Stormwater Professional of the Year

Doug Jewell with Jewell Engineering was named Stormwater Professional of the Year by the North Carolina American Public Works Association (APWA) and was presented with the H. Rooney Malcom Award. The presentation was made at the annual NC APWA Stormwater Division Conference in Winston-Salem.
The award recognizes Jewell’s 40-year career as a stormwater professional and his accomplishments in the design of many physical stormwater structures in North Carolina and neighboring states, his guidance to local municipalities in developing and implementing stormwater management programs and utilities, and his overall support of stormwater engineering and management as a professional endeavor.
This award is named in honor of Dr. Malcom, who was a long-time teacher at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and mentor and friend to stormwater professionals across the country.
Jewell grew up in Wilmington. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he earned a degree in zoology and then spent five years in the Navy’s officer candidate school as a flyer. After serving five years active duty, he returned to earn his undergraduate degree from NCSU in water resources in civil engineering in 1979 and a Master’s in Civil Engineering with a concentration in water resources from NCSU.
“I went into stormwater primarily because of Dr. Malcom. I was originally on track to be a structural engineer, but Dr. Malcom took me aside and encouraged me to study water resources,” Jewell said. “He was the chairman of my graduate committee. We were close friends and he was my mentor. We stayed close until he passed away.”
Jewell explained that after thinking about it, water resources made sense because it’s something he has always enjoyed.
“Everything that I’ve enjoyed since I was a child has been around the water – fishing, sailing, etc.,” he said.
Jewell, who continued to serve in the Navy reserves until he retired in 1996, moved with his family to Kernersville in 1983. He started Jewell Engineering in 1996 and moved into their current building on South Main Street in 2000. Jewell and his wife, Nancy, have three children – Doug, Matt and Jane.
Although he is located in Kernersville, Jewell explained that Jewell Engineering works mostly with local governments across the state, from the mountains to the coast.
“We do a lot of flood studies and reporting for clients on flooding issues,” he said. “We also do designing. We did a significant project to restore a very eroded stream and underground piping at Spring Park in Winston-Salem.”
Jewell added that they also do a lot of dam engineering, including one for the Lumbee Tribe in Robinson, NC that was 6,000 feet long, and at Century Park Lake in Kernersville.
Jewell said they also help local governments develop stormwater programs.
Jewell said what he enjoys about stormwater is the people and seeing a finished project.
“It’s gratifying to see something built that you’ve designed and to see it work well,” he said. “I also enjoy helping local governments develop a program that is well run, efficient, sufficient and reliable.”  
Upon receiving the award, Jewell said he was most honored that it was an award named after Dr. Malcom.
 “He was an engineer and was known as Mr. Stormwater. He made it his life’s work to teach the engineering community,” he said. “I was deeply honored to receive the award because it says what I’ve done as a profession for my entire career, that I’ve done well, but also to win an award that is named for my mentor is a major aspect. I just wish he’d been here to see it. He would have been proud.”
Looking back over his 40 years in stormwater resources, Jewell said it isn’t the work that he has done that he remembers.
“What you remember the most are the people. I really value the relationships,” he remarked. “It’s been a delight to do this kind of work and with the people I’ve been able to work with. The clients and peers I have known over my career have been both critical to my success and a delight to know.”