John Bakota, long time resident of Manchester, received the 2007 Special Achievement Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for Aqua Condominiums, Long Beach, Long Island, NY.  AISC is the governing body of steel design and construction in the USA. Bakota is a civil engineer and the co-manager of ONMJ Consulting Engineers in West Palm Beach, Florida. ONMJ has offices in Philadelphia, Pa., Miami, Pensacola and Orlando, Florida. 

Bakota is the father of Matthew Bakota, corporate attorney in Cincinnati, and Elizabeth (Bakota) Pratt, pulic relations and marketing director for the Cocopah Indian Reservation, Resort and Casino of Arizona. Elizabeth is married to Ryan Pratt of Green. Both children are graduates of Manchester High School.