Press Coverage

12 csengineermag.com august 2019 It's been enjoyable to work with my co-champion and the KC Chamber leadership to engage the business community in transportation because we need it and use it every day. One primary initiative is workforce ac- cess – connecting people in the central city to job corridors across the metro area. We have some pilot projects under consideration, including looking at how the region can better support transportation investment. We have a strong recent history of supporting transportation ballots for transportation safety, such as education and advocacy on eliminat- ing distracted driving. The community also strongly supports bike and pedestrian corridors and scooter safety. We are working with our delegation of elected leaders and the business community to advocate in those areas. I have had other leadership roles in the industry, including serving as chairman of the American Council of Engineering Companies for Missouri, participating in the leadership academy of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association and serving in several roles with chambers of commerce and nonprofit organizations. At Burns & McDonnell, we believe we have an obligation to give back to the communities where we live and work. This goes far beyond serving on committees and boards. It involves corporate and personal giving and volunteer efforts for dozens of organizations across North America. C+S: Before joining Burns & McDonnell, you were at HNTB for over 16 years. It was your first job out of college. How did your career there prepare you for Burns & McDonnell? MD: HNTB is a great firm, and I learned a lot during my time there. I gained a good technical background as a young engineer and op- portunities for project management on various projects emerged pretty quickly. Young engineers right out of school need to work to build a solid technical knowledge, and I was able to do that there. I was also able to work in several areas of the country, which broadened my perspective in transportation. Along the way, you decide if you want to continue on a technical track or management. I decided on management, then got my MBA, and it was really a timely degree with what I was doing at HNTB. C+S: You were recently named general manager of the Transportation Group at Burns & McDonnell. You have been with the firm for nearly 12 years, which means this was a classic example of being promoted from within. What kinds of opportunities exist at a firm like Burns & McDonnell, which is known as a great place to work? MD: There are truly boundless opportunities at Burns & McDonnell. Our employee ownership culture is real and drives us in many ways. It's the special sauce that motivates us to make our clients success- ful. We are entrepreneurial, diverse and can do planning, design and construction. That's unique in our industry. It's a special place, and we know it and protect it. At the industry level, our diversity of business helps us see things across industries. For example, our Transmission & Distribution Group is working on projects that involve building out the electric distribution system in preparation for the wave of EVs that will soon be part of the transportation fleet. Our T&D professionals are working closely with utility clients on battery storage and other trends that have implications for surface transportation. So, we find ourselves working across our entire business to bring owners a lot more value. At Burns & McDonnell, we are 10-dimensional, not just two-dimensional or three-dimensional. C+S: Personal: spouse, children, hobbies, travel, pets, food, books, music, etc. MD: I enjoy spending my free time with family – my wife, Darla, and four children: Amy, Josh, Ellie, and Matthew. We enjoy going to games, hiking, skiing, fishing and being on or around the water together. I also spend a lot time on baseball fields and basketball and volleyball courts with the kids' sports. RICHARD MASSEY is managing editor of Zweig Group publications. He can be reached at rmassey@zweiggroup.com.

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