The leadership and service work on the state Route 530 landslide earned Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Division Director Matt Zybas the 2015 Project/Program Manager of the Year Award.

The award was presented by the Washington State Association of County Engineers June 17, in Leavenworth, Wash. Zybas was nominated by his county colleagues for his outstanding leadership and service in the emergency response and debris removal following the SR 530 landslide near Oso.

“With approximately 200,000 cubic yards of material created by the landslide to sift through, Matt’s efforts, abilities and determination helped the communities get back on their feet again,” said Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County Public Works Director. “It wasn’t just his focus on debris removal and site restoration that impacted the community, but also his effort to be sensitive and respectful of the survivors and community members. Throughout the difficult event, Matt developed strong and trusted working relationships, attended community meetings, and listened to people’s stories, needs and concerns in order to guide project activities accordingly.”

“There is no perfect plan that anyone can create to prepare for an event like the SR 530 landslide,” said Matt Zybas. “This recognition by WSACE would not have been possible without the hard work, great ideas and collaboration between the Solid Waste Division staff, community members and the multi-disciplinary agencies that worked beside Snohomish County. Together we were able to create the best strategy possible and learn from it to help other communities be better prepared for similar events.”

Within the first week after the SR 530 landslide, Zybas worked with a group of 30 people consisting of federal, state, and local agencies through a strategy discussion on how to begin cleanup and recovery efforts. Three months after the incident, Snohomish County officially began the debris removal project, guided by Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) and state emergency management experts, in mid-June 2014. After another three months, Snohomish County, with the help of construction, archaeology and spotting, and monitoring and inspection contractors, successfully completed the project early and under budget.

The WSACE presents this annual award to a county project manager or county program manager for outstanding service and meritorious achievement in managing a construction project or a pavement, safety, operations, bridge or other public works program. The program or project is required to be in or for a county and must have been completed by the end of the year for which the award was submitted.