BLAIR

Many of the names you have been seeing regularly in the news pages and staff blogs of ENR and ENR.com are the editors of our 11 regional magazines. They have recently been integrated more closely with ENR’s editorial team of subject-matter experts.

An outcome of this collaboration will be new national awards. The regional “Best Projects” award winners will be entered into the National Best of 2008 Awards competition and will be judged against entries from other regions.

Senior Regional Editor Scott Blair, editor of Southwest Contractor, had a record 708 entries representing 400 construction projects last year. ”That’s why my hair turned gray,“ he jokes, but he still volunteered to steer development of the national competition. He will work closely with McGraw-Hill Construction News Director Andrew Wright.

For specific criteria, deadlines and project eligibility, please visit your region’s Website to download the call for entries. Generally, projects must have been substantially completed in the past year. Judges consider innovation, ability to overcome challenges, quality of design and construction, client service, teamwork and the project’s contribution to the construction industry and the community at large.

Regional winners in 2008 will be judged against each other for top honors.

To pick the regional winners, a panel of judges is assembled in each area, including distinguished architects, engineers, contractors, developers and suppliers. This year’s national judges will have representatives from each region.

The winners of the National Best of 2008 Awards will be the subject of a special editorial section that will be published in ENR and in all 11 regional magazines. National winners will be invited to celebrate with us next year. Watch this column to find out where and when. You’ve got to be in it to win it!