The Public Works Leader of the Year award seeks to inspire excellence and dedication in public service by recognizing the outstanding career service achievements of individual public works professionals and officials, from both the public and private sectors. The primary focus of the award is on career service to the public works profession rather than on any one single event or project.
| 1992 | Harold Neely | Carthage |
| 1994 | Tom Hueglele | City of St. Louis |
| 1994 | John Piskulich | Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District |
| 1995 | Marvin Rothberg | Browning Ferris Industries |
| 1995 | John Stovall | Black and Veatch |
| 1995 | C. Dean Sanburn | Independent Pipe |
| 1995 | Jim Merkle | City of Ellisville |
| 1996 | Roger Shields | Municipal Management |
| 1996 | Marty Altmann | East-West Gateway Coordinating Council |
| 1997 | Dick Houchin | City of Bridgeton |
| 1999 | William Croker | Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District |
| 2002 | Linda Roe | Kuhlman Design Group |
| 2002 | Michael D. Zeltmann | St. Louis County |
| 2002 | Gary Scheipeter | City of Clayton |
| 2002 | Brian Peterson | City of Bridgeton |
| 2002 | Louis Louth | |
| 2012 | Dennis Bible | City of Ladue |
| 2014 | Dennis Knock | City of Des Peres |
| 2015 | Bob Ruck | City of Manchester |
| 2016 | David Nichols | City of Columbia |
| 2017 | Eric Landwehr | Cole County |
| 2018 | Jim Heines | City of Creve Coeur |
| 2019 | Tom Sanders | City of Moberly |
| 2020 | Jim Eckrich | City of Chesterfield |
| 2021 | John Kohler | City of St. Louis |