Herbert M. Raybourn, P.E., F.ASCE, manager of the Environmental Permitting Department at the Walt Disney World Resort, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Throughout his 30 years of professional experience, Raybourn has strived to develop solutions focused on the needs of the end user and those responsible for operating and maintaining the built solution. His early career was focused on groundwater/surface water interaction, stormwater management, and utilities. As Raybourn’s experiences grew he became a project manager and managed large civil engineering programs including the design-build of the Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club in Celebration, Florida, and the development and management of the Reedy Creek Improvement District Quality-Based Road Program.
At Walt Disney World, Raybourn is responsible for the preparation, acquisition, and management of the environmental permits required for new developments within the Resort, as well as its sustained operation. Some notable projects for which Raybourn and his team have provided technical guidance and acquired environmental permits are Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Pandora–The World of Avatar, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Toy Story Land.
Raybourn’s current contributions to ASCE include serving as a program evaluator, program evaluator mentor, and member of the Civil Engineering Program Criteria Task Committee. He served as an ASCE Commissioner on the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET from 2014 to 2019 and continues to volunteer as an ABET Accreditation Team Chair. These roles allow Raybourn to focus on his passion of improving civil engineering education and the formation of quality graduates to support and advance our industry.
In addition to being active in ASCE, he is an active member of the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). Raybourn’s service in these two organizations has included holding various Central Florida Branch leadership roles, committee service in the Florida Chapter, and committee membership at the society level for APWA, and serving on the Central Florida Steering Committee of DBIA.
