President’s Awards Presented at DFI Annual Conference

Hawthorne, N.J.: Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) President Gianfranco Di Cicco recognized three DFI members with President’s Awards at the DFI 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Aurora, Colorado, this past October. The awards were presented on behalf of Di Cicco by incoming DFI President James Johnson.

Established in 2016, the DFI President’s Awards are given at the discretion of the DFI president to recognize the outstanding contributions and service of DFI members who advance the work of DFI. This year’s awards were presented to:

Maurice Bottiau, Franki Foundations, was recognized for his prolific service as member of the DFI Board of Trustees from 2002-2013, founder of DFI Europe and officer of all DFI Europe board positions including his current role as president, and chair of the upcoming 2025 DFI-EFFC International Conference on Deep Foundations and Ground Improvement “Geotechnics Reimagined.” He was also the program chair for the DFI-EFFC Conference in Rome in 2018, and delivered the John Mitchell Lecture at the DFI-EFFC Conference in Berlin in 2022.  

Mary Ellen Large, P.E., BC.GE,  Nicholson Construction, was recognized for her outstanding service as co-chair of the DFI Structural Slurry Wall and Seepage Control Committee, lead for the USACE-DFI Seepage Control Task Force and organization of the 2023 Workshop in Denver, and organization of a special committee production at IFCEE 2024. She is a founder and active member of DFI’s Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Committee and is the future conference chair for DFI’s 51st Annual Conference on Sea Level Change.

Jamey Rosen, P.Geo., Geosyntec, received this award because of his service as chair of the Information Management Systems Committee, leadership in the USACE-DFI Seepage Control Task Force resulting from the 2023 Workshop in Denver, and organization of a special committee production at IFCEE 2024. He is an active member of the DFI Structural Slurry Wall and Seepage Control Committee and regularly publishes papers and delivers presentations at DFI and industry events. 

About the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI): DFI (www.dfi.org) is an international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design and construction of deep foundations and excavations. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,000 members worldwide.