On behalf of the Board of Directors of the IES Aviation Lighting Committee, we are pleased to announce the following award recipients presented at the below meetings.

Recent Awards

2024 – Charlotte, NC
2024 Best Paper Award:

The New 4th Parallel Runway
Richard Walls and Jerome Howell (Walls Engineering), Conor Beers (Jacobs Engineering), Matt Szabo (Aviation Alliance), Matt Cowden (Charlotte Douglas International Airport)

2024 Honorable Mention Paper:

Runaway Train, Carl Johnson (Avcon, Inc.)

2024 Military Award

Fort Smith Regional Airport Runway 26 Extension
Dakota Ellis, Bart Gilbreath, Quinton Smith, Cade Blair, Kushalta Paudel, Taylor Pennington, Jared Parr – Garver

2024 Air Carrier Award

Charlotte Douglas International Airport
for South Crossfield Taxiway Project
Owner Representatives: Ashton Watson, Matt Cowden, Orlando Barrow
Lighting Designers: Richard Walls, Jerome Howell (Walls Engineering)

2024 General Aviation Award

TKI Runway Extension
Matthew LeMay, Eric Farmer, Rene Hernandez, Vladimir Stevanovic – Garver

2023 Jeff Pace Lifetime Achievement Award:

Art and Bill Schai

Previous Awards

2023 – Scottsdale, AZ
2023 Best Paper Award:

Aaron Geary of DACO Construction Inc.
“Working with FAA Reimbursable Agreements”

2023 Honorable Mention Paper:

Brad Schlesselman of Musco Lighting
“New Apron Lighting Guidelines with Existing Infrastructure”

2023 Military Award

USMC Marine Wing Supports Squadron 371
Aviation Ground Support Detachment for
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
Sustainment Lighting Systems Project
Lighting Designers: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
Lakehurst, NJ

2023 Air Carrier Award

Kansas City International Airport Kansas City, MO
for New Single Terminal at KMCI Innovation Ramp Control Lighting
Owner: Kansas City Aviation Department
Lighting Designers: Eric Farmer, Aviation Quality Manager, Garver
Bart Gilbreath, Senior Project Manager, Garver

2023 General Aviation

City of Mansfield, Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (KMFD)
for KMFD Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport Apron A and Taxilane Reconstruction
General Contractor: Shelly & Sands, Inc.
Consulting Engineers: CHA Consulting, Inc.
Lighting Electrical Contractor: Jess Howard Electric Company

