Press Coverage

august 2019 csengineermag.com 11 expect less. So, we are looking to solve our transportation problems locally and at the state level. The challenge with that, of course, is the Interstate system was set up as a network, and without a larger look this will be done piecemeal. There will be funding at those levels long before we see it at the federal level. Even with a new authorization, we still have to have the money, and new revenue will need to be ad- dressed. C+S: What are a few things you'd like achieve in the next five to 10 years? MD: One priority is to continue a leadership role in good policy devel- opment and to support our clients with our knowledge and experience. We can learn from other industries where Burns & McDonnell plays a leadership role, such as energy and electric transmission and distribu- tion. The public or network utility model is not perfect, but it does provide a level of equity for users, or customers, of transportation to pay for what they use. This is similar to the utility model we use for en- ergy, water, telecommunications, etc., where we pay monthly for what we use, along with some level of fixed payment for being connected to the network. C+S: You assumed your current role after the retirement of Ben Biller. What did you learn from him, and what's the importance of having a management succession plan? MD: Ben continued in a very active leadership role until he left in early July. We have a lot of momentum right now, both as a firm and as a division, and Ben is stepping away with everything in a good spot. There are a lot of things I've learned from Ben, but maybe the most important is to always be consistent in client service. Ask clients what is important. Survey them regularly and make adjustments to bring more value. Ben also has a strong operations capability and taught me a lot about the importance of discipline in project management and expectations for meeting budgets and schedules. C+S: Since being at Burns & McDonnell, what's the most challenging project you've ever managed and why? What was the lesson learned? MD: We have many great projects in the portfolio. The ones that stand out are often those with many stakeholders, which means there are dif- ferent interests that have to be addressed. The projects with the greatest challenges also carry the greatest opportunities. One that stands out is the planning and environmental linkages study, or PEL study, in downtown Kansas City. It brought those opportunities because of its regional impact, involving multiple cities, two states, and many stake- holders. It is a model in which we learned many key lessons about never overlooking any detail when it comes to communications with multiple stakeholders. It is hard to narrow any particular big milestone project at Burns & Mc- Donnell. There are several big projects that we have been privileged to be a part of. We made a decision several years ago to get into EPC (engineer-procure-construct) and design-build in an intentional and larger way. Now, three years into that strategy, we are really beginning to see the fruits of that labor with project wins and significantly better value for our transportation clients as we take on the entire project under one contract for one owner. A nice hometown project again is the PEL study, which we called Be- yond the Loop, where we did a first-of-its-kind look at the I-70 Loop through downtown Kansas City. It surfaced a wide spectrum of alterna- tives, from keeping the status quo to completely closing the interstate in downtown and pushing traffic to parallel interstates and repurposing that area for development in the future. This is truly a long-term hori- zon, looking at years 2030 and 2040 as scenarios. What is interesting is that for the first time in a study I've been involved with, we looked at autonomous vehicles, EVs and connected vehicles because we believe those will be quite prevalent then. C+S: Kansas City is a great American city. You're part of the Big 5 transportation initiative with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Tell us about giving back to the community where you live. MD: As co-champion of the Big 5 transportation initiative, I am hon- ored to be in a role that can make a difference. This is an effort with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to develop future trans- portation strategies for the region. It was established in 2011 under our former chairman and CEO, Greg Graves, while he served as chairman of the chamber. The goal of the Big 5 is to focus on critical areas of need in our community – from education to transportation – that can help make Kansas City one of America's best places to work, live, start a business and grow a business. Mike DeBacker

• Cover