The State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inducted six individuals, including four Auburn alumni, and honored a project during a February ceremony at the Westin Huntsville.
This year’s inductees include Perry Hand, ’69 Auburn University civil engineering, Volkert CEO and chairman of the board; Larry Monroe, ’79 Auburn University chemical engineering, retired Southern Company chief environmental officer and research and environmental affairs senior vice president; Olivia Owen, ’77 Auburn University civil engineering, retired from ExxonMobil; Ken Smith, ’81 Auburn University civil engineering, Spire president; Danny Glover, ’80 University of Alabama civil engineering, retired from Alabama Power; and Vicki Hollub, ’81 University of Alabama mineral engineering, Occidental Petroleum president and CEO. The Big Spring Water Treatment Plant and Supply Improvements in Tuscumbia were selected under the projects category.
Founded by proclamation of the governor, the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame honors, preserves and perpetuates the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of individuals, projects and corporations/institutions that brought and continue to bring significant recognition to the state.
The Hall of Fame is overseen by engineering colleges and schools at Auburn University, Alabama A&M University, the University of Alabama, Tuskegee University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of South Alabama.
Perry Hand spent nearly 40 years serving the public, using his expertise to better the state of Alabama whether through government service or as a leading engineer. As CEO and chairman of the board of Volkert in Mobile, Hand’s leadership and insistence to advance technology applications to old problems continue to improve the infrastructure industry in Alabama and other areas of the United States.
He became a public servant when elected to the Alabama Senate in 1983 and again in 1986, and he sold his business in 1989 when he became the secretary of state for Alabama. In 1991, he was appointed highway director for the state with responsibility for all state highway design, construction and maintenance. He retired from government service in 1993 and joined Volkert.
Since taking over leadership roles in Volkert, Hand has been instrumental in securing contracts for many important construction and engineering jobs throughout the region, including some of the most high-profile improvements within the state. They include a $700 million project to replace more than a mile of elevated Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham; preliminary and final design of Corridor X, now Interstate 22; and the $125 million Baldwin Beach Express that opened in 2014. Volkert also provided services to help restore habitats on the Little Bay peninsula, which was severely eroded by Hurricane Katrina. The project received the 2011 Guardian Award from the EPA and the Excellence Award from the Association of Conservation Engineers and was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.
Larry Monroe has improved the quality of life for the people of Alabama because of his attention to environmental innovation. His research and development efforts made a significant bottom-line impact in the production of clean, affordable electricity. He served as a public leader, industry expert and a research innovator to make the environment a better place, leaving a legacy sure to be felt by generations to come.
Monroe demonstrated his commitment to protecting and conserving natural resources through research and development in academia, as well as government and industry research. He retired as Southern Company’s chief environmental officer in 2017. Among his work was groundbreaking research on mercury control from power plants at Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston in Wilsonville, which highlighted mercury emissions and regulations. Garnering national media attention, the work also garnered an R&D 100 Award from R&D magazine in 2003. Nationally recognized, Monroe testified before both chambers of Congress on developing technologies for coal-fired power plants on behalf of Southern Company, and also took his environmental message to the Public Service Commissions of Georgia and Mississippi.
His honors include being ranked in 2013 as No. 16 among the top 25 most influential people in the power industry during the past 25 years, according to Power Engineering magazine. He was also honored by the Electric Power Research Institute with six technology transfer awards, which recognize leaders who transfer research into applied results. In late 2017, he was appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator to serve on its Science Advisory Board.
Olivia Owen made a lasting contribution in the petroleum industry, along the way becoming a role model, inspirational leader and mentor to others pursuing engineering careers in a remarkable career that spanned the globe.
During her distinguished 34-year career with the ExxonMobil, her exemplary work and exceptional engineering prowess earned her great respect within the company, and she rose to leadership roles with diverse assignments and crucial responsibilities. Ultimately, she became a vice president and officer of the corporation, a recognition of her performance and leadership, and was instrumental in overseeing four critical areas of the company – safety, security, health and environment.
In 2004, Owen became the global security manager for ExxonMobil in Dallas. She had responsibility for developing and directing ExxonMobil’s security program worldwide. She traveled to more than 40 countries, spanning six continents, and reviewed security initiatives with U.S. State Department regional security officers and with representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. Owen became an ExxonMobil Corporate Officer and was named the vice president for safety, security, health and environment in 2009. She retired in 2011.
Ken Smith has devoted his life’s work to Alabama’s natural gas industry. During his 36-year career with Alabama Gas Corp. (Alagasco), he rose through the ranks with Alabama’s largest natural gas utility and has been committed to continuing the long legacy of the company’s leadership to serving its customers and communities. His contributions to Alagasco have benefited Alabama’s populace by expanding natural gas service throughout the state, ensuring its operations were focused on providing safe and reliable service, and supporting opportunities for economic development. Smith’s dedication to the next generation of engineers and to his community is also advancing Alabama and benefiting its citizens.
Today, Smith is president of Spire Alabama, Spire Gulf Coast and Spire Mississippi (formerly Alagasco, Mobile Gas and Willmut Gas), which serves more than 500,000 homes and businesses throughout Alabama and in parts of Mississippi. As president, Smith oversees more than 1,000 employees in the operation and management of 29,000 miles of pipelines with operating revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
His career has included responsibilities in industrial and commercial business development, coal bed methane exploration and production, engineering and serving as division manager in Gadsden. He has helped direct the construction of major pipeline installations within the state to access alternative gas markets, provide service to new and expanding industries for economic development opportunities and ensure that the company’s pipeline infrastructure is continuously upgraded. Following the purchase of Alagasco in 2014 by The Laclede Group (now Spire, Inc.), Smith was selected as president of Alagasco in 2015. He has since led efforts to help merge the consolidation of their operations, which has also included the 2016 acquisition of Mobile Gas and Willmut Gas of Mississippi.
