Toms River Engineer is N.J.'s Engineer of the Year

Toms River municipal engineer Robert J. Chankalian was declared the state's Municipal Engineer of the Year at the recent state League of Municipalities convention.

The award is given out annually by the New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers.

The Society recognized Chankalian for his "outstanding contributions to the profession of municipal engineering, and for his tireless efforts this past year to rebuild Toms River after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy." 

Chankalian was also formally cited for reconstructing the dunes in Toms River, and quickly returning the beach area to pre-storm conditions. The Township Engineer says that the dunes are now 18 feet elevated above sea level.

"I remember at one time there were 25 projects going on at one time," said Councilwoman Maria Maruca. "In one year, we have come so far. Hopefully next Thanksgiving we’ll be able to say the same."

Chankalian's contributions to the township go beyond storm recovery, however, officials noted.

"As we’re rebuilding Ortley Beach and all the projects there, he’s building an animal shelter, a records storage facility," said Council President George Wittmann. "Bob has dealt with it with grace, compassion and humor - all things that are needed at different times."

"Everything we do is a team effort," said Chankalian, who thanked his staff during the awards presentation, including Wendy Birkhead, the township's assistant engineer.