DDC’s Afroz Surti and Ketty Paulino Receive “Young Engineer of the Year Award” From Municipal Engineers of the City of New York

DDC: Denisse Moreno, 718-391-1854, morenode@ddc.nyc.gov

(Long Island City, NY – December 6, 2024) Commissioner Thomas Foley of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today two DDC employees have received “Young Engineer of the Year 2024” award from the Municipal Engineers of the City of New York (MENY). DDC Design Engineer Afroz Surti and DDC Deputy Director for Infrastructure Construction Ketty Paulino received the awards at the Annual Dinner-Dance and Installation of Officers at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park on November 22, 2024.

The award is dedicated to young engineers who have contributed to the advancement of engineering sciences in New York City.

“DDC builds cool stuff all over the city, and much of our work relies on young engineers like Afroz Surti and Ketty Paulino, who are an inspiration as they take on responsibility for massive projects,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. “They have done so much in a short time in this profession that I cannot wait to see what other milestones they will reach. We are very proud to have these intelligent, talented engineers making a difference here at DDC.”

Ms. Surti, who has a Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering and a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, started as a DDC Intern in 2019 and has been Design Engineer since 2020. She handles diverse, citywide projects, including in-house designs for infrastructure projects managed for the Department of Environmental Protection and the NYC Department of Transportation. Ms. Surti is currently in the Coastal Resiliency Unit, focused on the upcoming Red Hook Coastal Resiliency project in Brooklyn, which will reduce flood risks from coastal storm surges and sea level rise along Red Hook's waterfront.

Ms. Surti engages with stakeholders at city, state, and federal levels, as well as private property owners, fostering strong community ties during projects. She was also appointed as Strategic Initiative Fellow in DDC’s Commissioner's Office, dealing with hundreds of major DDC projects for a span of several months.

Ms. Paulino mentors younger professionals at DDC and in her role as Directing of Emerging Professionals of the CMAA Metro NY/NJ Chapter, where she currently serves on the Board. She has supervised several DDC infrastructure projects simultaneously and is now part of the agency’s coastal resiliency construction team. She previously has managed projects such as the restoration of the West Tremont Step Street in the Bronx as well as a $106 million flood control project in Queens that used micro-tunneling to install a new sewer through a densely populated residential and commercial district.

Ms. Paulino started at DDC in 2015 as a Civil Engineer Intern. In 2018, she was named “Young Government Civil Engineer of the Year” by the American Society of Civil Engineers Metropolitan Section. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and currently holds a Construction Manager-in-Training (CMIT) certification while working toward CCM certification.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $33 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.