2000 Trenchless Technology Person-of-the-Year: Joseph Barsoom

When friends and acquaintances talk of Joe Barsoom, the common theme is his “tireless promotion” of trenchless technology.

As director of engineering for the Wastewater Management Division of the City and County of Denver, Joseph Barsoom directs the operation of a large multi-divisional engineering organization with 100 employees. Joe directs the planning, design and construction of engineering projects and is responsible for the use of new design and construction materials and methods for the division.

Joe has served with the City and County of Denver for 30 years, rising through the ranks of project engineer, storm drainage engineer and chief design engineer to his present role. Along the way he completed a master’s degree program in civil engineering from the University of Colorado.

Off the job, two professional affiliations have captured much of Joe’s energies. First is his participation with the American Society for Testing and Materials where Joe was a founder and now chairman of the ASTM F-17.67 Committee for Trenchless Plastic Pipe Technology. Additionally, Joe was vice chairman of the F-17.62 subcommittee for piping systems and director of the ASTM Division III in charge of preparing ASTM standards for gas, sewer, land drainage, conduit, trenchless technology drain, waste, and vent piping systems.

The second affiliation is Joe’s service with the Trenchless Technology Center, located at Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, La. Joe first joined the center as a municipal representative soon after its founding in 1989. With the development of the center’s Industry Advisory Board, Joe was elected as chairman of the board, a role he continues to fill. More recently, Joe has been instrumental in developing the Municipal Forum series that gathers representatives of municipal utility districts from across the country for networking opportunities.

On receiving word of his selection as the Trenchless Technology Person-of-the-Year, Joe responded, “I am so proud to be honored by the magazine and the industry. Now, I have to work twice as hard to meet your expectations.

“Trenchless technology has changed my career direction. It has become part of my life. I am convinced that using trenchless methods in public works projects will have great financial and environmental benefits.”

One suspects Joe has only begun as the cheerleader for the trenchless industry.