2023 Jeff Pace Lifetime Achievement Award:

Gene Gottlieb

2022 – Detroit, Michigan

2022 Best Paper Award:
Otto Vainio
“Turku Airport Sustainability in Lighting Equipment Reuse”

2022 Honorable Mention Paper:
Brad Schlesselman
“Airport Lighting Impacts on Airport Lighting Environment”

2022 Military Award:
AVCON/MCAS New River Project, Jacksonville, NC

2022 Jeff Pace Lifetime Achievement Award:

Carl Johnson

2021 (Covid)
2021 Jeff Pace Lifetime Achievement Award:
Frank Cassandra
2020 (Covid)
2020 Jeff Pace Lifetime Achievement Award:
Gayle Gorman Green
2019 – Monterey, CA
2019 Best Paper Award:
Mai Yeung
“Apron Floodlighting”2019 Honorable Mention Paper: (Tie)
Gene Gottleib, Carl Johnson and Anees Rahman
“Chicago O’Hare International Airport –Central Deicing Facility Design and Construction”Craig Twibell and Jeff Anderson
“LAX – Taxiway C-14 and Vault Relocation”2019 General Avation Award:
Arkansas International Airport, Blytheville, AR
“LED High Intensity Runway Lighting Project”
Owner: Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority
Nominated by: Eric Farmer
Lighting Designer: Garver2019 Military Award:
Scott Air Force Base
“Repair of Airfield Lighting and Vault Project”
Owner: US Air Force
Nominated by: Asad Bajwa
Lighting Designer: CMT
2018 – New Orleans, LA
2018 Best Paper Award
Richard Jones, P.Eng.
Department of National Defence/Canada
“NVG LED Study”2018 Honorable Mention Paper:
Carl S. Johnson, II
AVCON, INC.
“Page Field – Runway 5-23 Rehabilitation”2018 General Aviation Award:
Page Field – Runway 5-23 Rehabilitation
Lee County Airport Authority
Ft. Myers, FL
2017 – Dallas, TX
2017 Best Paper Award
Morgan Pattison, PhD, LC
DOE SSL Program
“Advancements in LED Technology and Applications”2017 Honorable Mention Paper:
Carl Johnson II, ACE
AVCON, INC.
“Fact Checking-Lightning Protection of Airfield Lighting Systems”2017 Air Carrier Award:
YYC Calgary International Airport Terminal Lighting Design
Owner: Calgary Airport Authority, Calgary, AB, Canada
Lighting Designer: AECOM2017 Military Award:
Runway 28 Extension Project
Lask Air Force Base, Lask, Poland
Owner: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers & Ministry of Defense, Republic of Poland
Lighting Designer(s): Ken Lepera and Jaromir Czerniak, AECOM, John Gregory, USACE
2016 – San Diego, CA
2016 Best Paper Award
Paul Thellier/TKH and Hans van der Kuil/TKH
“Contactless Energy and Data Distribution”2016 Honorable Mention Paper:
Sarah Bergstein/ADB Safegate
“LED Based AFL; Live Long and Prosper”2016 General Aviation Award:
Iuka Airport, Iuka, MS
Premium Lighting with Minimum Funding
Owner: Tishomingo County
Lighting Designer: Tommy Dean, P.E.
Nominated by: Jerry Wilemon, Q-1 Professional Services2016 General Aviation Award – Honorable Mention:
Airfield Lighting George T. Lewis Airport, Cedar Key, FL
Owner: Levy County Commissioners
Designed by: Don Ramdass/Passero Associates2016 Air Carrier Award:
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Commitment to Energy Efficient with Lighting Improvements
Owner: Richland-Lexington Airport District
Lighting Designer (s): The Ohmega Group / Hartranft Lighting Desig
2015 – Denver, CO

