Michael Baker International's Bruce Preston Named to Engineering News-Record Southwest's "Top Young Professionals"

Honor Recognizes Engineer Making a Difference in Military Design-Builds Across the Country

Phoenix (March 9, 2017) - Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, today announced that Engineering News-Record (ENR) Southwest magazine recently recognized Bruce Preston as a “Top Young Professionals” honoree. Mr. Preston, an associate vice president in Michael Baker’s Phoenix, Arizona, office, and one of the company’s rising stars, earned the accolade as an up-and-coming industry leader based on his career progress, commitment to his community and involvement in landmark and sustainable projects.
 
In his role with Michael Baker, Mr. Preston oversees architectural and building engineering operations in three offices in the western United States. His leadership has been instrumental to numerous military design-builds across the country, including the Warrior in Transition Facilities in Ft. Bliss, Texas.  With this project, the design-build team created new facilities from existing occupied temporary trailers which held transitional housing and administrative support functions. Mr. Preston’s expertise was instrumental in successfully re-phasing the schedule to avoid multiple moves for the recovering soldiers while not delaying the project schedule. Additionally, Mr. Preston led the design-build for the LEED-Silver certified Advanced Individual Training Facility in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, which was the recipient of The Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Award for its demonstration of the principles of project partnership.
 
“Bruce is a prime example of how hard work and dedication can lead to tremendous results,” said Doug Plasencia, vice president and office executive for Michael Baker’s Phoenix office.  “He is consistently viewed within Michael Baker as a go-to person for positioning the firm on project opportunities and has grown into a leader who knows how to mobilize and motivate his teams towards excellence.  Bruce is very deserving of the ‘Top Young Professional’ honor and we look forward to his continued contributions as We Make a Difference for our clients and the communities we serve in this region.”
 
Mr. Preston also actively gives back to younger professionals at Michael Baker, where he serves as a certified trainer. In this role, he mentors other project managers for the firm’s curriculum courses—Foundations of Project Management and Financial Immersion—providing guidance and best practices on how to succeed in advancing the business.
 
“In my eight years at Michael Baker, I have been afforded countless opportunities to help shape my career and those around me by ‘paying it forward’,” said Mr. Preston. “It is truly an honor that ENR recognized the hard work I’ve put in to help grow my practice within the company.”
 
Outside of his work at Michael Baker, Mr. Preston is a tireless volunteer with the Fighter Country Partnership, a non-profit organization supporting Luke Air Force Base, where he set up a Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. He also supports Angel Acres, a non-profit organization that provides therapy for children with disabilities and/or disadvantages by caring for and riding horses. He also provides pro bono design and construction services as well as manual labor for property improvement projects for his local church, St. Luke Lutheran Church.
 
ENR profiled Mr. Preston and the other Top Young Professionals honorees in a recent edition of the magazine.
 
About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International is a leading global provider of engineering and consulting services, which include planning, architectural, environmental, construction, program management, and full life-cycle support services as well as information technology and communications services and solutions. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions in support of U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients.  Michael Baker International has more than 6,000 employees in more than 90 locations across the U.S. and internationally. To learn more visit www.mbakerintl.com