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NYSATE Section 8 is proud to announce that Nicolas A. Choubah has been selected as our Section's Engineer of the Year for 2011.

Nick graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, and earned a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1989, from the University of Massachusetts. Nick began his career with the Mass. DPW. In July, 1992, he moved to NYSDOT as a Design squad leader in Region 8. His responsibilities included oversight of consultant design, as well as in-house design of complex major projects, 3R and intersection type projects. Nick was the Project Manager for the multi-stage Cross Westchester Expressway project from August 2001 until January 2008. Beginning in 2003, Nick also served as Region 8's Regional Structures Engineer. From January, 2008, to December, 2009, Nick was the Regional Traffic Engineer in Region 2. Nick is currently the Acting Regional Design Engineer in Region 8, managing the delivery of the capital program for the Region with an in-house design staff of more than one hundred engineers, technicians and transportation specialists.

A member of NYSATE since 1992, Nick has served in a number of roles including President of Section 8 and as a Local Board member representing Grades 23 and above. Nick has volunteered to serve on the Section 8 education committee and on the school visit program introducing students to engineering as a potential career. He has also served as Chairman of the Day of Golf committee, an event which raises funds for the Section's scholarships. Nick served as Chairman of the Technical Committee for the 2008 NYSATE Conference until he had to relinquish this responsibility due to receiving his promotion to Utica. While working in Utica, he was a member of the scholarship committee in Section 2 for two years.

In his local community, Nick is an active member of the Calvary Chapel Church and is a member of the building committee. For more than 6 years, he coached and/or assisted in coaching youth soccer. Nick serves as a volunteer in Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc., a ministry addressing the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women and children, their families and those who work in the prison environment. The goal is to improve the spiritual life of the inmates and help the inmates better integrate into society when the opportunity is presented. Along with family members, Nick volunteers at a soup kitchen during the holidays, and also provides transportation for homeless people and others without transportation when medical need is presented. While working in Utica, Nick was President and charter member of their Toastmasters club, and he is a current member and co-Vice President of Public Relations of Region 8's Toastmasters club, The Bureaucrats. Nick and his wife Bridget have been married for 25 years. They have two children, Yvonne 24 and Christopher 23, and a grandson Elijah.