Senator Deb Fischer Named 2025 Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award Winner

Deb Fischer 650x425

Senator Deb Fischer was awarded the 2025 Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies Nebraska (ACEC NE) for her leadership and support to the state’s engineering industry.

“I am honored to receive the Nebraska Engineering Champion Award. ACEC NE plays a crucial role in building a safer, more efficient Nebraska. By equipping our engineering companies with essential tools and educational opportunities, they are committed to enhancing the quality of life across our state. Thank you for your recognition,” said Senator Fischer.

A lifelong Nebraskan, Deb Fischer is the senior senator from Nebraska. Senator Fischer was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2012, becoming the first Nebraska woman elected to a full term and the first Nebraska state senator elected directly after service in the state legislature.

Before her election to the U.S. Senate, Fischer served in the Nebraska Unicameral, representing the 43rd Legislative District from 2005 to 2013. During her time in the state legislature, she chaired the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. She was also a member of the Revenue Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Executive Board. Fischer championed the BUILD Nebraska Act, which has had a significant contribution to Nebraska’s transportation infrastructure.

“Senator Deb Fischer understands why our water, energy, and transportation infrastructure are essential to our society. She saw it firsthand at a young age through her father Jerry Strobel, in his position as Director of the Nebraska Department of Roads. As a Nebraska State Senator and Chair of the Transportation Committee in the Legislature she took the lead in making sure Nebraska prioritized infrastructure. As a US Senator she is a member of the Commerce, Science, Transportation Committee and continues to be a strong voice for good public policy and infrastructure investment. Senator Fischer has always been a steadfast supporter of good public policy for our industry in its mission to design, build, maintain, and improve the infrastructure we all rely on every day,” says Matt Tondl, Senior Vice President at HDR. Tondl serves as the political action committee chair for ACEC NE.

ACEC NE Executive Director Jeanne McClure acknowledges, “Senator Fischer’s leadership ensures that vital infrastructure projects are prioritized and funded, creating opportunities for innovation and workforce development. By championing legislative measures that support engineering excellence, Senator Fisher fosters economic growth and positions our state as a leader in the field of engineering.”

ACEC Nebraska established the Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award to recognize outstanding individuals and teams who have collaborated with the association to support the state’s engineering profession. The organization represents consulting engineering firms in Nebraska, and its mission is to improve the quality of life in the state by strengthening the business environment for the consulting engineering profession.

Untitled (480 X 550 Px)

Aaron Buettner

State Director

Aaron Buettner, PE, CVS leads Benesch’s Nebraska structural group, bringing more than 27 years of experience in structural engineering, project management and value engineering to every project he touches. His work spans highway, railroad and pedestrian bridges, and he has delivered public and private projects across the country involving a wide variety of materials and structure types.

Aaron’s technical depth covers the full project lifecycle, from structural design and in-service inspection to forensic evaluation and construction administration. He is proficient in multiple structural design and analysis software platforms and has a keen understanding of load paths and constructability. As a Certified Value Specialist (CVS), Aaron’s Value Engineering work has generated tens of millions of dollars in potential construction cost avoidance for clients ranging from state DOTs to transit agencies.

Notable projects include the Lincoln South Beltway, where his team designed 10 of 21 bridges on the freeway corridor; the N-12 Emergency Bridge Repairs in northeast Nebraska, where biddable plans for three flood-damaged structures were delivered in just three weeks; and the Penny Bridges Replacement in Lincoln, where value planning produced a context-sensitive solution that earned broad community support.

Aaron also serves as a Structures Specialist on Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1), which is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) teams located throughout the United States. In this role, he supports the search and rescue mission by assessing damaged structures, recommending structural hazard mitigation within those structures, and monitoring the structure for condition changes during rescue and victim recovery operations. During his tenure with NE-TF1, he has deployed ​on numerous missions within the state of Nebraska and around the nation to assist communities that have been impacted by emergencies or disasters.

Skip to content