Stearns Road Bridge Work Helps Kane County's Schoedel Win 2013 Civil Engineering Award

A Kane County engineer has been awarded the state's top honor for civil engineering for a career's worth of reasons, but it might be his work on the Stearns Road Bridge Corridor that set him apart from the field.

Kane County announced Thursday that Kane County Engineer Carl Schoedel was 
awarded with the 2013 Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award at the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Annual Dinner Meeting, held Oct. 16 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The award recognizes Schoedel’s professional accomplishments and unique contributions to the civil engineering profession as well as his community service to Kane County.

According to the Kane County press release, Schoedel has more than 25 years of public service with increasingly responsible positions in Energy Distribution, Water Supply and Transportation leading up to his appointment as county engineer in 2003. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and completed his master of planning degree from Indiana University-Purdue University as valedictorian of his class.

Schoedel has also been recognized by the American Public Works Association – Chicago Metro Chapter as Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year in 2011, and the 2012 Illinois Association of County Engineers Zone 1 County Engineer of the Year Award.

“Mr. Schoedel is highly respected and has earned the recognition of his peers, the profession and his community through his great leadership and community service.” said John P. Kos, former DuPage County director of transportation, and the American Public Works Association winner of the 2004 Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year award. “He is a shining example of excellence in Engineering and Leadership in the public sector.”

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen said Schoedel’s most outstanding engineering achievement in the public sector is his leadership in the award-winning Stearns Road Bridge Corridor. The 4.6-mile regional bridge and environmental corridor won numerous regional, state and national awards, including the 2012 American Road and Transportation Builders Association Globe Award for Environmental Sustainability and the 2012 American Council of Engineering Companies Honor Award for Engineering Excellence.

The Government Civil Engineer of the Year award also recognizes Carl’s service to the advancement of the Civil Engineering profession and professional guidance to future and junior civil engineers. During his tenure as Kane County engineer, he established the first cooperative engineering education program, which provided opportunities for advancement in the cvil engineering profession and guidance to future and junior civil engineers. The program allows undergraduate civil engineering students to alternate semesters of study with “real world” work experience.

In addition to the educational and experiential benefits to the students, the program offered a cost effective solution for the county, providing increased technical manpower without increasing permanent head count. 
T
he Government Civil Engineer of the Year award recognizes not only professional accomplishments, but also contributions to civic and humanitarian activities. Outside of work, Schoedel serves as board member for CASA Kane County, a nonprofit organization advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the juvenile court system.

Gloria Bunce, executive director of CASA Kane County describes Schoedel as “a generous individual that is passionate about giving children a voice to be heard and find permanency. He is well-deserving of the award of Government Civil Engineer of the Year.” 

“We are so proud to have Mr. Schoedel on our team," Lauzen said. “He is a highly
respected and accomplished engineer and a humble and generous citizen in his community service to Kane County."