Helen Salama Named Young Engineer of the Year by TSPE Bexar Chapter
Congratulations to Helen Salama, Treatment, Transmission and Utilities, San Antonio, who was recognized as 2021 Young Engineer of the Year by the Bexar Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers.
This award is to engineers who go above and beyond in not only their engineering career, but also by working within professional organizations and excelling in life outside of their careers. This is the second year for a Freese and Nichols employee to receive this honor; last year it went to Bregger Garrison, Transportation, San Antonio.
Helen has been actively involved in American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT), being awarded the 2019 Emerging Leader Award from AWWA and WEAT South Texas and San Antonio Chapters. She was also awarded Freese and Nichols’ James R. Nichols Community Service Award in 2020.
While at Freese and Nichols, Helen has served as an Assistant Project Manager and/or Project Engineer on more than 10 projects in the Treatment, Transmission and Utilities Group. She has trained several interns and E.I.T.s to further develop the team, sharing the knowledge she has gained during her early career. She values the opportunities to grow technically, interface with clients, witness projects come to life during construction, and learn from the experienced PMs and engineers here. Before joining FNI, she completed three internships in the diverse sectors of Oil and Gas, Aviation, and Civil Engineering. Those experiences helped her become aware of the business side of engineering as well as lay the foundation for her technical development.
She has made notable impacts in the community through mentoring UTSA college students at Taproot Church, contributing to Engineers Without Borders projects, leading as an Education Chair and mentor to high school students through AWWA, and assisting local refugees with access to food and financial aid programs during COVID.
She has also served abroad through Engineering Ministries International in Chile and Health Outreach to the Middle East in Lebanon. Throughout her nearly 3.5 years at FNI, she has served over 1,500 hours alongside various local and international organizations.