2012 40 Under 40: Erik A. Eaves, PE, 36

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Burns & McDonnell, St. Louis

By Emma Renee Dutton, Content Specialist May 14, 2012

Erik A. Eaves, PE, 36

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Burns & McDonnell, St. Louis

University of Missouri-Kansas City/Columbia, BS Mechanical Engineering

Eaves strives for personal and professional balance. He seeks an active lifestyle, immersing himself in competitive sports, world travel, and community service, which in turn have accelerated his professional career. Eaves focuses on client success and considers repeat business the strongest metric of success. At Burns & McDonnell, he leads the mechanical laboratory design practice in St. Louis as project manager and lead mechanical engineer for the planning, design, and construction of laboratories, hospitals, and pharmaceutical facilities. Public safety and technical excellence are his top priorities, and 80% of his work is with repeat clients who trust his ethical and safe engineering management. He is an industry leader in cutting-edge lab design and recently was the plumbing project manager for a $100 million construction cost project for a highly technical military medical training facility that received U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver certification. He is actively involved with ASHRAE, helping write the next “Laboratory Design Guide” as a corresponding member of the Technical Committee for Laboratory Design. Giving back to society is very important to Eaves; his volunteering efforts include Waterman Tennis Foundation, Shriners Hospital, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Heart Assn., BJC Hospice, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He played collegiate Division I tennis and continues to play and teach tennis for recreation. He owns and races a 21-ft sailboat, competing in national and international regattas. 

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