ST. LOUIS, MO — Breck Washam, PE, F.NSPE, has been elected Vice President of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). Washam is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Midwest Region for Burns & McDonnell, a 100 percent employee-owned engineering, architecture, and construction firm. NSPE is a professional association representing and advocating for licensed Professional Engineers in the United States with over 500 local chapters.
“This is a tremendous honor to serve as the NSPE Vice President to help foster licensed professional engineers in service to society,” Washam said. “After many years supporting NSPE, Missouri Society of Professional Engineers [MSPE], and the MSPE St. Louis Chapter, this new role will allow me to serve and advocate for professional engineers across the country and to raise the profile of professional engineers and promote the value of engineering licensure in protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare.”
Washam started as a Mechanical Engineer with Burns & McDonnell in 1990 after graduating from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Taking the lead of the St. Louis, Missouri, office in 2007, he has grown the office from 100 employees to more than 350 employees and launched new offices in Columbus and Akron, Ohio, in 2017 and 2020, respectively. The St. Louis office has been recognized as a Top Workplace, a Healthiest Employer, a leading philanthropic firm, and one of the largest engineering firms in St. Louis.
“Breck is passionate about excellence in engineering and invests so much in so many,” said Leslie M. Duke, PE, Chair and CEO, Burns & McDonnell. “Breck’s focus on mentoring professional engineers to help them reach their full potential has impacted hundreds of careers, and his continued dedication to STEM education supports the next generation of engineers.”
In addition to supporting STEM education, Washam dedicates himself to several charities, including serving as the Annual Heart Walk Chairperson for the American Heart Association of Greater St. Louis and on the board of directors for Youth in Need.
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“It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Breck as our new vice president,” NSPE President Brian Malm, PE, F.NSPE said. “His unwavering dedication to the principles of professional engineering and his exemplary leadership will be invaluable as we work to strengthen our society’s impact. I look forward to the vision and guidance he will bring to our team.”
Washam has held numerous NSPE positions at the local and state levels, including President of the St. Louis Chapter from 2005 to 2006 and President of Missouri State Society from 2015 to 2016. His most recent national roles include serving as the NSPE Membership Committee Chairperson since 2022 and the North Central Regional Director for the NSPE board of directors from 2020 to 2022. In this new role, Washam will focus on advancing NSPE through increasing membership engagement at all levels and amplifying the public recognition of the value of competent and ethical engineering.
