Leo Yates' Obituary
Carl Yates, age 88, of Fayetteville passed away Sunday April 1, 2018.
Carl is survived by his wife of 67 years, Doris Ann Broyles Yates; a daughter, Sandy Yates Rainey of Fayetteville; a son, Dr. Carl Douglas Yates of Columbia, South Carolina; a sister, Lena Mae Tripplett of Prairie Grove; a brother, Curtis Yates of Fayetteville; five grandchildren, Holly Yates Stewart, Clark Yates, Walker Rainey, Tyler Rainey, Cole Rainey and one great-grandchild, Liza Yates.
Visitation will be 1:00 pm-2:00 pm, Thursday, April 5, 2018 at Mount Comfort Church of Christ in Fayetteville followed by a funeral service at 2:00. Burial will be at Farmington Cemetery, under the direction of Moore’s Chapel.
Born in 1930 in Roe, Arkansas, L. Carl Yates was just three years old when his family moved to Northwest Arkansas. After graduating from Elkins High School in 1948, Carl was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951 whereupon he completed officer training and served as a 2nd lieutenant during the Korean War. After his discharge in 1953, he remained active for many years in the Army Reserve with the rank of captain and attended the University of Arkansas.
As an undergraduate he joined the Fayetteville engineering firm L.M. McGoodwin in 1956 and, upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1958, he joined the firm on a full-time basis. In 1966, the firm was incorporated as McGoodwin, Williams & Yates Consulting Engineers (MWY), and Carl was named as the company’s president. From 2005 through 2018 he continued his leadership of the company as its chairman of the board and chief executive officer.
Carl’s leadership was a catalyst for MWY being a pioneer in the state for unique technologies such as being the first to use Ozone as a disinfectant in 1993 with the construction of the Clarksville Water Treatment Plant.
Among his most notable accomplishments in Arkansas was serving as a key engineer in development of both the Beaver Water District (BWD) and Carroll-Boone Water District (CBWD). The two water districts provide water to nearly 370,000 customers throughout Northwest Arkansas.
His passion for stewardship of the environment lead to working tirelessly for many years on the ACEC/EPA Region 6 Liaison Committee to advise the Environmental Protection Agency on policy development. One of his most far-reaching accomplishments dates back to the 1970s at a time the EPA was not funding wastewater projects. Carl’s willingness to challenge discrepancies in the EPA’s funding approach led to a more defined application method and the release of funding throughout the region. Carl also served on the Arkansas Policy Advisory Committee for Water Quality Management and Planning, for which, as chairman of the Standards Sub-Committee, he helped develop initial water quality management plans for Arkansas; and in 1981, on behalf of ACEC, he testified before the Water Resources Subcommittee of the U.S. House Public Works and Transportation Committee concerning revision to the nation’s Clean Water Act.
Additionally, Carl devoted significant energy to the American Consulting Engineers Council for which he has served as state president and two terms as a national director; and he served as a long-term member of the International Ozone Association, including several years as a member of the board of directors.
His work and his firm was known for always doing everything possible to champion water quality, “I think our clients value honesty above all else, and my goal, the company’s goal, has always been to provide calm, assured guidance and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done right for them and the environment.”
Carl’s 62-year career was highlighted with numerous project awards and peer recognition, including the following:
• Alumni Distinguished Career Award, University of Arkansas College of Engineering, 2017
• Glen T. Kellogg Water & Wastewater Hall of Fame, 2015
• Lifetime Achievement Award for his demonstrative service and integrity to the engineering profession from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas, 2012
• Two-time selection in “Who’s Who in Engineering” by the American Association of Engineering Societies, 2008 & 1997
• Distinguished Service Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas, 2008
• Inducted into the Arkansas Construction Hall of Fame, 2004
• Engineer of the Year, Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers, 1998
• He was the first Arkansan named to American Consulting Engineers Council College of Fellows, an elite group of only about 200 members nationwide, 1985
• He was one of 19 charter members inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering in recognition of outstanding contributions to the civil engineering profession, 1981
• Engineer of the Year, Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers Northwest Arkansas Chapter, 1980
• Engineer of the Year by the Arkansas Associated General Contractors, 1979
• Life Member of both the American Society of Professional Engineers and the American Water Works Association
• Honorary Lifetime Member of the Arkansas Chapter of Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Society, University of Arkansas
He was a member of the Rotary Club of Fayetteville and Mount Comfort Church of Christ.
Although we are saying farewell to Carl, his legacy and life’s work will benefit generations to come.
Memorials may be made to Children’s Home Inc. 5515 Old Walcott Road, Paragould, Arkansas 72450
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