A tradition that dates back 29 years, the RISE President's Awards is an internal recognition program that highlights our people who reinforce the importance of VHB's Core Values, strategic initiatives, and culture.
Recently, we celebrated our people through the Culture Champion and Rising Professional of the Year Awards at VHB's Partners Event in Atlanta, Georgia.
"We're excited to recognize and celebrate our 2025 RISE Award Winners—our Culture Champions and Rising Professionals of the Year. These VHBers are recognized for their outstanding performance, demonstrated commitment to our culture, and contributions to our growth and success. They truly raise the bar and elevate VHB, and, most importantly, they inspire our entire community to continue to RISE," said President and CEO Mike Carragher.
2025 Culture Champions
These professionals are champions in celebrating and enriching VHB's differentiating culture. They lead by example as ambassadors, going above and beyond to advance important programs, events, or volunteer efforts to improve VHB and the communities we serve. They are strong contributors to our business, positively enhance office morale, and lead the charge in organizing team-building events.
Gavin Graham, Transit & Rail Designer, New England
Gavin brings enthusiasm to everything he does. He traveled to Berlin on his personal vacation time to represent VHB at InnoTrans, an international transit technology conference, and brought back insights to share with the team. As the VHB Transit and Rail Boston Fun Committee President, he has orchestrated numerous events from a Boston Marathon outing to the office Turkey Trot, while also teaching engineering classes to Boston youth through the Private Industry Council.
Christie Kastalek, Environmental Planner, Northeast
Christie has become the heart of office culture in Hauppauge over the past five years. She's served as co-chair of the Hauppauge Green Team, Fun Committee, and Emerging Professionals Group. Her coordination of the annual Northeast Regional Mets Game fostered relationships and regional collaboration, bringing our northeast offices together.
Kathy Smith, CADD Designer, Mid-Atlantic
Kathy has spent 20 years with our Virginia Beach office, demonstrating commitment to excellence and continuous growth. She collaborates with the I-64 team to maintain consistent quality standards across all client deliverables and takes a thoughtful approach to charitable engagement. Her leadership of MS Society fundraising efforts has resulted in significant contributions from Team VHB, making a meaningful impact in support of this important cause.
Jennifer DiStefano, Project Manager, Southeast
Jennifer embodies VHB's collaborative spirit in our Orlando office. She masterfully coordinates complex submittals, mentors team members, and regularly reaches out to other groups to offer support. As a key member of the Orlando office's Charity Committee, she has led numerous successful fundraising initiatives that have supported organizations like the New Image Youth Center.
Karen Yoshida, IT Services Team Lead, Corporate
Karen brings warmth and enthusiasm to the Watertown office each day. Karen coordinates the annual Thanksgiving lunch in Watertown, rallies the IT team for charity events like the Mini Golf tournament, and dedicates volunteer time to Community Cooks. Karen has become a champion for workplace accessibility, bringing back practical tools from specialized conferences to make our technology more accessible for everyone.
2025 Rising Professionals of the Year
Our Rising Professionals are talented individuals who make meaningful contributions early in their careers. These emerging leaders tackle complex challenges with fresh perspectives, champion innovative approaches, and build strong relationships with clients and colleagues.
Kelly Siry, Water Resources Engineer, New England
Kelly joined VHB as a co-op in 2017 and full-time in 2018, quickly becoming a standout leader in water resources engineering. She manages significant projects, including the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Statewide Stormwater MS4 Services program and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Stormwater Control Plan project. Kelly is also a VHB Innovation Ambassador and received the 2024 Environmental Business Council of New England Ascending Leader Award.
Elijah Williams, Geomatics Project Manager, Northeast
Elijah has been instrumental in establishing Geomatics in New Jersey and expanding operations. He led the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center laser scanning project, VHB's first large-scale hospital scan. His reputation extends beyond VHB—he serves as the President of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors’ Young Surveyors Network and has become the Northeast National Parks' surveyor of choice for multiple projects.
Taylor Bonner, Transportation Engineer, Mid-Atlantic
Taylor has become an influential leader across VHB's Mid-Atlantic Region in just four years. Her credentials are impressive—she is a registered Professional Engineer, Professional Traffic Operations Engineer, Road Safety Professional Levels 1 and 2, and is working on her PhD. She has been introducing innovative approaches to assessing roadway safety by tying in human factors, behavioral elements, and land use considerations. Taylor led the post-COVID revamp of the Metro D.C. Emerging Professionals Group, creating valuable resources for colleagues and continues to participate as an ally and mentor to the group.
Michelle Baldwin, Ecologist, Southeast
Michelle joined VHB's Atlanta Ecology Team about five and a half years ago and has led ecology efforts for many high-profile projects, including the I-75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes and the Louisville Connector. She now leads a team of three ecologists directly and mentors ten ecologists working on Georgia Department of Transportation projects.
Michael Chung, System and Data Integration Analyst, Corporate
Michael combines technical skill with a passion for building a collaborative community. His professional journey includes two significant periods at VHB, where he has deepened his experience in system integrations. He shines in connecting people and technology systems, with experience across many platforms.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
