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The new Alcoa Service Center on Universal Street recently received the Tennessee Chapter of the American Public Works Association 2009 Project of the Year Award.

The awardwas presented at the groupSSRqs annual meeting Oct. 26 in Kingsport and will now be entered in competition for the national project of the year award.

Chris Soro, lead engineer on the project and owner and CEO of C2RL Inc. in Alcoa, was presented the 2009 Frank Kirk Meritorious Service Award by the association.

Karengaye Johnson of Architect's International was the project architect.

Alcoa Director of Public Works Kenny Wiggins presented awards to Soro and Johnson at the Alcoa City Commission meeting Tuesday night.

Also on hand were Melanie Doss of Doss Design Associates and Amy Taylor of Nashville Office Interiors, who worked on the service center design.

The Meritorious Service Award acknowledges the important role that APWA members in private enterprise and academic institutions play in providing public works facilities and services. This award is based on a pattern of professional activities that have resulted in the enhancement of the quality, efficiency, or cost-effectiveness of services provided by public agencies.

Soro has served a number of government agencies across the state of Tennessee with his primary focus being the East Tennessee area. He has been the lead engineer and project manager on a number of key projects for the City of Alcoa, City of Maryville, Blount County Industrial Development Board and the Tennessee Air National Guard.

Other recently completed and ongoing projects include Pellissippi Place Research and Development Park and a number of improvements at the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base.

Chris has been married to his wife, Anne, for 28 years. They are the parents of two daughters, Holley and Leah, and attend St John's Cathedral in Knoxville.