Charlie Townsend - NSPE New Professional of the Year

NSPE New Professional of the Year Award

Charles “Charlie” Townsend, PE, epitomizes the role of a dedicated civil engineer who actively contributes to community well-being.

Through his current role as the Land Development Team Leader for VHB in Raleigh, Charlie spearheads projects that shape the landscape of commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, providing innovative site/civil design and permitting assistance. Beyond his professional duties, Charlie engages in community service, serving on advisory boards and volunteering his time to enhance public spaces and educational opportunities.

Passionate about serving his community, Townsend has been active in several organizations since 2015 when he was appointed by City Council to serve on the City of Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board. A few years later, Townsend became the North Carolina Regional Coordinator for the Future City Competition, after serving as Director of Finance from 2017-2021 and as volunteer from 2015-2017. He assisted in securing a $200K State of North Carolina Budget Appropriation for the 2021-2023 Biennium for the Future City Competition. Townsend helped lead securing further funding from the State of the North Carolina, obtaining $200K in recurring funds from the General Legislature to support the expansion of the program throughout the State.

Townsend is a member of the PENC Triangle Chapter and serves on the chapter board as Community Leadership Chair. In June of 2022, he was elected to the PENC Educational Foundation board and currently serves as secretary. Additionally, Townsend serves on PENC’s University Speaker Series committee, which coordinates presentations to Colleges and Universities on PE licensure. He also serves on the Raleigh Seminar planning committee and was a presenter at the 2022 PENC Summer Conference. In 2023, Townsend received the 2023 Young Engineer of the Year Award from PENC’s Triangle Chapter, as well as the NSPE-NC Young Engineer of the Year Award and President’s Award at the summer conference.

Charlie earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University in 2015, and an MBA in business finance from North Carolina State University in 2021. While at NCSU, Townsend was active in the Theta Chi Fraternity, serving as Chaplain in 2011 and President from 2012-2014. Townsend is a licensed professional engineer in the state of North Carolina.

He is also an active volunteer through his alma mater, NC State, with the College of Engineering Young Alumni Advisory Board, where he serves on the College Relations Subcommittee.