John P. Ahlers, one of the founding members of the law firm of Ahlers & Cressman PLLC, was recently honored with a life membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). John has been a member of the ASCE since college (he was the Student Chapter President at WSU in 1975). John grew up in Moses Lake, Washington. His father, John G. Ahlers, was a professional engineer and also a life member of the ASCE, and had a significant influence on John’s career path.
John graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1975 and obtained a master’s degree from Stanford University in Construction and Engineering Management in 1976. He went to work for a Seattle-based contractor in Alaska, and was a project engineer and superintendent on a variety of civil and building projects. In 1980, John went back to law school and graduated from Gonzaga School of Law summa cum laude in 1982. Since then, he has been working as a lawyer in the Seattle area. His practice focuses on the resolution of construction disputes.
John is a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers, is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell, was named a Super Lawyer by Washington Law & Politics from 2001 to 2016, was a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Washington from 2012 to 2014, is a Client Choice Award Recipient for Construction for 2016, and has been a Top 100 Super Lawyer since 2008. He served on the Governor’s Capital Projects Advisory Review Board (CPARB) from 2007 to 2015. John is also a frequent author of amicus curiae briefs and often testifies concerning legislation pertaining to the construction industry.