(OMAHA, Neb. - November 4, 2005) - Mary Peters has joined HDR as national director for transportation policy and consulting. She will be based in HDR's Phoenix office.
Peters will be responsible for building a management consulting practice and formulating public policy initiatives for the firm's transportation program.
Prior to joining HDR, Peters was Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. As administrator, she led efforts to improve safety and security, reduce congestion, and enhance mobility on America's roads and bridges.
Before her appointment to FHWA in 2001, Peters was the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). She provided leadership to more than 4,800 employees in administering the state's transportation program. Peters joined ADOT in 1985, working her way up through the ranks to serve as contract administrator, deputy director for administration, and deputy director before Gov. Jane Hull appointed her director in 1998.
In September, Peters received the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s highest honor, the ARTBA Award. She was recognized for her exemplary career in public service as a long-time champion for improving transportation program efficiency at the federal and state levels, and for measures aimed at improving roadway work zone safety. She was a key proponent of the Federal surface transportation reauthorization bill known as SAFETEA-LU, especially the provisions that will help streamline the environmental review and approval process for transportation projects. She also has been a strong advocate for using public-private partnerships to help finance and deliver transportation capital improvements.
Peters has had extensive involvement in transportation activities at the national level. She served on the board of directors for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, chaired the Standing Committee on Planning and the Asset Management Task Force for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and served as a member of the AASHTO 2001 Reauthorization Steering Committee.
In addition to her work on the national level, Peters has been active in Arizona, serving on the board of directors for the Arizona Quality Alliance, Women Executives in State Government, and Project Challenge, an arm of the National Guard that helps troubled teens become productive citizens. She chaired the Highway Expansion Loan Program Advisory Board and was a member of the Greater Arizona Development Authority as well as the Governor’s Diversity Advisory Council.
HDR is an architectural, engineering, and consulting firm that excels at complex projects and solving challenges for clients. More than 4,400 employee-owners, including architects, engineers, consultants, scientists, planners and construction managers, in over 100 locations worldwide, pool their strengths to provide solutions beyond the scope of tradition A/E/C firms. HDR is No. 19 in the Engineering-News Record Top 500 Design Firms rankings for 2005 and No. 10 in transportation.