Shane L. Silsby
Award
Outstanding Civil Engineer in Legislative Activities
Description
For more than a decade, Mr. Silsby has demonstrated sustained leadership in infrastructure policy through his public and private sector service. For the past six years, he has been a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA) National Government Affairs Committee. In this role, he has traveled to Washington, DC each year to help shape national legislative priorities related to water resources, transportation, resilience, and infrastructure funding, ensuring that advocacy positions are grounded in practical, non-partisan solutions.
At the federal level, Mr. Silsby played a key role in efforts that resulted in two line-item revisions to the 2018 Water Resources Development Act and contributed to the federal authorization of a $1.2 billion flood control project for Orange County. His ability to provide clear technical analysis and align engineering needs with legislative language directly enhanced public safety and regional resilience.
He has further strengthened ASCE’s voice in Washington through participation in the 2025 and 2026 ASCE Legislative Fly-Ins, engaging Members of Congress on infrastructure investment and workforce development. At the state level, he helped author two California laws affecting infrastructure delivery and helped lead the ASCE/APWA Joint Legislative Visit Day event in Sacramento (2024, 2025. & 2026), promoting unified, engineering-informed advocacy.
Through his sustained service, professionalism, and tangible contributions to infrastructure and public services legislation, Mr. Silsby’s advocacy efforts have produced measurable outcomes while elevating the role of civil engineers in public policy development.
Branch
