2011 40 Under 40: John Prescher, PE, LEED AP, 34

John Prescher, PE, LEED AP, 34

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Stanley Consultants, Minneapolis

South Dakota State University, BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering

Prescher is a versatile engineer with a penchant for unusual international jobs. After volunteering for a few jobs in the United Arab Emirates and loving those experiences, he embarked on a trip to Iraq to help rebuild the palace of fallen leader Saddam Hussein. Prescher was Stanley Consultants’ representative to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild a boiler plant at “Camp Victory,” a makeshift Army complex between downtown Baghdad and the airport, amid daily bombings and explosions. To add to these challenges, the project took place during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. He loved meeting people from other cultures, tasting their food, and living in a different environment, and he quickly developed an extensive portfolio of global projects from Mexico to the Middle East. Over the years, Prescher has worked on cooling towers, vehicle repair facilities, air-handling unit assessments, and military base buildings, and he has always kept a clear head and a good-natured attitude. Now, he oversees the Stanley Consultants mechanical engineering department and acts as project manager for some of the firm’s biggest clients. He enjoys the people aspect of the job, and he loves mentoring young engineers and working on team projects. He has also presented at South Dakota State University and ASHRAE regional meetings about LEED projects. For the past five years, Prescher has volunteered as a judge for the Minnesota Future City competition, sponsored by National Engineers Week, where junior-high students compete in a hands-on engineering challenge to present their vision of a city of the future. He also participated in the Eden Prairie LEGO League, helping elementary students design and build a project using LEGOs. Outside of work, Prescher and his wife Sara enjoy traveling, golfing, and attending Minnesota Twins baseball games. They welcomed the addition of their first child, Lauren Jeanne, on April 8, 2011.

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