The American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado (ACEC Colorado) honored David Merritt, PE (AECOM Technical Services – Denver) with the association’s highest honor as the winner of the Orley O. Phillips Award. This annual award is granted by the ACEC Colorado Past Presidents’ Council to an individual employed by a member firm and who has made significant contributions to the profession, the Council, and its programs.
Merritt has more than 40 years of experience in water resources planning and management for various communities, including more than 30 years experience working on salinity control issues on the Colorado River, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and as Colorado’s technical representative to the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum Workgroup. Throughout his career, Merritt has served on many boards, committees and commissions in the water arena, including the Colorado River Water Conservation Board and ACEC Colorado Water Resources Committee. In 2016, he received the ACEC Colorado George Washington Award for outstanding service to the community, the progress of Colorado and the advancement of the public image of consulting engineering as a profession. Currently, he is serving his second term representing the West Area on the ACEC Colorado Board of Directors, his first term on the Colorado Engineers Political Action Committee, and his second term as board liaison to our Government Affairs Committee.
In addition to his involvement in the consulting engineering industry, Merritt has also dedicated his time to several nonprofits and community organizations. He has served the Boy Scouts as a Scout and Cub master for his son and grandsons. He also has been board president of the local symphony, as well as president of the Lions Club and vice district governor for the Western Colorado District. During his acceptance speech, Merritt said, “Giving back to the community is what we’re supposed to do.”
Merritt has spent the past 11 years working at AECOM Technical Services as a principal water resources engineer, after having spent more than 20 years as the chief engineer at Colorado River Water Conservation District. He holds both a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in geological and earth sciences/geosciences from Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.) and is a Colorado-licensed professional engineer.
