A message from ASCE Texas Section President Mark Boyd PhD, PE

October 2024

From Student to President: My 40-Year Journey with ASCE and the Path Forward for Texas Civil Engineering

My journey with ASCE, and much of my engineering career, began 40 years ago when I joined the SMU ASCE student chapter in 1984. SMU Engineering—now the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering—has proudly offered Civil Engineering since 1927. I am profoundly grateful to the students and faculty who supported and inspired me throughout my PhD in Civil/Environmental Engineering, and who encouraged me to remain engaged in education. Since 2001, I have had the honor of serving as an adjunct faculty member at SMU, mentoring countless ASCE student members along the way.

My involvement with the ASCE Dallas Branch and the Texas Section has brought me to this moment. The immense encouragement and mentorship I have received over the years has deepened my sense of purpose, and I feel called to serve as your President. That time is now, and I am fully committed to advancing our shared mission under the ASCE banner.

As I embrace this role, I am reaffirming the three goals I shared at Leadership Development Weekend 2024 in Dallas. (By the way, LDW 2024 was our best yet, and I know President-Elect Russell Carter will raise the bar even higher!) First, I will visit every ASCE branch in Texas to connect with members and leaders, aligning with strategic plan section 5.2.1 and promoting our vision and mission. Second, I will continue to champion infrastructure improvements and our report card, emphasizing the value our profession delivers to the public, as laid out in section 5.3.1. This effort will include attending both the Austin Drive-In and the Washington Fly-In. Finally, as an educator, I plan to establish an Education Council to support student activities, update practitioner and faculty advisor lists, and help students transition into full professional membership, in line with section 5.3.5.

Gratitude, I believe, must be shared, and today I want to recognize some key people. Executive Director Jenni Peters, Operations Specialist Mike Sosa, and Marketing Communications Coordinator Kim Garcia—our Texas ASCE staff is simply the best in the ASCE world! It has been a true privilege to serve on the section board, and I am deeply thankful for the support I received as VP Technical and President-Elect. I also want to give special recognition to Presidents Travis Attanasio (22-23) and Kimberly Cornett (23-24) and their teams.

There are so many others who have inspired and guided me along the way, and while I can’t name everyone, I want to recognize the outstanding leadership of Patricia Frayre, Griselda Gonzales, Austin Messerli, Julie Jones, Elizabeth Greenwood, Lindsey O’Leary, Surya Bhandari, Geoffrey Roberts, Oliver Smith, Joe Alvarez, Art Clendenin, Eva Reynal, Melinda Luna, Reece Taylor, Patrick Williams, Susan Roth, Sean Merrell, Jack Furlong, Nancy Cline, Roger Begham, Dan Hartman, Patrick Beecher, and Jonathan Brower. I also fondly remember two great leaders we sadly lost during their outstanding service terms—Anthony Luce, former President of the Dallas Branch, and Rusty Gibson, who served on the report card committee on the Texas Section board. If your name isn’t here, please know I appreciate you, and I’ll thank you personally when we meet.

To everyone I’ve worked with on the Dallas Branch executive committee, infrastructure report card committees, and electric grid endeavors, I admire and appreciate each one of you. I am eager to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones throughout this year—whether at CECON 2025, the Region 6 Student Symposium, the Texas Drive-In, the Washington Fly-In, committee meetings, or during my branch visits.

A special thanks to Stantec, my employer since March 2024, for unwaveringly supporting my passion for ASCE. And finally, my deepest gratitude to my wonderful wife Monica, who has stood by my side for nearly 40 years, and to my children, Stephen and Natalie. Your love and support have made this journey truly meaningful.

I’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

See you soon!  

Joyfully in your service,

Mark K. Boyd, PhD, PE
ASCE Texas Section President, 2024-2025