Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) recently announced that Gerald M. (Jerry) Belian, PE, FESD, a Vice President and Principal of the firm, is retiring, after more than 20 years with SME and over 50 total years’ experience in engineering consulting, management, business development and client relations. The announcement was made by SME president Mark K. Kramer, PE.
“Jerry has been an integral part of SME’s staff, and the engineering profession,” said Kramer, “and we applaud him as he moves on to the next phase of his life. Since Jerry does not like the word ‘retirement’ I think we should just say that Jerry is on to his next challenge. He has been instrumental on countless SME projects over the years and has been a strong mentor to our next generation of engineers. Jerry has exemplified what SME stands for: quality of service, commitment to our clients, and people serving people. He has been a true asset to SME, and we have been very fortunate to have him on our leadership team for more than two decades. Both my late father, Ken Kramer, and myself were proud to have worked with Jerry and to call him our friend.”
Jerry’s engineering career includes five years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; positions with two other engineering consulting firms for a total of 25 years; and more than twenty years at SME. Throughout his career, he has served in a variety of roles including project manager, branch manager, regional manager, vice president, principal and Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Jerry is a Fellow of the Engineering Society of Detroit (FESD); the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE); and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). In 2002, he received the MSPE’s Steinman Award; the ESD’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 2007; and in 2005, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)/MSPE Outstanding Engineering Award for Professional Engineer in Construction.
A native of Detroit, Jerry attended Precious Blood Catholic Elementary School and Detroit Catholic Central High School before earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas.
Jerry and his wife, Sally, have five children and eight grandchildren and reside in Brighton. You can continue to reach him at belian@sme-usa.com or (734) 260-0860.
About SME: Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. helps build a better world with innovative, practical and sustainable solutions for the natural and built environments through geotechnical, environmental, and materials consulting and design services ranging from the American Midwest to Asia and South America. SME’s extensive experience includes providing Brownfield redevelopment consulting, along with pavement engineering, roof design, facility assessments, geotechnical engineering evaluations, environmental assessments and more. The firm is consistently recognized for its pioneering work in transforming old, blighted and contaminated sites into healthy, productive, sustainable and enjoyable new uses that contribute to communities. For more information, visit www.sme-usa.com.