Academy of Distinguished Alumni
Jim Levine M.S., P.E.
Inducted to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni on
Jim Levine received his B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978, followed by an M.S. in Hydraulic and Sanitary Engineering in 1979. With over 40 years of experience in the Bay Area water management industry, Mr. Levine has become a prominent leader in environmental restoration and remediation. In 1982, he co-founded the Levine-Fricke group of companies, which completed over 2,500 environmental remediation projects across California. He later founded the Montezuma Wetlands Project, which pioneered dredged sediment to accelerate tidal wetland restoration, successfully restoring over 700 acres of wetland habitat.
Mr. Levine is widely recognized for his innovative contributions to environmental restoration, including his work on the Montezuma Wetlands restoration and his involvement with Encapco Technologies in developing response systems for "dirty bomb" threats. He has served in numerous leadership roles, including as a Trustee for the Oakland Children’s Hospital, a member of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a board member of the Bay Planning Coalition, and a member of the Bay Area Council Executive Committee. For over 15 years, he has co-chaired the Bay Area Council’s Water and Climate Resilience Committee, championing initiatives to address critical environmental challenges.
A dedicated philanthropist, Mr. Levine has been a staunch supporter of UC Berkeley. He established a College of Engineering Endowment Fund to assist students from nontraditional backgrounds, funded after-school programs for at-risk youth in the East Bay, and contributed to facility improvements such as UC Berkeley’s water chemistry lab and the women’s softball field.
Mr. Levine remains deeply engaged with Berkeley CEE through his contributions to the UC Berkeley College of Engineering Advisory Board and department initiatives and his ongoing work with the Bay Area Council.