On June 8, 2016, at the Florida Engineers Management Corporation annual Board meeting, Donald L. Goddeau, PE, was appointed as the new Board chair, and Stephen Kowkabany, PE, was appointed vice chair for the 2016-2017 term. Mr. Goddeau replaces Shannon LaRocque, PE, who will remain an active member of the FEMC Board.

Donald L. Goddeau, PE, is a licensed professional engineer in Florida with a career in engineering that spans over 40 years. A civil engineering graduate of Villanova University and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he has worked primarily in the fields of waterfront engineering and engineering management. He achieved the position of president and director of Gee & Jenson EAP and then senior vice president of CH2M HILL.

During his career, Mr. Goddeau has been very active in engineering associations, including holding the office of president of the Florida Engineering Society (FES), and serving as the FES liaison to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, assisting board members with writing the original Responsibility Rules. He is a fellow member of both the FES and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), where he has served as chair of both the FES Professional Concerns and the NSPE Licensure and Qualifications for Practice Committees. He has also served as treasurer and chair of the Board of Trustees of the Florida Engineering Foundation.

Mr. Goddeau was appointed to the FEMC Board in December 2012, served as FEMC’s vice chair from 2015 through June 2016, and is currently serving his first term as the FEMC Board chair.

Stephen Kowkabany, PE, is a licensed professional engineer and is the owner and president of Neptune Fire Protection Engineering in Atlantic Beach, Fla. Since receiving his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, Mr. Kowkabany has been practicing engineering for over 20 years.  He began his career as a project engineer and process system designer in the pulp & paper, power generation, and photographic film manufacturing sectors before transitioning into the field of fire protection. He has worked closely with a variety of industrial fire protection systems in a manufacturing environment, and also possesses extensive experience in the arenas of residential and commercial fire protection and has designed fire protection systems for over 500 facilities.

Mr. Kowkabany is also a licensed fire protection engineer in Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. He currently serves as the founder and president of the Northeast Florida Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and serves on the board of directors of the National Fire Sprinkler Association Florida Region.

Mr. Kowkabany was appointed to the FEMC Board in October 2015 and is currently serving his first term as vice chair.

In addition to the new chair appointments, FEMC welcomes new member Barney T. Bishop, III.

Barney T. Bishop, III, is a native Floridian and long time resident of Tallahassee. A professional entrepreneur, Mr. Bishop is the CEO/president of his third company, Barney Bishop Consulting, and the current CEO of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for criminal justice reform.

A lobbyist beginning in 1979, Mr. Bishop is the immediate past president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), a business association founded in 1920 and known as “The Voice of Florida Business.” Prior to joining AIF, he started two successful companies, a private detective agency and a strategic public affairs firm.

Mr. Bishop’s civic accomplishments include appointments on the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees,  the Florida Commission on Community Service, where he also served as vice chair, and the inaugural board of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophic Fund Advisory Council. Mr. Bishop served as the founding chair of the Volunteer USA Foundation, NEBA PAC, and Citizens for Responsible Spending. He has also served as chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, Volunteer Florida Foundation, Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation, and as vice chair of the Florida TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice and the Leon Co. Research & Development Authority.

He is a graduate of Emerson College with a bachelor’s degree in political & judicial communication and in history. He served on the Emerson College Board of Overseers and termed out after 11 years as the co-chair. Mr. Bishop was awarded the 2016 Distinguished Citizen Award by the Suwanee River Council of the Boy Scouts of America for his outstanding service in both his community and his profession after attaining the honor and level of Eagle Scout himself 25 years ago.

Mr. Bishop was appointed to the remaining Public seat on the Board in late April 2016 and is currently serving his first term.

We are pleased to have many talented and seasoned professionals participating as members of both boards and are grateful for their dedication and commitment to FEMC and the success of the FBPE.  For a full listing of FBPE and FEMC board members select About FBPE or About FEMC on our website.