Distinguished Engineer
Hometown: Valley Springs
Civil Engineering,
Kenneth H. Spies earned an M.S. in Sanitary Engineering from Harvard University in 1940 following his graduation from South Dakota State College. He spent his professional life in the field of sanitary engineering and environmental quality. He began his career as an assistant sanitary engineer with the South Dakota Board of Health in Pierre. He later moved to Oregon where he held many different positions: associate sanitary engineer, Oregon State Sanitary Authority at Portland; deputy state sanitary engineer, acting state sanitary engineer and state sanitary engineer – all for the Oregon State Board of Health, assistant director and director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
His awards and honors included: the Arthur Sydney Berdell Award from the Water Pollution Control Federation; the Individual Distinguished Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association; the President’s Citation Award from the Oregon Consulting Engineers Council; the Engineer of the Year Award from the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission; and the Public Service Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.