GRAEF is proud to share that two of our team members were selected as 2025 Newsmaker of the Year Honorees by The Daily Reporter! Paul Andersen was named Innovator of the Year, and Kyle Poklar was recognized as a Rising Young Professional. This well-deserved recognition highlights their leadership, creativity, and impact in the AEC industry.

The Newsmakers of the Year awards honor individuals and companies that have made headlines throughout the year and excelled in their field. Paul and Kyle exemplify the spirit of these awards through their commitment to innovation, excellence, and the future of engineering.

Paul Andersen – Innovator of the Year

Paul’s recognition stems from his transformative work in solving one of the AEC industry’s biggest challenges: software interoperability. Rather than accept inefficiencies caused by incompatible platforms, Paul and his team taught themselves programming and developed custom tools that seamlessly link structural analysis, BIM modeling, construction documentation, and fabrication workflows. These innovations have led to up to 30% time savings on key project components and are now being scaled across departments.

Paul’s leadership is rooted in inclusive innovation and continuous learning. He empowers team members of all experience levels to contribute ideas and has cultivated a firmwide mindset where creativity and process improvement are actively pursued. His work is not just improving workflows, it’s redefining how innovation happens in a modern engineering firm.

Kyle Poklar – Rising Young Professional

Kyle began his journey at GRAEF as an intern and has quickly risen to become one of the youngest Structural Group Leaders in firm history. With over a decade of experience, Kyle leads a high-performing team, drives technical excellence, and contributes to firmwide initiatives that improve tools, resources, and knowledge sharing.

His leadership has been instrumental in projects like Marquette University’s The Commons Residence Hall and Komatsu’s South Harbor Campus, where he delivered innovative structural solutions to complex challenges. Kyle’s influence extends beyond project work: he’s modernized internal systems, mentored emerging professionals, and represented GRAEF at national industry events.

Kyle’s recent graduation from Forward48, Milwaukee’s premier leadership development program, and his feature in Milwaukee BizTimes’ “Getting There” column further highlight his growing impact in the region.

At GRAEF, we strive to create an environment where employees can be bold, innovative, and reach their full potential. Paul and Kyle’s achievements are a testament to that culture, one where curiosity is encouraged, leadership is nurtured, and innovation is embedded into everything we do.

The 2025 Daily Reporter Newsmakers of the Year award winners will be celebrated at the awards event that will take place on Wednesday, October 8th, 2025, at Potawatomi Hotel.