Jason Lueke Is the 2026 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year

Jason Lueke, Ph.D, P.Eng., has never been one to shy away from adventure or new opportunities. He attributes much of his professional success to embracing unexpected moments and the opportunities they bring.

“Early in your career, you try to plan your path, but a lot of growth comes from being open to opportunities you didn’t expect,” he says. “Some of the most important steps happen when you are willing to explore something new and see where it leads.”

That philosophy perfectly summarizes how Lueke found his way into the trenchless industry. While he had never heard of trenchless technology during his college years, a series of fortunate connections through networking and relationship-building opened the door to a field he would come to love.

Each step in Lueke’s trenchless journey has built on the last, shaping a career marked by respect, impact and fulfillment. He is an engineer, educator, mentor, advocate and leader. Each of these roles stands on its own, yet together they define his identity within the trenchless engineering profession. “I don’t think I wear just one hat,” Lueke says. “It’s all of them together that makes me who I am.”

For more than 25 years, Lueke has been a driving force in the North American trenchless industry, beginning as a student and evolving from a contractor to an educator and consulting trenchless engineer, a role he has held for 20 years.

A Career in Trenchless

He currently serves as the National Discipline Leader for trenchless technology at Associated Engineering, a Canadian consulting firm, where he has played a pivotal role on several of the firm’s most complex and award-winning projects. Beyond his engineering achievements, Lueke is a tireless advocate for the industry, actively supporting numerous professional associations and organizations, mentoring young professionals and students, and generously volunteering his time to help elevate the trenchless industry to new heights.

For all these attributes, Jason Lueke, P.Eng., Ph.D., is the 2026 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year.

“I am truly honored and grateful for this recognition. Trenchless technology has defined my career, and I would not be here today without the mentors, colleagues and professional community who helped shape my path,” says Lueke. “It is meaningful to be recognized alongside the many leaders who have contributed to the trenchless profession before me. Their work laid the foundation for the industry we have today, and I’m proud to be part of that legacy.”

“Jason is highly deserving of this esteemed honor. He began his journey as a student and went on to serve the industry in multiple capacities — as a contractor, academic and consulting engineer. This breadth of experience gives him a uniquely comprehensive perspective on the trenchless industry, and his contributions will ultimately define a lasting legacy,” says Dr. Sam Ariaratnam, mentor and colleague, who nominated Jason for this award. “Jason has provided yeoman’s service to the profession through his involvement in numerous associations, including service on the NASTT Board of Directors and the UESI–ASCE Pipelines Division Executive Committee, where he ultimately served as Chair. This unselfish leadership reflects countless hours of volunteerism dedicated to advancing and strengthening our industry.”

Background Story

Lueke was raised in the bedroom community of Sherwood Park, just outside of Edmonton. His parents made the conscious decision to move to stay there after he was born, leaving behind a lifetime of working their farm in Saskatchewan and his dad’s chosen technical profession of welding.

“My parents made the decision to move to Edmonton to start a new chapter for our family,” Lueke says. “My dad shifted from farming and welding into teaching welding at a technical school. It meant earning less, but it was a lifestyle choice they made so my brother and I would have access to opportunities they valued for us.”

Engineering Studies

Lueke’s life was significantly influenced by a decision his parents made. After earning his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Alberta, he began his career with a geotechnical firm performing pile inspections. Fate intervened when he received a letter from the University of Alberta inviting him to apply for graduate school. Lueke chose to pursue this opportunity rather than stay in his current role.

“When I got to grad school, I was assigned to a professor named Dr. Ariaratnam,” Lueke says, noting his grad school advisor was just starting to explore the trenchless industry. “He asked if I knew anything about pipe bursting … and that is where it started.”

Contracting Work

During this research, Lueke met Terry Peters of Terraco Excavating, forging a professional and personal mentorship that would last for decades. Following his master’s degree, Lueke decided to pursue a Ph.D. with a focus on horizontal directional drilling (HDD), a method that was still academically newer at the time.

To help cover the cost of doctoral studies, Peters arranged for financial support through The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). In return, Lueke agreed to work for Peters as a project manager at his company, which specialized in HDD, pipe bursting, and other trenchless methods.

Although Lueke finished his doctoral studies in construction engineering and management in 2005, he began his tenure at Associated Engineering in 2003. “The market was much smaller back then and it was very much so contractor driven,” Lueke remembers. “[The trenchless market] was very different at that time, with less standardized guidance and regulations.”

Understanding the Ground

Nevertheless, he was committed to studying this field, specifically focusing on how ground movement and settling affect nearby utilities. Integrating these factors into project design constitutes the core of Lueke’s expertise in trenchless engineering, representing his true professional passion.

