NCEES honored the contributions of the 2022 service award recipients at its 101st annual meeting on August 25, 2022. Below are the profiles of each award recipient.

2022 awards booklet (PDF)

Garth Thomas Jr., P.E.
Distinguished Examination Service Award

Garth Thomas Jr., P.E., has been serving NCEES as an exam volunteer since the early 2000s. His service to NCEES began in 2004 when he joined the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Development Committee. Thomas served as chair of the FE Exam Chemical Module Committee in 2008–10. In 2014 and 2020 he participated in a professional activities and knowledge study, or PAKS, for the FE Chemical exam specifications, specifically participating on the cut score panel. He has served for four years on the NCEES Committee on Education and is currently serving as chair.

Throughout over 20 years of service, Thomas has helped guide the FE exam through significant changes. He was involved in the Preliminary Item Analysis (PIA) for the FE exam and has been at the forefront of transitioning the exam to the current computer-based testing (CBT) format. Thomas assisted with the development of the FE Reference Handbook and practice exams that were published during the transition.

Currently, Thomas is serving his second term, now as president, on the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. He had a long career as a faculty member, department chair, and associate campus provost at the West Virginia Institute of Technology.

Brenda Tuley, P.E.
Distinguished Examination Service Award

Brenda Tuley, P.E., has been serving NCEES as a member of the PE Control Systems Committee since 2006. Her contributions to NCEES include implementing exam development improvements and advancing the recruitment and retainment of exam volunteers.

Throughout her years of service, Tuley has been a leader in exam development. During the economic downturn for the oil and gas industry, both the chair and vice chair of the PE Control Systems Committee moved to foreign country postings and could no longer support the committee. Tuley led the exam development committee and steered the group through a professional activities and knowledge study, or PAKS, involving specification revision and approval.

She implemented a stronger quality assurance and quality control system that reduced issues during examinations. In addition, she helped implement a 3-year term for both chair and vice chair of the committee per the charge and guidance set forth by the Committee on Examinations for Professional Engineers. She has also led the way in recruiting more diverse volunteers, specifically recruiting and retaining more female members.

Tuley is currently an engineering manager at Bechtel Corporation. She is a former chief engineer for Control Systems Engineering with more than 30 years of total experience in front-end engineering, design, and detailed engineering of projects in the energy sector. Her field of experience includes all aspects of control systems, including selection and specification of instrumentation and engineering and configuration of computer control systems, distributed control systems, programmable controllers, and safety instrumented systems.

Mandy Holway, P.E.
Distinguished Service Award

Since 2016, Mandy Holway, P.E., has contributed to the work of NCEES committees, including the Committee on Examination Audit and the Committee on Examinations for Professional Engineers. She currently serves on the leadership committee for the Northeast Zone. She has served on the Northeast Zone Site Selection Committee for numerous years and organized the 2018 Northeast Zone Interim Meeting in Portland.

Holway has served on the Maine State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers for the past 13 years. She is currently serving the board as the complaint officer.

She joined the board as a member in 2009 and was elected vice chair in 2011 and chair in 2014. She was re-elected as chair six more times and stepped down from the position in January 2022.

For the past 27 years, Holway has been the executive vice president at Olver Associates, Inc. She serves on the University of Maine Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council promoting the engineering program. She is frequently invited to speak to engineering classes and student organizations about the value of licensure.

John Mettee III, P.L.S.
Distinguished Service Award

John Mettee III, P.L.S., has supported the work of NCEES committees since 2016. During this time, he served as a member of the Technology Task Force, Special Committee on Bylaws, and Advisory Committee on Council Activities. He currently serves as the Northeast Zone secretary-treasurer and is also the current president of the Colonial States Boards of Surveyor Registration.

Mettee has served on the Maryland State Board for Professional Land Surveyors for the past 16 years. He was appointed as a member in 2005, and in 2010 he was appointed chair. He was reappointed as chair in 2015 and 2020. Mettee’s leadership has guided the board through accomplishing significant legislative and regulatory goals. Under his leadership, the board was successful in achieving legislation to require all applicants for licensure to pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam beginning in 2025.

Mettee has served the surveying and engineering industry for 42 years and is currently the director of the Maryland division at Karins and Associates.

Govind Nadkarni, P.E.
Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation

Since receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 2012, Govind Nadkarni, P.E., has continued to serve his profession with distinction.

He was appointed to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) in 2000 and served through 2012. As an emeritus member, he serves as a mentor to all new board members, providing valuable information and historical knowledge regarding board operations. His advice and experience were paramount during the Sunset Review and merger of the engineering and surveying boards in 2019.

Nadkarni has been integral in several important activities with the board, including international agreements with South Korea. He has participated in ABET visits on behalf of the board and is a liaison to various engineering groups for outreach events in the coastal/south Texas area. He is also involved in engineering outreach and engagement for universities.

Since 2012, Nadkarni has served on NCEES committees and task forces, including the Committee on Examination Policy and Procedures, the Committee on Examinations for Professional Engineers, and the Industrial Exemption Task Force.

Nadkarni is an advocate for the professions and licensure. His efforts have been recognized by many, including a U.S. representative presenting him with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service. The Texas Engineering Foundation recognized him as Engineer of the Foundation for his distinguished service, and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi has added Nadkarni to its Wall of Fame on campus.

Bruce Pitts, P.L.S.
Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation

Bruce Pitts, P.L.S., received the Distinguished Service Award in 2000 for his contributions to NCEES. Since then, he has continued his commitment to advancing licensure for engineers and surveyors.

Pitts has served as an emeritus member of the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors since 2000. In 2005, he became the first director of enforcement for the Oklahoma board.

Pitts has served the Southern Zone as the Surveying Forum moderator and Law Enforcement Forum moderator and has been an active participant in all Southern Zone meetings, including assisting in the planning of the 2005 and 2022 Southern Zone meetings. In addition, Pitts served as a member of the Committee on Law Enforcement in 2007–11 and 2018–20 and as chair in 2016–18. Pitts was also a member of the Mobility Task Force in 2012–14 and a member of the Future of Surveying Task Force in 2014–16.

Pitts has assisted in the creation of the Oklahoma board’s Professionally Engineering the Future scholarship program and the Bill Dickerson, P.E. Memorial Award, both of which promote the NCEES FE exam and the importance of licensure to engineering students in Oklahoma.

Through his work as the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Director of Enforcement, Pitts has been an advocate for engineering and surveying licensure, ethical practice, and the protection of the public.