
During the recent Breckenridge conference, talent from across MWH came together to share groundbreaking innovations and insights in Quality, Engineering, Safety, and Technology. The level of leadership, creativity, and expertise on display was nothing short of inspiring. Out of sixteen presentations and twenty-three presenters, two individuals were chosen to represent MWH in Obayashi’s National Staff Exchange Program. They will travel to Tokyo, Japan for four weeks of immersive training alongside engineers and construction professionals from around the globe. Congratulations to Devon Boyd & Celeste Salcido, winners of the “Building a Better World” Award.
Exchange Program Winners
Devon Boyd — “Enhancing Root Cause Analysis in Commissioning and Startup”, highlighted an innovative approach to Root Cause Analysis and its application to troubleshooting during Commissioning and Startup.
Celeste Salcido — “Guaranteeing Quality Through Preventive Maintenance: Communication, Accountability, and AI” showcased proactive preventive maintenance strategies on the San Francisco Biosolids Digester Facilities Project.

Conference Awards
In addition to the Exchange Program selections, judges recognized outstanding contributions with several prestigious awards:
- Thomas Hawksley Innovation Award: Sean Oase — “HydroHero: AI for Contract Management”
- James M. Montgomery Engineering Excellence Award: David Dutkiewicz & Ryan Daley — “Field Expertise Meets Intelligent Technology to Shape the Future of Construction”
- Pioneer of Progress Award: Estevan Trujillo — “AutoDesk Construction Cloud References: The Neural Pathways and Connections of a Project”
Honorable Mentions
- David Chinmay Deshmukh & Shane Labelle — “Mapping the Invisible: Transforming Subsurface Utility Exploration into Strategic Intelligence”
- Joe Laciny & Tyler Ballie — “Utilizing Autodesk’s Library of Products to Reduce Risk for Emergency Repairs”

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