Awards
summit award® recipients
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
David L. Curtis, P.E.
The Council may confer Honorary Membership in APEGGA
upon any person, who, through initiative and
leadership, has rendered eminent service allied with the professions. The nominee’s
work will have
contributed to the betterment of society through the development of new material,
equipment, techniques,
philosophy or management related to engineering, geology or geophysics.
Few people can say that they have been honoured with the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region’s (PNWER) prestigious Hot Potato Award. David Curtis is one of them.
PNWER, a public-private partnership that includes Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and the Yukon, has a mission to foster sustainable economic development throughout the region, and presents the award to those who successfully deal with a particularly difficult issue of potential conflict between the U.S. and Canada. In 2004, Mr. Curtis was recognized for promoting initiatives to improve the cross-border licensure of engineers.
A resident of Nampa, Idaho, Mr. Curtis earned both his bachelors (1972) and masters (1973) degrees in Civil Engineering at the University of Idaho. His classroom emphasis was hydraulics, and his thesis was in hydrology. He has furthered his education with studies in Accounting at Boise State University, and in 2000 he was selected to participate in the first Idaho Division of Human Resources Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program, in management and supervision training.
From 1973-1987, Mr. Curtis worked for J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc., a consulting engineering firm with offices throughout Idaho and some surrounding states. He started as a staff Engineer-in-Training in the Boise office and transferred to the Nampa office in 1974. After becoming licensed as a professional engineer in 1976, he was named Area Manager of the Nampa office. In 1980, Mr. Curtis recommended that the Nampa and Boise offices merge to save expenses. He then became a Senior Project Manager working out of the Boise office with primary responsibilities in commercial and residential subdivisions and municipal water and sewer systems. He was also the corporate representative to the Consulting Engineers of Idaho, the American Consulting Engineering Council affiliate.
In 1987, Mr. Curtis became the Executive Director of the Idaho Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors. In addition to administering certification and professional licensing examinations for professional engineers and professional land surveyors, he investigates complaints against both license holders and non-license holders. Mr. Curtis is also the principal lobbyist for the Board and the liaison with the Idaho State Legislature. He monitors effectiveness of statutes and rules relating to the professions of engineering and land surveying and drafts amendments to statutes and rules for consideration by the Board and the Legislature.
Since 1999, David Curtis has strongly supported efforts by APEGGA to gain full reciprocity for engineers between Canada and the U.S. Working closely with APEGGA, Mr. Curtis has been instrumental in raising awareness of the importance of free mobility for professionals licensed in our two nations. He has been an advocate for mutual recognition of credentials including waiving of the Fundamentals of Engineering and Practice of Engineering exams required by most states for Canadian professional engineers. His vision of the mutual value of free mobility for professionals has been instrumental in raising awareness of this issue amongst state boards responsible for licensing engineers in the U.S. Thanks to his efforts, the Legislature of his home state of Idaho has amended the applicable statute to provide the State Board the right to admit qualified Canadian engineers without further examination should the Board deem it to be appropriate to do so. His leadership has shown the way for other state boards to take similar action thereby, in time, opening the way for full reciprocity for Canadian and U.S. engineers.
Honours, Awards and Distinctions
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Hot Potato Award, Pacific NorthWest Economic Region, 2004
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Friend of the Society Award, Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors, 2002
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Meritorious Service Award, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, 2001
Professional Affiliations and Activities
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Associate Member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Active at national and zone levels
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Spokesperson, NCEES Member Board Administrator Networking Group, 2002-2004
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Chair, NCEES Mobility Committee, 1999-2001
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Member, Idaho Society of Professional Engineers
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Member, National Society of Professional Engineers, U.S.