2015 Best Paper Award
Corey Stutz, ADB Airfield Solutions
“Apron Lighting Playbook: A Guide For Converting To LED”

2015 Honorable Mention Paper:
Julia H. Grogan, LPI, inc.
“In Pavement Bolts – Analysis”

2014 – Lake Buena Vista, FL
2014 Best Paper Award
Helmut Hengvoss, Lucebit – ADB Group
“LED Approach Sequenced Strobe Lights-Improved Usability by Taking Advantage of LED Characteristics”2014 Honorable Mention Paper:
Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D, Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
“How is the Operational Failure of LED Fixtures Identified?”2014 Air Carrier Award:
Orlando International Airport, Orlando, FL
BP-434, Rehabilitation of Runway 18R-36L and Related Work
Jeff Pace: Airfield Electrical SupervisorLighting Designers: Carl S. Johnson II, AVCON, Inc.
Mark A. Goodacre, AVCON, Inc.2014 Military Award:
United States Navy (NAVFAC Southeast)
Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, FL
Repair Airfield Lighting at North and South FieldsLighting Designers: Carl S. Johnson II, AVCON, Inc.
Mark A. Goodacre, AVCON, Inc.
2013 – Tucson, AZ
2013 Best Paper Award
Tim Mentel: Columbus Regional Airport Authority
Mel Haywood: Jess Howard Electric
Geoff Kouril, P.E.; CH2M Hill, Inc.
Pete Butler, P.E.; CH2M Hill, Inc.
“Port Columbus International Airport, Runway 10R/28L Replacement”2013 Honorable Mention Paper:
Carl S. Johnson II, AVCON, INC.
“The Good, The Vault and The Ugly”, a presentation on the evolution
of an Airfield Electrical Vault2013 Air Carrier Award:
BWI Thurgood Marshall International Airport
RSA, PMP & Standards Compliance ProgramLighting Designers:
Alan Peljovich, P.E.; Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson
Ken Lepera, URS Corporation
2012 – ST. Pete Beach, FL
2012 Best Paper Award
J. Chad Stalker III, LC/Philips Lumlieds
“Trends In LED Lighting”2012 Honorable Mention
Doron Lean/Lean Photometrics
“Runway Safety Area Program at San Francisco International Airport”2012 Award For Excellence
Implementation of a Solar Powered Airfield Lighting Circuit/False River Regional Airport
Owner: False River Regional Airport Authority
City of New Roads-Parish of Pointe Coupee
Lighting Designer: Allen Taylor, LA DOTD2012 Air Carrier Award
Rehabilitation and Extension of Runway 14-32
Wicomico County Airport, Salisbury, MD
Lighting Designer: Delta Airport Consultants/Marshall Eichfield, Program Manager
2011 — Wilmington, NC
Best Paper Award
Ed Runyon/ADB Airfield Solutions
“Latest Developments in the Application of White Runway LED’s on Airfields”Honorable Mention Award
Adam Willsey and Dave DeSalle/Kopp Glass, Inc.
“Challenges Meeting Aviation Color Requirements when using LED Light Sources”2011 Air Carrier Award:
RDU Airport Lighting Maintenance Seminar
Raleigh-Durham International AirportGeneral Aviation Award:
Wayne County Airport Authority, Wooster, Ohio
“Rehabilitation of Runway 10-28 Lighting Project”
Lighting Designers: Delta Airport Consultants Steven A. Potoczak, Project Engineer
2010 — Galloway, NJ
Lean Award for Best Technical Paper
Edward Carome, Ph.D., Lighting Innovations Corporation
“Infrared Sources for Airfield LED Lamps”Best Paper Award
Jeff Pace, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Carl S. Johnson II, AVCON, INC.
Frank Barczak, Electrical Systems
“DC Powered LED Taxiway Centerline Lighting System: A Case Study”Honorable Mention Award
Sara Bergsten, Ph.D., Safegate International
“Bright, Chromatic and Distinct-Preception and Detection of LED-Based Airfield Lighting”2010 Air Carrier Award: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
for: BP-352 Rehabilitation of Taxiways E and F and Associated Connectors–Orlando Int’l Airport, Orland, Florida
GOAA Electrical Systems Manager: Frank Barczak
Airfield Lighting Designers: AVCON, INC.–CArl S. Johnson II & Agnel Cheruvathoor
2009 — Las Vegas, NV
Lean Award for Best Technical Paper
Andrew Bierman, Lighting Research Center, RPI
“Reevaluating the Chromaticity Boundaries for Aviation White Light”Best Paper Award
Doron Lean, Lean Photometrics Inc.
“Photometric Performance of Airfield Guidance Signs Under Real Field Conditions: Lessons Learned”Honorable Mention Award
Jess Nadel, Consultant Services International, Inc.
“Evaluation of Airfield Alternative Lighting Infrastructures”
2008 — Memphis, TN
Lifetime Achievement Award
Seward E. FordGa Award
Tappahannock Essex County Airport, Designers: John E. Joyner, P.E. & Adam Switzer, P.E.Honorable Mention
David N. Rainey, “History of airfield lighting,” Navaid Lighting Assoc., Inc.Best Paper
Ola Hakansson, “Future prospect of LED lighting—AGL approach?” Safegate Int’l ABLean Award
Ola Hakansson, “Future prospect of LED lighting—AGL approach?” Safegate Int’l AB
2007 — Chicago, IL
Best Paper
Cory Stutz, “Hi-Tech…It’s not just for hubs anymore,” Siemens Airfield SolutionsHonorable Mentions
Leroy Blizzard and Richard Farmer, Manairco, Inc., ATG – “LED system test matching linear steps — Regulators to Fixtures”Ga Award
Greenwood Municipal Airport, Greenwood, IN – Designer: RW ArmstrongLean Award: Best Technical Presentation
Edward F. Carome, Ph.D, “Infrared sources for LED type approach lighting systems”, Lighting Innovation Corp.Distinguished Service
William (Bill) D. Schai
Jaquith Industries
2006 — Williamsburg, VA
Best Paper:
Ed Runyon, “Advances in LED Technology”Honorable Mention:
Doron Lean, “Effects of Installation Tolerances on Pilot’s Perception of Photometrics”Lean Award for Best Technical Presentation:
Doron Lean, “Effects of Installation Tolerances on Pilot’s Perception of Photometrics”Air Carrier Lighting Award:
Baltimore/Washington Int’l Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)Owner:
Maryland Aviation AdministrationLighting Designers:
Ebrahim Neman and Michael Meyers, URS Corporation