Submitted Photo Ryan Ackerman holds his Water Wheel Award, presented Dec. 12 in Bismarck.

BISMARCK — Ryan Ackerman of Minot was honored with the Water Wheel Award at the 61st annual Joint North Dakota Water Convention and Irrigation Workshop Dec. 12 in Bismarck, according to the North Dakota Water Users Association.

The Water Wheel Award is a joint award given by the North Dakota Water Users Association and the North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association in recognition of distinctive leadership and perseverance for the protection, development and management of North Dakota’s water resources.

Ackerman is a founder and president/CEO of Ackerman-Estvold, a full-service architectural and civil engineering consulting firm serving clients throughout North Dakota, Montana and Idaho. His passion lies in water resources engineering, and in particular, flood control, the association news release stated.

Ackerman’s leadership for the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project has been vital to the region. Through his work as an engineer, spokesperson and administrator for the Souris River Joint Board, he has been instrumental in assisting the people of the Mouse River basin in their recovery from the devastating 2011 flood.

Ackerman is dedicated to his community and the state, serving as chairman of the Minot Area Chamber EDC board of directors as well as a board member for the Greater North Dakota Chamber. Ackerman and his wife, Jessica, also founded Aksal Group in 2017, a property redevelopment company specializing in revitalizing historic buildings in downtown Minot with a mission to provide space to support entrepreneurs and organizations looking to the future.

Also receiving the Water Wheel Award was Laura Ackerman of Mandan. She graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in geological engineering and has dedicated her 18-year career to the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, working on regulatory matters, hydrology and hydraulics studies, and Missouri and Mouse River issues. In her current position, she is primarily involved in international water management issues with the International Souris River Board.