Congratulations to Polk County engineer Richard Sanders and Stearns County engineer Jodi Teich for receiving national accolades in their profession.
Sanders and Teich were recognized respectively with awards for the 2024 Rural County Engineer of the Year and Urban County Engineer of the Year by the National Association of County Engineers (NACE). The announcement was made at the annual April NACE conference in Illinois.
Locally, the Stearns County Board of Commissioners recognized Teich’s accomplishments during its May 19 board meeting. The award honors her outstanding leadership and innovation in public works.
Teich’s leadership roles include serving as president of both the Minnesota Transportation Alliance and Minnesota County Engineers Association—where she was also the organization’s first female officer. She currently serves as Minnesota’s state director on the NACE Board of Directors. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Teich has been a strong advocate for developing the next generation of engineers, regularly participating in high school and college outreach events and mentoring young professionals.
“I was honored and humbled to receive this award from my peers. The credit really goes to the highway department staff for the work they do, and to my county board for encouraging involvement at the state and national levels,” Teich said. “Without their support, I would not have ever been considered for this award.”
For Sanders, local acknowledgement came during the June 3 Polk County Commissioners meeting. This recognition highlights the vital role of county engineers in shaping safe and efficient transportation systems that serve communities across the nation.
Sanders has served as Polk County engineer since 2002 and was assistant engineer for 11 years prior to that. His dedication, commitment, and leadership are reflected in his participation in dozens of transportation infrastructure research projects aimed at improving engineering solutions.
“It was an honor and privilege to receive this award from my peers nationwide,” Sanders said. “Working with the MnLTAP Steering Committee and LRRB has allowed me to try things to make a difference for the residents of Polk County, which in turn were recognized nationwide as being innovative and helped in receiving this award.”
NACE presents four annual awards—Rural County Engineer of the Year, Urban County Engineer of the Year, Project Manager of the Year, and the David P. Brand Safety Award. The annual awards for rural county engineer and urban county engineer have been given out since 1965.