Pat Dougherty was elected the Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year


Past National President, Pat Dougherty was elected the Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year by all of the Engineering Technical Societies in the Philadelphia Area. Pat takes over as Chairman of the Delaware Valley Engineers Week Council in February and is charged with directing the events included in the celebration of Engineers Week in the Greater Philadelphia Region. Pat was nominated by the Delaware Valley Section of ASHE and won the election on the first ballot.

Goals for Engineers Week include:

• Informing the community of the contributions Engineers make to the quality of our lives.
• Acquainting young people and guidance counselors with the opportunities and rewards of a career in engineering.
• Recognizing exceptional engineering achievements, outstanding math and science teachers and students and a Young Engineer and Engineer of the Year.

Pat has over 34 years of experience in both the public and private sector working in the field of civil/transportation engineering in the Delaware Valley.

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pat attended St. Thomas More High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University in 1968, followed by a Master's degree in Transportation Engineering in 1975. He began his career working as a summer co-op for the Pennsylvania Department of Highways. After graduation, he continued working for the state Department of Transportation (PaDOT) in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region.

Pat left government service in 1976 and served in positions of increasing responsibility at several local consulting engineering firms. He is currently the manager of the Highway Design Division of McCormick, Taylor & Associates, a Philadelphia based firm, where he is responsible for numerous projects with a total estimated construction value of over $100 million.

In addition to his notable professional career, Pat is an active member of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). He is a George Washington Associate Member of the Engineers Club of Philadelphia.

Pat was appointed to ASHE's Delaware Valley Section Board of Directors in 1981 and became Section President in 1985. He was appointed to ASHE's National Board of Directors in 1990 and served on numerous committees, chairing the Technical Committee and assisting in the development of the National Long-Range Plan for 1995-2000. In 1997, he was elected National President of ASHE. He continues to serve on several Board Committees. He was presented with ASHE's National President's Award for his outstanding and continuing service to the Society at the 2000 National Conference.

Pat was responsible for providing ASHE's initial support and participation in Engineers Week Council. As a representative of ASHE he has served on the Council in various roles including Chairman of the Events Committee, Council Secretary and Assistant Secretary. He currently serves on several Council commitees.

Pat has served the community in many ways, most notably by volunteering his time and engineering skills for community projects. On one such effort, he served as the Engineer for the reconstruction of the fire-damaged historic Schofield Ford Bridge in Tyler State Park. The project was cited by both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the ASHE Delaware Valley Section for the Project of the Year honors.

Pat and his wife of 33 years, Elizabeth, reside in Upper Darby. They have raised three children, all of whom have graduated from local universities and are now pursuing productive careers of their own (one of Pat's sons has also chosen civil engineering as his career). Pat and Liz remain strong supporters of their community and St. Pius X Church.