Omar Smith

Senior Civil Engineer

2022 Medal of Merit Recipient

Omar Smith holds a B.S Degree in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Mathematics from the University of Arizona. During his early years in school, Smith was convinced that structural engineering would be his career path. Through his internships during his junior and senior years, his focus switched to water resources engineering.

Upon graduating, Smith joined Castro Engineering in Tucson as a staff engineer supporting its Flood Control Section. He then moved to Knight Piésold’s Tucson Office as a staff engineer, where he expanded his H&H engineering design skills and gained experience in three-dimensional CAD design, slope stability analysis, field engineering, construction quality assurance (CQA), and technical writing.

In 2012, Smith joined URS, later becoming AECOM via acquisition, as a Project Civil Engineer in their GeoCivil Department and was eventually promoted to GeoCivil Team Leader. He supported the mining, power, and flood control industries in South America and the Southwest U.S.

In 2019, Smith joined Wood as a Senior Civil Engineer in Phoenix supporting the Geotechnical Service Line. He manages the Phoenix Civil Design Team responsible for the design of mining related facilities.

Smith is an active member of SME and its Tucson Section. He is presently on the SME Environmental Division Executive Committee, is the Environmental Division’s Program Chair for the 2023 SME Annual Conference & Expo and is serving a 3-year commitment on the SME Structure and Governance Standing Committee. He has been involved with the SME Tucson Section for over 11 years, serving as Webmaster, Vice Chair, and as Chairman of the Section for 3 years, providing critical leadership during COVID. He presently serves as the Immediate Past Chair and Scholarship Chair.

Born in Yuma, Arizona, he lived his first years in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to San Luis, Arizona. Smith attributes his success to his humble upbringing, the guidance of his mother, and the constant support he has received from his family, friends, coworkers, and mentors. In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his family, work on vintage Volkswagens, go camping, and visit a beach in Mexico on special occasions.

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