Dr. James Speakman Receives Highest Honor from American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) named Dr. James Speakman, retired Senior Vice President of EnSafe Inc., as a new member to its prestigious "Wall of Honor" at an unveiling ceremony held at the ACEC offices in Nashville, March 8, 2011.

"We are pleased to recognize Dr. Speakman for his outstanding contribution to the engineering profession, and his involvement and leadership in the professional engineering organizations," said Candy Toler, executive director of ACEC. "With a career spanning four decades, there was no doubt that Dr. Speakman was worthy of our highest honor."

Dr. Speakman, a native of Spring Hill, TN, served as Senior Vice President for 28 years at EnSafe Inc. While there, he helped to grow EnSafe from 4 to 250 employees and managed special projects for clients such as the U.S. Navy, the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as many commercial clients. He retired last year but continues to serve as a consultant on special pursuits and projects.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Speakman served as Captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as Special Assistant to the District Engineer on the Lake Erie Restoration Project, and later went on to work for two engineering firms where he served as regional manager and later, vice president. He earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, and both his M.S. in Sanitary and Water Resources Engineering and his Ph.D. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

"There isn't a person more deserving of this honor than Dr. Speakman," said Phil Coop, president of EnSafe Inc. "He has played an integral role in growing our business over the years and has had an undeniable impact on our industry. He has served as a mentor and a leader, and it's been a privilege to be his partner and his friend for all these years."

"What an honor to be included among these 30 distinguished Tennessee professionals!" said Dr. Speakman. "To be recognized by my professional peers and my co-workers in this way makes the honor especially gratifying."

ACEC of Tennessee is a member organization of the American Council of Engineering Companies, a national federation devoted to promoting the business interests of approximately 5,600 engineering companies employing more than 500,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, scientists, and other specialists. ACEC promotes infrastructure funding, qualifications-based selection, outsourcing, tax reform, regulatory changes, and other government actions benefiting engineering companies.