Elizabeth Schwartz Recognized with SAVE International Rising Star Award

JACKSONVILLE, FL—Benesch is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Schwartz, PE, PTOE, CVS, has received the 2026 Rising Star Award from SAVE International. The award recognizes members with five years or less of membership whose contributions go above and beyond the everyday application of Value Methodology (VM) to advance the practice and support the profession.

Elizabeth completed her Value Engineering Module I training early in her career at Benesch, but it wasn’t until she participated in her first workshop in 2020 that she discovered her passion for VM. Inspired by the creativity and collaboration of the process, she continued expanding her involvement by serving as a subject matter expert, assisting with facilitation on a Michigan Department of Transportation study and pursuing professional certification. She earned her Value Methodology Associate (VMA) certification and then went on to become a Certified Value Specialist (CVS) through SAVE International.

Since then, Elizabeth has helped advance Value Methodology both within Benesch and across the industry. Her contributions include supporting the development and reballoting of ASTM standards for value engineering, editing Muthiah Kasi’s book Function Analysis and Beyond, leading Benesch’s internal VM training program, assisting employees pursuing their VMA and CVS certifications, establishing the company’s VM User Group and helping lead quarterly VM leadership meetings.

“It’s an honor to be nominated for this award,” said Elizabeth. “I’m very excited to continue sharing VM with others and build on what we’ve already accomplished the VM field.”

Looking ahead, Elizabeth plans to continue advancing Value Methodology through her involvement with SAVE International while encouraging a greater focus on function analysis across the industry. Within Benesch, she hopes to use VM fundamentals to strengthen critical thinking and help teams continue to develop practical, value-driven solutions for clients.