Board engineering committee clears applicant with 2016 manslaughter conviction to sit for PE exam

The Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners’ engineering committee agreed Dec. 4, 2025, to allow applicant Michael Poe to sit for the professional engineering examination after reviewing a "fresh start" application and supporting documents.

Executive director Glenn presented Poe’s materials and said the applicant received an engineering degree from the University of Kentucky in 2024 and seeks permission to take the exam. Staff told the committee Poe’s 2016 conviction in Kentucky for second‑degree manslaughter was raised in board review but that board‑level reviewers found no nexus between the offense and engineering practice.

"This is just saying that, hey. You meet the requirements to test," Glenn said during the discussion, explaining the board’s preliminary role is to determine whether an applicant should be permitted to take the exam ahead of a full licensure review.

Committee members discussed character references and whether Poe was currently practicing engineering; staff said references are collected at the licensure-application stage and that Poe is not known to be employed as an engineer. Members described the underlying incident as a traffic accident and concluded it did not, on its face, indicate a risk to professional practice.

No formal, recorded vote was required; staff said two board signatures are needed on the application to test and that staff will proceed with processing the application. The engineering committee’s report and supporting materials were placed on the record for the full board.