MONTE GOUCHER AWARDED NACE 2014 PROGRAM/PROJECT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of County Engineers (NACE) awarded Monte Goucher, P.E., the 2014 Program/Project Manager of the Year during its 2015 Annual Expo & Conference held April 19-23 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Goucher, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Circuit Engineering District 7, oversaw the Red River Bridge project in Harmon, Oklahoma. While the bridge connects Oklahoma and Texas, it is the sole responsibility of Harmon County.

“From around the country, NACE members are all proud of Monte’s achievement,” said Brian Roberts, P.E., NACE Executive Director. “The residents there might not appreciate the technical complexity of the project. Monte and his team kept the bridge open during construction and overcame petroleum lines that couldn’t be relocated and large voids in existing rock formations. Then he re-negotiated multiple contracts when the scope of work was changed. No easy task, I can assure you.”

The Red River Bridge, 1328 feet long, is vital for cattle farmers and the local livestock auction. An avoided detour would have been 30 miles to the next closest crossing. It was one of the most complex bridge replacements in Oklahoma’s history, costing $8.3 million. The initial design phase began in 2006 and the bridge was opened in 2014.

Goucher earned his Professional Engineering license in 1995. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management in 1987 and a Master’s degree in Engineering & Technology Management in 2007 from Oklahoma State University.

The NACE Program/Project Manager of the Year award recognizes significant meritorious work by an individual on a project or program for a county who has demonstrated a commitment to the profession and shows potential for future growth. Founded in 1956, NACE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association representing nearly 2,000 county engineers, road managers, and related professionals in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., local roads account for about 75% of our highways and roads, or 2.93 million miles. Counties manage 1.74 million miles of those roads while cities and townships account for another 1.19 million miles. Counties also own 231,000 bridges and operate one-third of the nation’s transit systems.