2020 40 Under 40: Alex Engelman, PE, CEM, LEED AP, 37

Associate Principal, Syska Hennessy Group Inc., New York City; BS Electrical Engineering, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York City; MS Construction Management, Polytechnic Institute of NYU, New York City

By Chris Vavra and Amara Rozgus May 14, 2020

Engelman has spent his career leading electrical design building projects noted for their complexity. He leads Syska Hennessy Group’s effort for integrating renewable and other grid-independent, clean energy sources into the overall design. Rethinking the distribution of power and energy, Engelman’s team is spearheading engineering for an energy-as-a-service agreement between the owner and the provider. Key features include microgrid control, flexibility and redundancy of energy use coming from these on-site and renewable sources. His professional career started with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as an intern and he has gone from strength to strength, first with Arup for seven years and now with Syska Hennessy, all with the same goal of improving electrical design for buildings and infrastructure. Engelman, who was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States when he was a young man, knew he wanted to be an engineer by high school. He has carried that focus and dedication in his career to many other aspects of his life. He was involved with the ACE Mentor Program, Engineers Without Borders and New York Cares Society. He is also a member of the New York City Metro Code Committee of the American Council of Engineering Companies. Outside of work, Engelman enjoys traveling with his wife, playing basketball and playing games like Settlers of Catan and a good game of chess.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra, Associate Editor, and Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief