State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2024

The State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inducted nine individuals — including four Auburn University alumni — and one corporation during a ceremony Saturday at The Westin Huntsville.

Class of 2024 inductees from the university included Nicole Faulk, ’96 and ’99 mechanical engineering; Maj. Gen. James Livingston, ’62 civil engineering; and Charlie Miller, ’80 civil engineering. Tim McCartney, ’80 civil engineering, who was selected for the Class of 2023 but was unable to attend last year due to a scheduling conflict, was also inducted this year.

Class of 2024
Nicole Faulk earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1996 and her master’s degree in the same discipline in 1999. She currently serves as Alabama Power’s senior vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs where she is responsible for the company’s environmental strategy and compliance while overseeing sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives. She previously served as the company’s vice president of transmission construction and protection & controls where she oversaw the transmission line construction, substation construction and P&C field services teams, providing a dedicated focus on critical field activities to ensure safe and efficient implementation of large transmission projects. She began her career with Southern Company in 1998 as an engineer in Southern Nuclear’s professional development program and previously served as Georgia Power’s senior vice president of customer strategy and solutions, vice president of corporate services for Georgia Power and vice president of customer service and operations at Mississippi Power.

In recognition of her professional accomplishments, Faulk was named Auburn’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Alumna of the Year in 2018 and was named as a Distinguished Auburn Engineer in 2022. She currently serves as a director of the Auburn University Foundation Board, and formerly served as chair of the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council and chair of the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

Faulk is a member of the university’s Foy, 1856 and Petrie giving societies and the College of Engineering’s Ginn Society. She has established scholarships in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, including an Ever Auburn Scholarship for underserved students.

Maj. Gen. James Livingston earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University in 1962. Immediately commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Livingston used his engineering education and leadership skills to serve this country in the most tangible way possible — in battle. On May 2, 1968, while serving as the commanding officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, during his second tour of duty in Vietnam, he led 180 men in an attack against a much larger force entrenched in a highly fortified network of more than 100 bunkers, all of which were destroyed.

His rare, selfless display of courage and leadership during the Battle of Dai Do, which cost him several months in the hospital, resulted in him being awarded the Medal of Honor, presented to him by President Richard Nixon in 1970. Livingston is the only Auburn University graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Livingston retired on Sept. 1, 1995, and throughout his 33 years of active duty he received dozens of other medals and commendations — both military and civilian — including three Purple Hearts and a state of Georgia historical marker erected in his honor. In 2012, Auburn University honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his distinguished career and unwavering dedication to his alma mater.

Charlie Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn in 1980, and later completed the Wharton Executive Program on financial management at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he joined Brown & Root, a global engineering, construction and services company in Houston, where he served in project management positions and worked overseas in Venezuela.

In 1985, Miller went to work for Birmingham-based Harbert Corp. as a project engineer. In 1993, he joined Raymond Harbert as a founding partner of Harbert Management Corp., an investment management firm focusing solely on alternative assets — assets that are not traditional stocks and bonds.  At its peak, Harbert Management managed more than $25 billon for institutional investors across the globe. During his career at Harbert Management, Miller had several key roles including chief financial officer, executive vice president and head of global distribution, overseeing all fundraising, capital acquisition and investor relations operations. For his professional achievements, Miller was named as a Distinguished Auburn Engineer in 2015.

A dedicated alumnus of Auburn University, Miller previously served on the Auburn University Foundation board of directors as chair of the investment committee, the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council and is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association. He and his wife, Lisa, support Auburn’s 1856, Samford and Foy societies and engineering’s Eagles and Keystone societies. They have also generously established an endowment to support an outstanding faculty member with expertise in engineering and business practices.

Class of 2023
Tim McCartney earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn in 1980, and later earned a master’s in business administration from Emory University in 1993. Following graduation from Auburn, he embarked on his professional journey by immersing himself in his family's enterprises — McCartney Construction and Calhoun Asphalt Company. Initially assuming the role of plant manager at Calhoun Asphalt Company, McCartney honed his expertise in operations during the next seven years before transitioning to the financial realm. Serving as chief financial officer of the family business, he played a pivotal role in steering McCartney Construction to become one of the premiere asphalt pavement contractors and construction material producers in the state of Alabama. In a crowning achievement, McCartney Construction clinched the prestigious Sheldon Hayes Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association in 2017 for that year’s highest quality in asphalt paving in the country. Their exemplary work on the Anniston's Eastern Bypass project solidified their status as an industry leader.

His influence extended beyond corporate realms as he assumed pivotal roles in various industry associations. He served as president of the Alabama Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) in 1987 and the Alabama Roadbuilders Association (ARBA) in 2017. As president of AAPA, he championed transformative initiatives, revolutionizing the state's asphalt industry with an end-result specification program. His leadership reshaped industry standards, ensuring higher quality and efficiency in asphalt pavement projects. Transitioning to public service, he was appointed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in 2018 to serve as chair of the Alabama Workforce Council (AWC), a role in which he continues to serve. As an advocate for workforce enhancement, he directs efforts toward fostering technical skills, particularly among K-12 students, with a focus on engineering. Beyond his AWC duties, McCartney holds membership in numerous councils and boards at local and statewide levels, including the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees, Etowah Industrial Development Authority, the Gadsden Airport Authority, Alabama Office of Apprenticeship Advisory Board and the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University — the world’s premier center for asphalt research, development and training — that creates more than $125 million in economic impact to the state of Alabama each year.

His enduring commitment to education and community development is evident in his philanthropic endeavors. He and his wife, Laura, ’80 civil engineering, have established scholarships at Auburn University and Gadsden State Community College, aiming to empower aspiring engineers and technical professionals from underrepresented communities.

The State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame was chartered by the governor in 1987 to honor those individuals, corporations and projects associated with the state that have brought credit to the engineering profession. Approximately only 200 engineers, 50 projects and 35 firms have been recognized by the hall. These inductees span from border to border, across all industries, and personify the impact engineering has played on the economy, quality of life and standard of living for the people of Alabama. 

The Hall of Fame is overseen by engineering colleges and schools at Auburn University, Alabama A&M University, the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of South Alabama.