John Lengel Honored with the Airports Council J. Bryan Cooper Vision Award

John Lengel Jr., PE, ENV SP, Vice President and National Discipline Leader of RS&H’s Environmental Stewardship and Resilience Service Group, has received the 2026 J. Bryan Cooper Vision Award at the Florida Airports Council (FAC) Annual Conference & Exposition in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, this week. This award honors individuals who demonstrate vision, leadership, and enduring influence in industry. Lengel is recognized for his nearly four decades of aviation environmental stewardship and his lasting impact on how airports across Florida and the nation plan for a sustainable, resilient future.

National Operational Leader and Executive Vice President, Rodney Bishop, PE, commented, “We are extremely proud of John and the meaningful impact he has made in Florida aviation and at RS&H. He is helping pave the way for environmental, sustainability and resilience professionals to drive innovation and shape the future of air travel.”

Lengel has advised over 60 airports, from general aviation fields to large hubs. His expertise covers the full range of aviation environmental issues, including water quality assessment, stormwater and deicing management, sustainability and climate adaptation and resilience planning. He has been an especially trusted advisor on emerging contaminant challenges associated with aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), guiding airports through assessments, regulatory coordination, and transitions to fluorine-free foams.

“This is a little surreal to me, and I am very honored,” said Lengel. “Thinking back over the years, my actions weren’t intended to make me stand out or have me labeled as a thought leader. They were driven by a passion to help clients find solutions for sometimes very daunting challenges, and to share knowledge to help demonstrate that airports are great community members and care about their environment. I never did any of this alone. I have worked with creative and innovative clients and team members since day one, and this recognition goes to them as well.”

His Florida projects reflect the award’s focus on protecting the environment while supporting airport growth. Lengel recently worked with the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and Tampa International Airport to achieve Envision verification for its $1 billion master plan and develop a climate resilience action plan evaluating more than 1,000 vulnerability scenarios. At Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field, he helped Lee County Port Authority improve stormwater management, spill prevention planning and AFFF transition. Across the coast, Lengel oversaw an airfield resilience assessment at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that prioritized flood vulnerabilities across 31 key airside assets. Over the years, he’s also worked on projects at Jacksonville International, Cecil Field, and Daytona Beach International.

Beyond project work, Lengel has helped shape the industry’s direction through service to FAC, leading webinars and contributing to the development of the first FAC General Aviation Environmental Resource Guidebook, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Airports Council International (ACI), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He served as Vice Chair of the AAAE Environmental Committee, Co-chair of ACI-NA Water Quality Working Group, led ACI’s World Environment Standing Committee Task Force on Climate Adaptation, and contributed to international guidance through ICAO working groups and the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP).

“John has spent his career turning complex environmental challenges into practical solutions that help airports thrive,” said Ben Moore, AICP, ENV SP, LEED AP, Associate Vice President of Environmental Stewardship and Resilience at RS&H. “He is a trusted advisor, a generous mentor, and a true visionary. This recognition reflects the difference he has made for airports across Florida and beyond.”