We are pleased to announce Eric Kuzma of Jefferson County has been named the 2025 Program Manager of the Year.
Since 2013, the agency has presented a Project/Program Manager of the Year Award to recognize outstanding performance, public service, and contributions toward the programs and projects that make a difference in our communities across the state.
Mr. Kuzma was nominated by Jefferson County Administrator Mark McCauley for Jefferson County's Engineering Program, which is responsible for all county road improvements and heavy maintenance and preservation projects. In addition, the department has also taken on other projects for the county including LED stadium lighting for Memorial Field, the completion of the $1.5 million Jefferson Universal Movement (JUMP!) Playground, fish barrier culvert replacement projects, transportation and stormwater development review services. Mr. Kuzma has served as the Assistant Public Works Director & Engineering Services Manager since 2015.
The "one two punch" that [County Engineer Monte Reinders and Eric Kuzma] deliver together means that our small department can succeed with a workload that would typically be delivered by a much larger staff," shared Mr. McCauley in his nomination. "It's scary to think about how much the county has concentrated into these two individuals, but you've got to just be thankful while you have it."
Under his leadership, the county completed a $1.3 million replacement of a failing culvert on Snow Creek Road that was buried under 60 feet of fill, totaling 13,000 cubic yards. Jefferson County was informed that it would be "a long shot" to receive FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding for the project but, after multiple applications, was eventually successful in securing funding for a significant portion of the costs; a low interest loan from the Public Works Trust Fund made up the balance. The design phase was mired in discussions with consultants who failed to identify a cost-effective solution for the project and Mr. Kuzma and Mr. Reinders made the decision to move the design in-house. They successfully identified a simpler approach that kept the project in budget: realigning the culvert and installing a bend in it, eliminating the need for costly shoring. A local contractor built the project, coming in significantly under the original budget and minimized the duration of the lengthy detour. As a result, a residence immediately downstream and a lake were both saved from the inevitable catastrophic destruction that would have come from the failure of what was, essentially, a 60-foot tall, uncompacted dam.
Mr. McCauley shared that "Eric is a practical problem solver. When others throw up their hands in frustration, Eric always calmly steps in to find a way to solve the issue. Eric helps federal and state partners "get to yes" on our projects when unique situations require outside-the-box thinking. Eric's biggest strength is his skill at communication. Where others might send an email, Eric picks up the phone or meets with others personally to problem solve."
Eric is known by his colleagues as a person who balances big picture thinking with attention to detail, is a voice of knowledge and reason, a practical problem solver, has a keen eye for practical and attractive design, and asks great questions.
The award was presented during the Engineers Awards Banquet at the 2025 Washington State Association of County Engineers Annual Conference in Everett, WA. Eligible nominees included supervisors, foremen, and/or engineers who managed a project or program that was substantially underway or completed in 2024. Nominations for the award were accepted across the state from county commissioners, councilmembers, public works directors and county engineers and, at the discretion of the review committee each year, may be divided into Project and Program categories. Jefferson County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour was also in attendance to celebrate the presentation of the award to Mr. Kuzma and another to Mr. Reinders.
Please join me in congratulating Eric!
