Joyce Watson, CPSM of Cleary Zimmermann Named 2025 SMPS Leonardo Award Winner
On May 22, 2025, SMPS Members celebrated the Annual Evening of Excellence at The Witte Museum and proudly awarded Joyce Watson, CPSM, Principal of Marketing at Cleary Zimmermann, with the 2025 SMPS Leonardo Award. This prestigious award was inspired by the Renaissance inventor, writer, painter, and sculptor, Leonardo da Vinci. The award recognizes individuals who epitomize innovation, creativity, and acumen, as it relates to the built environment. As a recipient of the SMPS Leonardo Award, Watson joins a distinguished group of professionals who are unparalleled in their respective fields.
Joyce Watson, CPSM is an award-winning marketing leader known for transforming how the A/E/C industry thinks about connection, growth, and leadership. She currently serves as Principal of Marketing at Cleary Zimmermann Engineers - the largest MEP engineering firm in South Texas - a distinction the firm achieved during Watson’s tenure leading the marketing department. She oversees firm-wide marketing strategy, brand management, corporate communications, and promotional initiatives.
Since joining the firm in 2014, she has played a key role in its statewide expansion and dramatic revenue growth. Promoted to Director of Marketing in 2019 and named the firm’s first non-technical and first female principal in 2023, she has helped elevate marketing from a support function to a central driver of business strategy, culture, and innovation.
Joyce is also a passionate advocate for education and service. She serves as Assistant Secretary of the San Antonio Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation, sits on the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas Audit Committee, and chairs the Community Relations Committee for the Real Estate Council of San Antonio, where she previously led its inaugural Community Project.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern California, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and she is also a Certified Professional Services Marketer.
SMPS San Antonio seeks Leonardo Award nominations every year and asks nominees to prepare packages consisting of a nomination letter, résumé, and experience to be reviewed and voted on by a committee made up of representatives of past SMPS San Antonio Leonardo Award recipients.
Watch Cleary Zimmermann’s video of Joyce’s award recognition here!
Nominees should meet the following criteria:
- Minimum ten years of marketing and/or business development experience, including five years specific to the A/E/C industry.
- Applicant must be a past or current member of SMPS or work in a firm that supports SMPS with a current member.
- Will have made a great impact on their respective organizations and the profession.
Visit SMPS San Antonio’s website to learn more about the submission process.
Past Recipients
2024 Steve Lyons, Skanska
2023 Erin Salinas, Colliers Engineering & Design
2022 Chris Carruth, Metropolitan Contracting
2019 Maryanne Guido, Guido Construction
Angela Cardwell, Joeris General Contractors
2018 Katherine McGuyre, Facility Programming and Consulting
2017 Louis Rowe, Jacobs
2016 Sally Smith, Marmon Mok
2014 Eva Ramirez, RVK
2013 Nancy Parker, Pape-Dawson Engineers
Melodye Tomsu, Joeris General Contractors
2012 Maggie Seay, Emerald Fox Marketing
2011 Rebecca Mansfield, Cadence McShane Construction Co.
2009 Joe Irizarry, Raba Kistner
2008 Kirk Kistner, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
by Alexandria Ballew, M.A., San Antonio Chapter of Associated General Contractors
