Jean Venables facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Professor
Jean Venables
CBE, BSc (Eng), MSc, DSc, FREng CEng, CEnv, FICE, FCGI, MCIWEM
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| Born | 1948 (age 76–77) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London |
| Known for | First female president of the Institution of Civil Engineers Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund Council Member RNLI Chair of ICE Professional Conduct Panel |
| Spouse(s) | Roger Venables |
| Awards | Garth Watson Medal FREng |
Jean Venables (born in June 1948) is a British civil engineer. She made history in November 2008. She became the 144th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. She was the first woman ever to hold this important position.
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Her Amazing Career
Jean Venables has worked on many big projects. These projects help manage flood risks. This means she helps protect places from flooding.
Protecting Against Floods
For nine years, she was the chairman of the Thames Regional Flood Defence Committee. This committee works to prevent floods in the Thames area.
From 2003 to 2010, Jean Venables led the Thames Estuary Partnership. This group is a charity in Britain. It helps manage the Thames Estuary, which is where the River Thames meets the sea.
She also served as the chief executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA). She held this role from January 2006 to March 2015. At ADA, she represented groups that manage water levels. These groups also work on flood protection.
Other Important Roles
Jean Venables helped create CEEQUAL. This is a system that helps make civil engineering projects more sustainable.
From 2014 to 2016, she was the chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. This fund helps manage the costs of cleaning up nuclear sites.
Awards and Recognition
Jean Venables has received several special awards. These awards recognize her important work.
Royal Honours
She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010. This is a high honour from the British monarch.
Before that, she received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004. This was for her work as chairman of the Thames Region Flood Defence Committee.
Even earlier, in 1997, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for her services to civil engineering.
Academic Achievements
Several universities have given her special degrees. These are called honorary doctorates. They include the University of Nottingham, The University of Kent, Kingston University, and Abertay University.
She is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This means she is recognized as a top engineer. She is a visiting professor at the University of Southampton and at Imperial College London. She studied at Imperial College London herself. She was also a visiting professor at Strathclyde University.
Engineering Medals
In 2001, she received the Garth Watson Medal. This award was for her great service to the Institution of Civil Engineers.
In 2011, the Institution of Civil Engineers created a new award. It is called the Jean Venables Medal. This medal is given to the best candidate in their Technician Professional Review.
Personal Life
Jean Venables is married to Roger Venables. They run a company together called "Venables Consultancy." Roger Venables is also a visiting professor. He teaches about engineering for sustainable development at Queen's University, Belfast.
