34/Plumbing Engineer December 2021

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or nearly 40 years, Joseph "Joe" Ficek has been involved in the design, specification and commis- sioning of plumbing and related systems, serving clients primarily in the health-care, lab/pharma and higher education sectors. He's worked his way up the ranks from draftsman, to junior engineer, to engineer, project man- ager and now is an associate. As an associate and senior plumbing designer for Grumman Butkus Associates (GBA) in the company's Evanston, Ill., office, he leads the firm's plumbing, fire protection and medical/specialty gases engineering team. He is a Certified Plumbing Designer (CPD), a Fellow of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), and holds the ASPE's Green Plumbing Design Certificate. He also is the former chairperson of ASPE's CPD program. When asked to describe himself, Ficek notes that he is an easygoing person who enjoys his work and the people he works with. His colleagues hold him in high regard as well, noting his willingness to mentor others and share his knowledge with those in the industry. "Joe has been an outstanding leader of our plumbing and fire protection engineering staff since the day he arrived at GBA more than 20 years ago," says T. Chad Luning, PE, LEED AP O+M, and president of Grumman Butkus Associates. "He is a great mentor and incredibly generous with the knowledge he has accumulated throughout his long career. Joe is unflappable while juggling multiple projects and will jump in wherever help is needed without hesitation. GBA, and GBA's clients, are very lucky to have Joe on our team!" Chris Sbarbaro, PE, CPD, GPD, LEED AP BD+C, project manager at Grumman Butkus, notes: "He's ener- getic, he's happy, he's always in a good mood, and he's knowledgeable in the field. He's definitely the best mentor I have ever had. Joe is my direct senior in the plumbing and fire protection group and is a past president of the ASPE chapter. I just served as Chicago Chapter president, and he has been a mentor in that work as well." Michael Schiro, project manager at Grumman Butkus Associates, adds: "I have worked with Joe over the years and his knowledge of the other building trades makes my job as an electrical designer simpler. Most importantly, Joe is spending his time and effort mentoring the next gen- eration of plumbing designers - a legacy that will benefit the plumbing and electrical disciplines for years to come." Meet Ficek for yourself through this exclusive inter- view with Plumbing Engineer . PE: Describe your current job responsibilities. What do your day-to-day duties entail? Joseph Ficek: My responsibilities are to oversee the production of reports and contract documents relating to plumbing, fire protection and medical gas (PFPMG). I

Engineer of the Year

2021 Plumbing Engineer of the Year:

Joseph Ficek

Congratulations to Joseph Ficek, CPD, GPD, FASPE