Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E., has been named Civil Engineer of the Year by the Engineering Society of Baltimore (ESB).  The Director received the award in a ceremony at the Engineering Society on April 12. 

The ESB award recognizes Director Chow's sustained and unusual efforts that have enhanced the advancement of the civil engineering profession and/or provided a service to mankind during calendar year 2017.

ESB’s Engineer of the Year award is the top engineer award for the greater Baltimore area.  In order to receive this award, an engineer must be nominated by and have previously been named engineer of the year by an associate engineering society or professional engineering organization in Baltimore. Director Chow was named Civil Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Maryland Section in 2017. 

During his tenure with DPW, the Director has made great strides in many areas. This includes implementation of a state-of-the-art water billing system with installation of new automated meters.  In addition, he has taken the lead in launching the Y-H20 youth water mentoring program to encourage young adults to pursue careers in the water industry.  Under the Director's leadership, DPW was selected as a “Utility of the Future Today,” a recognition that celebrates the progress and exceptional performance of the nation’s wastewater utilities. DPW was selected one of only three agencies to receive a Gold Award for exceptional utility performance from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), and DPW’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant holds a Gold Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). 

Director Chow is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Maryland and Delaware with over 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. He is an active member of ASCE, American Water Works Association (AWWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), Water Research Foundation (WRF), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), American Public Works Association (APWA), and Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), and serves on a number of boards and committees.

The Engineering Society of Baltimore is the cultural capital for Engineering in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. The Engineers Club of Baltimore was started just a year after the devastating Baltimore fire of 1904 as a way to develop standards and share information for the subsequent rebuilding of the city. Carrying on the tradition, the ESB has been instrumental in educating countless professionals for half a century. The ESB, housed in the Garrett Jacobs Mansion in Mount Vernon, is the meeting place for engineering interests in the city and surrounding area.