Georgetown, Del., Nov. 29, 2011: Sussex County Engineer Michael A. Izzo has long had the respect of his fellow engineers for his work in the public sector. Now he has earned one of the profession’s highest honors for his years of leadership and service to the people of Sussex County.

The Delaware Engineering Society recently announced that Mr. Izzo is the 2011 Government Engineer of the Year, an honor handed out each year since 1998 by the professional organization of public and private engineers. The Society will present Mr. Izzo with the award at its annual conference in Dover, set for Thursday, Dec. 1.

“I’m very humbled to have been selected for this award,” Mr. Izzo said. “But the real credit should go to the dedicated employees of the Sussex County Engineering Department. They truly love where they live and what they do, and it shows in the quality of their work.”

A graduate of the University of South Alabama, Mr. Izzo, 51, of the Frankford area has been employed with Sussex County government for 27 years, and has served as County Engineer since 1996. This is his first time receiving the Society’s top honor.

As County Engineer, Mr. Izzo oversees a 130-member staff that is responsible for designing, constructing and maintaining various multimillion-dollar public projects, including wastewater systems, County buildings, and the County airport near Georgetown.

Among his accomplishments, Mr. Izzo has directed the engineering and construction of the County’s 911 center, construction of a new terminal building and crosswind runway at the County airport, a major expansion of the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach, and construction of several sewer systems throughout the county. The sewer systems alone have brought about a tremendous environmental benefit to the county, eliminating more than 10,000 septic systems in the Inland Bays watershed.

Mr. Izzo also was instrumental in helping the County government to secure more than $60 million in federal funding since 2009, all of which went toward nearly a dozen construction contracts in five sewer districts. His department currently has numerous projects in various stages, including a new Greenwood Library and extension of the main runway at the airport.

The Delaware Engineering Society selects the annual recipient from hundreds of federal, state, county and local government engineers in Delaware who make significant contributions to the public through the field of engineering, according to Jason Winterling, vice president of the organization. Mr. Izzo was chosen by the selection committee because he “exemplifies the qualities of our Government Engineer of the Year,” Mr. Winterling said, particularly for his work this past year in managing projects that received federal ‘stimulus’ dollars.

“Under his management, all conditions for receiving the ‘stimulus’ funds were met and the completed projects, to date, were brought in well under budget,” Mr. Winterling said. “Additionally, the user rates for Sussex County residents were greatly reduced.”

County Council President Michael H. Vincent congratulated Mr. Izzo on the honor during the Council’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

“Mike Izzo is a wonderful asset to County government. His vast engineering knowledge, his professionalism and his leadership are evident in the department’s many accomplishments over the years,” Mr. Vincent said. “We’re proud of him winning this award, and we’re proud to have Mike Izzo on our team working for the betterment of Sussex County.”

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