Melvin Spinks, the Senior Vice President at Woolpert, has been named as the 2024 Houston Area Engineer of the Year by the Houston Engineers Week Committee. With more than three decades of experience, Spinks has played a significant role in shaping stormwater design policies and criteria in the Houston area. He will receive the award during Houston Engineers Week and National Engineers Week in February. As the founder of CivilTech, an engineering firm based in Houston, Spinks has devoted his career to developing flood resilience plans and sustainable flood infrastructure projects for communities. In 2021, Woolpert acquired CivilTech to enhance its support for water and transportation initiatives throughout Texas.

Spinks is an expert in risk analysis and economics for flood financing and has played a crucial role as the economic lead on various federal flood risk reduction projects in Houston's Harris County Flood Control District. These projects include Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Buffalo Bayou, and Halls Bayou. For over 25 years, Spinks has been involved with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at the local, state, and national levels. Since 2016, he has also been an active member of the ACEC Texas Public Policy Council.

Woolpert Business Development Manager Sandra Ortiz has praised Spinks for his innovative approach to projects and his commitment to ensuring the highest quality from both himself and his team. Throughout his career, he has dedicated countless hours to mentoring his employees and interns, generously sharing his expertise with both young and senior professionals alike.

Spinks has become a national figure for his expertise in managing floods and analyzing the risks associated with riverine and coastal urban flooding. He has appeared as an expert witness in both federal and district courts across the United States, including cases related to water damage from Hurricane Katrina, tropical storms Allison and Imelda, and hurricanes Ike and Harvey.

"I am incredibly humbled to be chosen as the 2024 Houston Engineer of the Year. It is a tremendous honor to represent the engineering community in Houston during National Engineers Week in February 2024," Spinks said. "I would like to express my gratitude to the Houston Engineer Week Committee for their dedicated efforts in promoting the engineering field and supporting student scholarships at universities throughout Texas. Engineers play a vital role in driving prosperity and improving the quality of life in our cities and counties, and I am proud to live and work in the world-renowned city of Houston!"