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The Delaware Engineering Society (NSPE-DE) is excited to announce the 2025 Delaware Young Engineer of the Year and Engineer of the Year. The awards are nominated by those in the engineering industry in the State of Delaware and are selected by the past presidents of NSPE-DE. This year’s award winners are William F. (Bill) Conway, P.E. (Engineer of the Year) and Dakota Laidman-Murray, P.E. (Young Engineer of the Year).
Prior to his passing on September 29, 2024, Bill Conway was a Senior Vice President with Century Engineering and led the Transportation Division for the Delaware Operations. Bill was a shining light in the engineering community. He was well known and respected throughout the profession and was not only a colleague but also a friend to everyone who met him. He was a true professional and his knowledge, engineering prowess and ability to pull teams together to lead them to success will be truly missed. Through his career, Bill was involved in numerous transportation projects that made Delaware a better and safer place to live, work and play.
Bill was a local Delaware product having graduated from McKean High School in 1993 and then earning a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Delaware in 1997. He was a licensed Professional Engineer in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. Bill lived in Lewes, DE with his wife of 20 years, Kristin, and their three sons, Grant, Pierce, and Hayes. Outside of work, Bill enjoyed traveling with his family and friends, and cheering on his boys on the lacrosse field. His hobbies and interests also included golf, skiing, and attending Jimmy Buffett concerts. He enjoyed watching Philadelphia sports teams, especially the E-A-G-L-E-S.
Bill led an amazing career at Century Engineering for 27 years. He began his career in inspection at Century’s Turnpike office in Newark, DE in September 1997, and then transferred to the Highway Design Group in the Dover office in 1998. He was the Project Manager and Engineer of Record for many Delaware transportation projects throughout the state ranging from highways, intersections, railroads, to bike and pedestrian facilities. Bill worked on numerous projects that received Outstanding Project Awards. Some of his favorite projects were the SR1 South Frederica Grade Separated Intersection, the Georgetown to Lewes Rail to Trail Project, and the SR1 Dover Toll Plaza Highway Speed Lanes. Bill left a lasting impression, not only through his numerous projects across the state, but also through his deep connections with his colleagues, clients, and even competitors.
Bill was active in various organizations. He was a Past President of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE), and a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-way Association (AREMA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He was also an Honorary Commander for the Civil Engineering Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, and a former member of the Delaware Turf Board of Directors.
Bill was one of the lucky few who genuinely loved his job and (outside of Kristin and the boys) engineering was his passion. He was always one of the first in the office, the last to leave, and was often guilty of taking his laptop on vacation. You would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated engineer and it is heartbreaking that Bill did not receive this award during his lifetime. Bill left a lasting impression: not only through his numerous projects across the state, but also through his deep connections. Bill was the engineer that other engineers went to with questions. He normally knew the answer off the top of his head, but if he did not then he knew which resources to use and would not stop searching until you, not only had the answer, but fully understood the answer. He had an infectious personality that made everyone around him feel comfortable and will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.
Dakota Laidman-Murray is a Principal Engineer and the Head of Water Resources at Landmark Science & Engineering, where she has been a valued team member for over 12 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering, with a concentration in Water Resources and Water Quality, from the University of Delaware. Dakota is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Delaware and Maryland.
Throughout her tenure at Landmark, Dakota has contributed to a wide range of civil and site design projects, with a particular focus on K-12 and post-secondary education as well as affordable housing developments. She oversees all aspects of project planning, site design, approvals, and construction administration, with a specialized expertise in the modeling and design of stormwater management systems.
Beyond her work at Landmark, Dakota is an active member of the engineering community. She serves as an executive board member of ACEC Delaware and chairs the Programs/Education Committee. Passionate about mentorship, she guides high school seniors on their Engineering Pathway Capstone Projects and helps select recipients for the ACEC Delaware Engineering Scholarship.
Outside of her professional life, Dakota enjoys spending quality time with her husband and daughter, with frequent trips to Disney World.