Meet our 2025 top young professionals
Engineering News-Record (ENR) annually recognizes top young industry professionals under the age of 40 in the United States from each of its 10 regions. The chosen professionals have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and professional growth, all while creating landmark projects and giving back to their communities.
Across the nation, our young professionals continue to showcase what it means to deliver a better world through innovative ideas and unparalleled leadership. Their sustainable focused work positively impacts our clients, communities and world for generations. We are excited to congratulate and introduce our ENR 2025 National and Regional Top Young professionals. Read more about each of our honorees:
ENR East
Aneesh Karlekar, Director. As director of the energy business practice in AECOM’s New York Metro and East Region, Aneesh provides solutions to major utility, private and public clients, within the transportation electrification, renewable energy, grid modernization and energy advisory market segments. Aneesh is responsible for setting the business’ strategic direction in the region, providing oversight for the delivery of the 150-plus projects, and bringing leadership and mentorship to the team. Aneesh is the client account manager for the New York Power Authority, the state’s leading utility and a leader in energy transition. Previously, as a project manager, Aneesh delivered multiple projects including landmark projects like a $40 million EPC project for a digestor gas conditioning plant and $20 million O&M of the co-generation facility.
Matthew Calvey, Architect. With 16 years of experience, Matthew is an innovative architect who has helped design high-performance buildings globally and locally across Massachusetts and New York. He contributed to Boston’s urban planning standards through the city’s Living with Water competition, which focused on resilience against rising sea levels. Using digital tools, he has shared expertise to create energy-efficient, healthy buildings worldwide. At AECOM, Matthew focuses on Boston Logan Airport’s Terminal E, managing complex BIM models, design, documentation, construction administration and project management. He collaborates closely with the construction team to realize the terminal’s intricate geometries and systems through virtual clash resolution and redesigns.
ENR Texas and Southeast
Milad Rezaee, Senior Structural Engineer. Milad has over a decade of professional experience in civil and structural engineering, with expertise ranging from FEA and structural design of ports, wharves, and coastal structures to CFD, hydraulic design, and hydrodynamic modeling. At AECOM, Milad has served as a structural lead, deputy project manager, and structural engineer on several high-profile and impactful projects, delivering innovative and efficient design solutions. Milad’s leadership includes mentoring junior engineers, fostering technical growth, and promoting collaboration. His commitment to operational efficiency is evident in his use of advanced tools and methodologies to optimize workflows and outcomes. As a digital lead, Milad spearheads initiatives to integrate automation technologies, driving project delivery improvements and fostering a culture of innovation across regional departments.
ENR West
Alicia Pajares, Water Resources Project Manager. Based in Seattle with 12 years of industry experience, Alicia leads water resources planning projects nationwide. Her work revolves around developing solutions for drought resilience, flood prevention and watershed protection. Throughout her career, she has worked with federal agencies including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), evaluating water resources projects including new reservoirs, agricultural water supply, flood control and watershed protection projects for primarily rural and underserved communities. These projects have involved detailed environmental checks and balances required to construct new infrastructure, which have allowed Alicia to continue to strive as a steward for the environment.
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