CCEE alum Dan Pleasant receives Distinguished Engineering Alumnus award

CCEE alum Dan Pleasant was one of three winners honored by the College of Engineering with its Distinguished Engineering Alumnus (DEA) award during a dinner and ceremony on campus on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, as part of Red and White Week.

The award was established by the faculty of the College in 1966 to honor engineering graduates who have been recognized for outstanding achievements in planning and direction of engineering work; fostering professional development of young engineers; contributing to knowledge in the field of engineering; or bringing, in other ways, distinction to the University through engineering achievement.

Nominations for this prestigious award come from members of the Engineering faculty, and a vote by faculty representatives determines the recipients of the award.

Pleasant earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering in 1973 and 1974, respectively, from North Carolina State University. Pleasant has spent more than 50 years in the consulting engineering profession.

Pleasant has held several key positions with Dewberry since managing the startup of an office in Danville, Virginia, including southeast division manager, and president of Dewberry Engineers Inc., a Dewberry Company of 1,800 employees. In 2010, Pleasant was named chief operating officer. During his tenure, he helped direct the company through significant market segment growth and expansion into multiple geographies. He also managed the acquisition of seven companies for Dewberry, including the 2021 acquisitions of two engineering firms in the Southeast and the 2019 acquisition of an engineering firm based in California.

In April 2022, Pleasant transitioned into a consulting role. He continues to guide critical initiatives for Dewberry, including championing its corporate acquisition program. He is also very active with Dewberry’s clients, serving as an executive client manager for several strategic clients.

Pleasant has a long history of volunteer and board service. His NC State service includes being an advisory board member for CCEE.

This story was originally published by College of Engineering News.