulated more than 60 awards through 29 individual projects.

Monnier helped establish KPFF鈥檚 Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) group, which has since expanded beyond Portland to other offices and is currently growing to include other women professionals in the A/E community.

With the goal of mentoring and training engineers from emerging, minority and women-owned firms, Monnier has also participated in programs aimed at helping disadvantaged youth learn about the A/E/C profession. She has encouraged the firm鈥檚 financial support of organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers, American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the Society of Women Engineers.

In addition, Monnier was a board member of the Architectural Foundation of Oregon from 2010-2019, and a member of the Critical Building Committee for the Oregon Resilience Plan Task Force from 2011-2012.

When PBS Engineering and Environmental became part of Apex Companies last year, Linda Kay Norris brought her communications expertise to the new parent company and was named corporate communications manager.

Though her job title may differ slightly from the one she held before the merger, Norris will continue her work in addressing the prevalence of male-centric language in technical reporting. She embarked on a mission to transform not just her company鈥檚 communications but those of the industry at large.

She transformed PBS鈥� reporting standards, rewrote templates, updated documentation and championed inclusive language throughout the organization. She also helped establish the Women at PBS Employee Resource Group.

Norris champions the message that nontechnical staff should be viewed as professionals with intentional career paths and valuable skills. Through her tireless efforts, she has not only elevated the perception of nontechnical roles but also set a new standard of inclusivity in the AEC industry.

In addition, Norris previously served as vice president of the Society for Design Administration鈥檚 Portland chapter.