Pleasant received a Distinguished Alumni Award alongside two of his fellow College of Engineering alumni and 10 other NC State University graduates. This award was presented during the annual Evening of Stars gala, which takes places during the university's Red and White Week. The gala "honors the alumni whose successes increase the value of an NC State degree and add to the university’s growing legacy of excellence, impact and service." Pleasant was nominated by the College of Engineering’s department faculty and staff.

Pleasant was inducted alongside four other department graduates to the CCEE hall of fame, which was established to “inspire current students and alumni, and to celebrate the accomplishments of those extraordinary graduates who have used their education to excel in a profession, career or service.”

Pleasant earned his master’s (1973) and bachelor’s (1972) degrees in civil engineering from NC State University and has dedicated nearly 50 years to the engineering profession. He spent more than four decades with Dewberry, where he most recently served as chief operating officer and currently fills the role of senior consultant. Pleasant is a member of the board of directors of the Future of the Piedmont, an organization focused on economic development in the southern Virginia region; board of directors of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce; board of directors for a publicly traded regional community bank — American National Bank and Trust Company — headquartered in Danville; and a former board member and chair of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. He also served on the CCEE department industry advisory board for 10 years.