On November 2nd, the department inducted three new members into the CCEE Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees included Mr. John C. Brantley, III; Mr. Peter M. Lehrer; and Dr. William J. Wilhelm, PhD., P.E. Below you’ll find a short overview of each of our new members.
We welcomed many alumni, friends and family at the reception that preceded the awards ceremony. Opening remarks were given by the Chair of the Hall of Fame Committee, Tyler W. Highfill (BSCE 19912, MSCE 1994). The audience also heard briefly from Chair of the CCEE Industry Advisory Board, Stacey Smith (BSCON 1992, MCE 2004) and Glenn Futrell (BSCON 1963, MSCE 1965). Mr. Futrell was one of the inductees in 2017, the inaugural year of the CCEE Hall of Fame.
“We are here to celebrate accomplishments,” Department Head Dr. Morton Barlaz told the audience. He reiterated the selection criteria, which include:
- Service to the Profession including advances to the technology or fundamental principles of their chosen field or career.
- Service to the Local, National, or Global Community
- Service to the University
- Service to the Welfare of Society
Dr. Barlaz also spoke of the role of leadership, judgment, dedication, and of contributions to infrastructure. “It is my true honor to recognize such an accomplished group of people. I am so proud of the impact that our civil engineering alumni have in so many areas of society.”
Each of the three new members spoke briefly upon receiving their award. The resounding themes were gratitude for family support; the role of professors in recognizing their strengths and guiding them toward their area of interest and eventual expertise; the importance of recognizing opportunity which sometimes presents itself in unexpected ways including just being in the right place at the right time; and that all accomplishments are the result of passion, persistence and teamwork.
Read about each below.
Mr. John Brantley
Mr. Brantley received his B.S. in civil engineering with a construction option in 1964. Following graduation, he went on to Northwestern University to complete a graduate degree before spending the rest of his career in the aviation field.
In the Fall of 1982, the Authority’s Board asked him to become Raleigh-Durham International’s CEO, a position he held for 29 years. During that time, RDU grew into a major commercial service airport with 200+ daily departing flights.
Between 1982 and 2016, he taught a biannual course on airport planning and design in the CCEE Department as an adjunct professor. In addition to teaching, he helped to found the Advisory Board for the Department, is a Life Member of the Alumni Association, a longtime member of the Wolfpack Club, and a generous donor to the CCEE Department.
Mr. Peter M. Lehrer
Mr. Lehrer received his B.S. in civil engineering with a construction option with honors in 1963. In 1979, Lehrer co-founded Lehrer McGovern, Inc., a top-ranked construction management firm. They later merged with Bovis and he became vice chairman and chief executive of U.S. subsidiaries. In 1996, he founded Lehrer, LLC to provide construction consulting services. He is currently CEO of Lehrer Cumming. He has overseen projects that include the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, euro Disneyland, restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Lehrer is a member of the board of the of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and has chaired several government commissions focused on reducing costs and improving efficiency for multi-billion-dollar capital programs. Lehrer is a long time supporter of the department who credits his education with providing a critical foundation for his successful career. In addition to being inducted in the CCEE Hall of Fame, the College of Engineering also recognized Lehrer as a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus.
Dr. William J. Wilhelm, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Wilhelm received his Ph.D. in 1968 in civil engineering. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he accepted a position on the CE faculty at West Virginia University in 1967. While at WVU, he progressed through the ranks and served as chair and professor of civil engineering for five years. In 1979, he was selected by Wichita State University to serve as Dean of Engineering. He retired in 2000 and was named Dean and Professor of Engineering Emeritus. Wilhelm has been a long time member of the NC State Alumuni Association and he and is wife, Patricia, have contributed to the College of Engineering Annual Fund for many years.
You can see more photographs from the day on our Facebook page.