APWA Foundation Announces $40,000 Donation from Pakpour Consulting Group to Fund Annual Young Leader of the Year Award

For Immediate Release

Kansas City, MO—This month, the American Public Works Association (APWA) Foundation received a $40,000 donation from Pakpour Consulting Group (PCG) after they made an initial donation of $10,000 to the APWA Foundation in 2022. This donation is to be used to pay the expenses of up to two recipients of the APWA Young Leader of the Year Award to attend PWX, APWA’s flagship public works conference and expo each year. PWX is a once-a-year gathering that offers young public works professionals an immersive opportunity to network with peers, hone leadership abilities, and advance their careers more effectively.

Currently, the award is named for one of APWA’s past president’s Myron Calkins, who provided $10,000 from his estate to promote education for young professionals. In 2026, the Myron Calkins fund is expected to run out at which time the Young Leader of the Year Award will be renamed the Pakpour Consulting Group Young Leader of the Year Award. PCG’s generous donation will go a long way to help young professionals who have demonstrated an initial commitment to the profession and the association and show potential for future growth within the association. The award promotes the concept that length of career does not necessarily indicate leadership abilities or potential for service.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous donation from Pakpour Consulting Group to fund our Young Leader of the Year Award starting in August of 2026. Supporting the advancement of young public works professionals who are in the first several years of their careers is a cornerstone initiative for the Foundation,” said APWA Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Sean O’Dell, PE

“My partners and I were young engineers when we started Pakpour Consulting Group in 2004. Joining APWA was one of the best decisions we made. APWA has been there for us every step of the way, providing resources and training we need to help the public agencies we serve. The relationships we have formed through this organization have help us grow personally and professionally. It was an easy choice for us to support the Young Leader of the Year Award with a legacy donation. We want to help foster the growth of the next generation of public works professionals and the APWA Foundation is the right vehicle for that,” said Pakpour Consulting Group President Joubin Pakpour, PE.

“As leaders within APWA, we know that our members excel in serving their communities when they have a strong, resilient, engaged workforce. We are committed to being the best resource for those young professionals who are always seeking developmental opportunities and new experiences while striving to improve each day. Having the opportunity to recognize and financially support individuals who wish to attend PWX is a key part of our commitment to developing the next generation of public works leaders,” said APWA President Gary Losier, PEng.

For more information about APWA’s Young Leader of the Year award or its other awards programs, email jshilhanek@apwa.org or visit apwa.yokoco.dev.

About the APWA Foundation

The APWA Foundation has four designated direct giving avenues and a general fund to provide donors with the ability to direct their donation to a specific public works initiative or activity such as: General Public Works Education, Advancement of Young Professionals, International Public Works Education, and Public Works Awareness in the Community and Public. Learn more about the APWA Foundation at https://www.apwafoundation.org/.

About Pakpour Consulting Group

Pakpour Consulting Group was founded in 2004 by four close friends who had collectively worked at 11 different companies and public agencies. They started PCG so they could work with the clients they wanted and not be hampered by high billing rates, utilization rates, overhead, and all the other things that come with larger firms. Work/life balance was, and continues to be, the cornerstone of PCG. During the past two decades, PCG has grown from the four founding members to thirteen professionals. They work exclusively with public agencies and much of their staff has worked in some capacity at public agencies, making them uniquely qualified to understand the requirements, challenges, and program objectives of municipalities. See their story here.