Professional of the Year and Transportation Project of the Year

The City of Goleta is the proud recipient of two honors handed out at the American Public Works Association (APWA) California Central Coast Chapter awards ceremony in Pismo Beach on March 13, 2025. Goleta’s Assistant Public Works Director Autumn Glaeser received the prestigious Professional of the Year Award and the City’s Pavement Rehabilitation Project received 1^st place for a Transportation Project in the $5-25 million category. Each year AWPA recognizes and honors excellence in public works through its annual awards program, celebrating outstanding individuals, groups, and chapters for their contributions to the field. 

Goleta Public Works Director Nina Buelna said, “I am incredibly proud of my staff for receiving this well-deserved recognition for two major APWA Awards. The 2023 Pavement Project leveraged value engineering and Vision Zero designs to maximize safety and efficiency. Despite working with a limited budget, we achieved remarkable results. Additionally, the Professional of the Year Award is a testament to Autumn Glaeser’s exceptional competence, dedication, and expertise, which have been invaluable to our success.”

A write-up on the award in the AWPA newsletter stated, “Autumn exemplifies outstanding leadership in public works and engineering. With over 18 years of engineering experience spanning utilities, transportation, parks, and open space, Autumn has led with vision and dedication in both multiple government and private engineering firms. She has successfully managed complex projects from planning through execution, ensuring they meet budgetary constraints, environmental regulations, and community needs. Under her guidance, Goleta’s street maintenance, parks, and open space teams have thrived, and the Capital Improvement Project Division has flourished. What sets Autumn apart is her ability to bring people together—whether collaborating with stakeholders, mentoring team members, or fostering a culture of innovation and efficiency. Her leadership has had a lasting impact on the City’s infrastructure and the professionals she guides. She doesn’t just manage projects; she builds communities, develops future leaders, and ensures that public works serve the people effectively and sustainably.”

The City’s Pavement Rehabilitation Project was recognized due to its completion of upgrades to eight individual streets in Goleta totaling more than 16,000 feet of improvements citywide. The project also included installing new striping and markings to improve visibility for drivers and accessibility compliant curb ramp upgrades. The work lasted from July – October 2024 and is part of the City’s ongoing effort to maintain and improve the City’s road network by restoring and resurfacing the existing pavement to prevent further damage and extend its lifespan.

As part of the upgrades, a new Vison Zero layout on Cathedral Oaks Road was implemented that expanded bike lanes and created safer routes of travel with increased protection from vehicular travel. Additionally, 31 new angled parking spots were added in the improved area.

For more information about AWPA go to https://centralcoast.apwa.org/.

Above: Autumn Glaeser with her APWA Professional of the Year Award

Pavement work being done on Forest Drive in Goleta in September 2024 as part of the Pavement Rehabilitation Project