Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation recipients have made outstanding contributions to NCEES, their board and/or zone, and the advancement of licensure and the professions. These recipients have also received the Distinguished Service Award.
Dennis Truax, Ph.D., P.E., of Mississippi, has been awarded the NCEES Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation for his dedicated service to NCEES and the engineering and surveying professions. Truax was recognized on August 20, 2026, during the organization’s 105th annual meeting in Henderson, Nevada.
Truax received the NCEES Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and has continued to make contributions to the organization. He served as a member of the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors from 2005 to 2006 and began serving an additional appointment in 2010. During this time on the Mississippi board, he served as president, vice president, and secretary. He is now an emeritus member and continues to support the board as a consultant. In addition to serving the Mississippi board, Truax has been committed to the work of NCEES. He has served as chair and member of the NCEES Advisory Committee on Council Activities and as a member of the NCEES Committee on Education, Committee on Finances, and Engineering Licensure Model Task Force.
James Riney, P.E., P.S., of Kentucky, has been awarded the NCEES Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation for his dedicated service to NCEES and the engineering and surveying professions. Riney was recognized on August 20, 2026, during the organization’s 105th annual meeting in Henderson, Nevada.
Riney received the NCEES Distinguished Service Award in 2007 and has continued to make contributions to the organization. He has been committed to the work of NCEES through both exam volunteer and committee work. He served as NCEES Southern Zone assistant vice president. Riney has served as chair, vice chair, and a member of the NCEES Committee on Examinations for Professional Surveyors. Additionally, he has served as a member of the NCEES Committee on Member Board Administrators, Committee on Examinations for Professional Engineers, Cut Score Task Force, Engineering Surveys Task Force, and Future of Surveying Task Force. Riney also served as a consultant to the NCEES Committee on Examination Audit, Committee on Examination Policy and Procedures, Task Force on Model Law for Surveying, Computer-Based Testing Implementation Task Force, and Committee on Education. He is an exam volunteer for the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying exam development committee.