“I am a strong visualizer — for me, trenchless engineering starts with understanding how the ground behaves,” Lueke explains. “When I started, the industry was still developing its technical foundation. There was less formal research and fewer published guidelines, so much of the practical knowledge lived with experienced contractors. Owners and engineers were still building familiarity with trenchless methods at the time.”

Reflecting on his more than 25 years in the industry, Lueke highlights the significant evolution and expansion of trenchless technology across North America. “Trenchless is now mainstream. And that is a huge change,” he remarks, adding the number of options of trenchless education available outside of a college curriculum. Contractors and owners alike have opportunities to strengthen their knowledge of trenchless technology via written guidelines, as well as courses and workshops offered by industry associations and organizations — and you’ll find Lueke leading many of these courses.

“I’ve taught courses on laterals, pipe bursting and HDD and others over the last 20 years,” he says. “Early on, it was a lot of contractors who were taking those courses but now it’s the owners. To me, it seems like there are more owners than contractors and engineers taking those courses.”

This combination of education and hands-on experience has established trenchless technology as the preferred method for both rehabilitation and new construction — a transformation Lueke witnessed firsthand. “Trenchless has become the standard and everyone expects now vs. before when we basically had to advocate for it,” he says.

Teaching the Next Generation

He briefly left Associated Engineering from 2009 to 2012 to take an Assistant Professorship at Arizona State University’s Del E. Webb School of Construction, reuniting him with his long-time friend Ariaratnam. Not one to overlook an opportunity or adventure, he says the timing was right, but ultimately he found his passion back in consulting.

“I had my Ph.D. and thought I should use it,” he relays. “I wanted to take that contractor and consultant experience I had and take it to academics, believing I had something to share and provided a different perspective. My family was young at the time and kids not in school. It was a good time to make the move.”

The move offered Lueke mixed results. Although Lueke valued mentoring students and enjoyed the Arizona climate, he preferred practical engineering applications over research. Furthermore, he and his wife decided they wanted to return to Canada to be nearer to their families, leading to his unexpected return to Associated Engineering, where he’s been ever since.

His position has evolved over the years and, today, his role involves advising owners on the best options to pursue and the best way to implement a trenchless installation. “I love the whole aspect of advising what the best approach is for their projects,” he says. “My role allows me to work with owners to make sure they do the best thing for their projects. I am their trusted advisor.”

Role as Mentor

Lueke lavishes heartfelt praise for those in the industry and in life who have filled the role as mentor for him, whether professionally or personally. He holds his parents at the top of that list, who offered so many sacrifices for him and his brother to succeed and have, in their eyes, a better life.

Lueke takes that same philosophy in his role as mentor to the next generation of trenchless professionals — helping them grow and develop into the next generation of strong trenchless engineers. He wants them to shine and succeed.

At his firm, Lueke is charged with its Technical Competency Management program, a structured technical development program that helps junior engineers bridge the gap between graduation and professional practice.

He encourages his junior colleagues to participate in the various associations, to learn and share what they know, as well as cultivating important relationships and connections. “For myself, my involvement in industry organizations is about those relationships,” he says. “I’m not doing it just for business reasons. I’m doing it to help people, and to share my knowledge.”

Life Begins at Home

Lueke has the work-life balance working for him. He and his wife Marie married in 2003 and have two sons, Nathaniel, 19, and Benjamin, 17. Love of outdoors is something the family shares, so hiking, camping and small-town road trips are always on the vacation schedule. When his sons were younger, they were active in Scouts Canada where Jason was a longtime Leader. Another recreation Lueke relaxes with is a GPS-focused treasure hunt called geocaching.

“Geocaching fits right into our love of exploring new places and small towns,” Lueke says, noting they do it as a family, but he also partakes in the hobby solo and with friends. Listening to Lueke describe this activity, his description of being “an enthusiast” does not really seem to do it justice in terms of his excitement level when talking about it.

Lueke possesses a deep appreciation for the trenchless industry and the dedicated professionals within it, most notably with his Associated Engineering family. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of good people, especially my colleagues at Associated Engineering,” he says.

He acknowledges those industry pioneers who helped to build the foundation of the trenchless industry and, by extension, his career. The list is long, but Lueke is especially appreciative of Sam Ariaratnam, Terry Peters and the team at Associated Engineering, specifically Chris Skowronski and Herb Kuehne. However, he credits much of his professional success to the support of his wife.

“I could not do what I do without her,” he says. “When our oldest son was born, we made the decision together that she would stay home with our family. Her support gave me the flexibility to take on the travel and commitments that come with this career.”

Sharon M. Bueno is editor of Trenchless Technology.

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