The prestigious Francis Crowe Society at the University of Maine will recognize Mike Brakey, the founder of Brakey Energy, as a Distinguished Engineer.  This honor is granted to persons who have made major contributions to advancing the art, science or practice of engineering.

The award is named for a 1905 civil engineering graduate of the University of Maine, who was renowned for the construction of nineteen major dams in the western United States.  This made farming possible in the Great Basin, the California Central Valley, Central Arizona and the Imperial Valley.  Recent recipients of the award include John Glenn, former Senator and Astronaut, who was honored by the University in 2001 for his contributions to Aerospace Engineering and to the Manned Spaceflight program.

Mike Brakey is a 1975 graduate of the University of Maine, where he received a B.S. in engineering physics.  In 1988, he earned an E.M.B.A. at Baldwin-Wallace College.  He holds 8 worldwide patents for the design of more efficient heat exchangers for marine applications.  Mike held various engineering posts over a 22-year career at Johnson Rubber Company in Middlefield, Ohio. His accomplishments there included the implementation of manufacturing strategies that led to energy cost reductions and increased competitiveness.  He founded Brakey Energy in 1999, and continues to advise Ohio businesses on energy management.