CBBEL’s Kay Whitlock Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Rosemont, IL (March 14, 2018) – At an awards ceremony earlier today, Kay Whitlock, PE, D.WRE and Vice President at Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL) received the French Wetmore Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Illinois Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM).

According to IAFSM, the award recognizes longtime floodplain managers whose “contributions have made a noticeable impact on floodplain and stormwater management efforts in the State of Illinois.”

“Though Kay is an engineer, she has served as the architect of so many important efforts in water resources and watershed management throughout her career,” said Molly O’Toole, a longtime IAFSM member who previously served on the organization’s Board of Directors. “Kay’s career is significant by any standard for any engineer throughout the decades. Through it all, she has been a friend and mentor and promoter for many other floodplain and stormwater professionals. She represents the best of all of us.”

In choosing Whitlock for the award, IAFSM cited her instrumental roles in significant projects across Illinois, including the crafting of the Upper Mississippi Comprehensive Master Plan in the 1980s and the DuPage County Stormwater Management Program in the 1990s. Whitlock, who is Chair of IAFSM’s Legislative Committee, is also known for advocating for both flood risk management and environmental protection while bringing people together.

“All of us at CBBEL are thrilled for Kay and are proud to have her on our team,” said Christopher B. Burke, PhD, PE, D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE, and President of CBBEL. Burke presented Whitlock with the award in a surprise ceremony at the IAFSM Conference. “Kay has been an asset to the CBBEL team for over 15 years and I am thrilled that IAFSM has recognized her talent and expertise.”

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Whitlock joined CBBEL in 2001. She serves as Vice President of the Rosemont, Illinois-based firm, managing multidisciplinary water resource, stormwater and flood control projects. She has more than 40 years of experience in the areas of water resource management, stormwater management, flood control, water and natural resource engineering, federal, state and local funding and legislative testimony for project authorizations.

As a part of the Master Civil Engineering team, Whitlock currently manages the hydrology, hydraulics and water resource permitting for the O’Hare Modernization Program. In 2005, she worked with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to develop the Stormwater Management Plan for Cook County.

Whitlock also co-chairs the Advisory Board for the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois. The PRI Advisory Board advises U of I’s Vice Chancellor for Research. PRI houses the scientific research arms of Illinois including: Illinois State Water Survey, Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois Geological Survey, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Illinois Archeological Survey.