Spinks, who founded Houston-based engineering firm CivilTech in 1997, has spent his 34-year professional career working on community flood resilience planning and sustainable flood infrastructure projects. Woolpert acquired CivilTech in 2021 to expand support for water and transportation initiatives throughout Texas.
As a risk analysis and economic expert in flood financing, Spinks served as the economic lead for federal flood risk reduction projects for Houston’s Harris County Flood Control District, including Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Buffalo Bayou, and Halls Bayou. Spinks has participated in American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas (ACEC Texas) at the local, state, and national levels for over 25 years and has been an active member of the ACEC Texas Public Policy Council since 2016.
“Melvin is known for his out-of-the-box approach to projects and commands the highest quality on his projects and from his staff,” Woolpert Business Development Manager Sandra Ortiz said. “Throughout his career, Melvin has invested countless hours in his employees and interns and has unselfishly provided his mentorship and friendship to all young and senior professionals alike.”
Spinks is nationally recognized for his work in flood management and risk analysis for riverine and coastal urban flooding. He has provided testimony in federal and district courts on water cases in Texas and across the U.S. He also has testified on federal litigation related to Hurricane Katrina and in district courts on flooding cases associated with tropical storms Allison and Imelda and hurricanes Ike and Harvey.
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“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the 2024 Houston Engineer of the Year. It will be a great privilege to represent Houston’s engineering community when we celebrate National Engineers Week,” Spinks said. “I want to thank the Houston Engineer Week Committee for their wonderful work in promoting the engineering profession and the many activities that support our student scholarships across our Texas universities. Engineers are vital to bringing prosperity and improving the quality of life in our great cities and counties, and I am so proud to live and work in the world class city of Houston.”
Woolpert is an architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm. The company innovates within and across markets to serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents.
