Utility, Engineering + Surveying - Summer 2019 - 7

HONORING ACHIEVEMENT

Pipeline Division Award of Excellence
Another main attraction of the Pipelines Conference is the presentation of awards,
which includes the UESI Pipeline Division Award of Excellence. Annually, it recognizes
a Fellow, Member or Associate Member for outstanding, continuous service to the
profession, ASCE/UESI and the division.
Recipient of the 2018 award, Victor Fernandez-Cuervo, P.E., F.ASCE, is a licensed
professional engineer and certified general
contractor with more than 32 years of engineering experience, primarily in municipal
engineering and construction.
It's a career that was always meant to be.
His father was a civil/structural engineer,
and Fernandez-Cuervo recalls that as a child,
"I always liked taking things part and tinkering with the components to understand why
and how things worked.
"In junior high, I took all available shop
classes-carpentry, electronics, engine mechanics, etc.-and really enjoyed them," he
added. "Throughout high school, I developed
a love for higher math and science, and even
took a few years of engineering drafting."
After earning his BSME from Purdue
University, in West Lafayette, Ind., his first
engineering job was with Rockwell International, in Chicago. A few years later, he returned to Miami, where his family had lived
from the time he was 10 years old.
In 1991, he took a job with Miami-Dade
County and has worked there ever since.
Starting as design engineer with the Solid
Waste Department, he transferred to Water & Sewer in 1995. Over the years he held
various jobs in that department, mainly
engaged in utility infrastructure planning,
coordination, surveying, design, permitting,
contract procurement, construction, and
project and program management activities. He advanced to senior-level positions,
directing multiple groups responsible for
implementing municipal water and sewer
projects, and CIP programs.
During his 28 years with the County, he
also experienced many changes in the industry. Vast improvements in tools and technology, for example, have made some things
easier and faster.
"When I began my career, technology transfer occurred via facsimile," he said.
"Now, with the Internet, GPS, GIS, etc., information is instantly available, allowing
projects to proceed quickly."
In other ways, work has become more
complex. A lack of funding, for instance,

adds the challenge of having to do more,
with less.
"In the past, when there was a problem
with an underground pipe, we would dig it
up and replace it," he said. "Now, we look
at all viable options to solve each problem,
which requires keeping up with the rapidly
changing technologies and techniques, as
well as considering asset management, resiliency and sustainability."
He welcomes the shift to a holistic approach in utility pipeline engineering.
"Communicating and interacting with
all stakeholders is one of the things I like
best about my career. It's important to have
'buy-in' on a project, especially with the
public, to minimize inconvenience, noise
and other issues."
A more-recent and personal change was
his promotion last year to head up capital
programs project support within the County's Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department.
"This change has been a real eye-opener for me," he said. "After so many years
as the 'utility guy,' I have a whole different
perspective on community needs and available funding, or lack thereof." Literally, his
perspective has changed from utility infrastructure that is typically out of the public
eye, "to parks that are all about connecting
communities and creating experiences to
enhance quality of life."
While different, he's finding the two
roles can be complementary.
"I believe that as much as possible, all
projects should be implemented jointly
with other governmental agencies to maximize efficiencies and reduce impact," he explained. "There are also ample opportunities
to bury utilities in green spaces to minimize
disruptions that urban roadway utility work
typically entails, minimize costs and provide
improved services to a community."
Similar to his profession, Fernandez-Cuervo has delivered outstanding service and
leadership to ASCE/UESI and the Pipeline
Division. He was cochair of the Pipelines
2012 Conference in Miami, on the division's Executive Committee (ExCom) for

Victor Fernandez-Cuervo (left) received
the award from Sam Ariaratnam at the
2018 Pipelines Conference.

five years and currently serves on the UESI
Board of Governors.
In addition, he continues active involvement with Pipeline Division committees
and shares his expertise and enthusiasm by
co-authoring articles for ASCE/UESI technical publications, presenting on a variety of
technical topics to students and colleagues,
and being an advocate.
"The greatest value ASCE/UESI and
the Pipeline Division committees offers is
bringing together professionals involved in
the planning, design, operation and maintenance of utility infrastructure," he said. "It's
an ideal environment for networking, exchanging ideas and collaborating with others across the country." *
SUMMER 2019 Utility Engineering + Surveying 7

Utility, Engineering + Surveying - Summer 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Utility, Engineering + Surveying - Summer 2019