ARTBA honored top women & firms in transportation construction. Award winners include Susan Shaw of ATCS, Sarah Tacker of Flatiron Construction, Sain Associates, and Superior Construction. Academia accolades went to Judy Perkins of Prairie View Texas A&M and Mansoureh Jeihani of Morgan State. Future leader Aimee Resnick of Northwestern University was also recognized.
Four transportation construction professionals, a student at Northwestern University and two companies with innovative programs designed to elevate and empower female employees were all honored with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Foundation's Women Leaders in Transportation Design & Construction Awards.
The winners were announced Sept. 23 during the association's national convention in Amelia Island, Fla.
Ethel S. Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award
Named after an ARTBA executive from the mid-1920s, this award is given to individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership, long-term service in the industry's public or private sectors, and dedication to the advancement of innovation and other women leaders.
- Susan Shaw, vice president of major program development and delivery, ATCS — Shaw's 37-year career in transportation engineering is marked by significant achievements in both the public and private sectors. As vice president of major program development and delivery at Virginia-based ATCS, she supports clients navigating the complex environment of public-private partnership (P3) projects. During her tenure at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Shaw pioneered the agency's first design-build practice and later led the Megaprojects group delivering transformative projects like the $3.7 billion Transform 66 initiative. Susan's influence extends beyond project delivery to industry organizations where her expertise is sought after for panel discussions and policy making, including the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center for Excellence and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Policy Committee. Her career is a testament to the impact of visionary leadership and the importance of fostering innovation within the field.
- Sarah Tacker, vice president and district manager, Flatiron Construction — Tacker oversees operations in Northern California for Flatiron construction — one of the largest heavy contractors in the United States and Canada. Joining Flatiron in 1998 as an intern, she spent 25 years working her way up the ranks and lending her expertise to iconic projects like San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge Skyway and Presidio Parkway, and the John Audubon cable-stayed bridge in Louisiana. Tacker gives her time to numerous groups both inside and outside the company. She is lead advisor of the Women's Employee Resource Group at Flatiron and serves on the board of the Construction Industry Force Account Council and Caltrans Contracting Partnering Steering Committee. Tacker also worked with The Beavers, a heavy engineering construction association, to establish the Women in Heavy Civil Committee, which creates scholarship and networking opportunities.
The Glass Hammer Award
This award honors companies in the transportation construction industry that have innovative programs and activities directed at successfully promoting women leaders within their organization.
- Sain Associates — Birmingham-based Sain Associates is dedicated to fostering a supportive work environment for women. Their leadership team includes three female shareholders, with two of five senior principals being women. The firm offers in-house leadership development programs focused on strategic thinking, people management, and executive presence. Sain encourages female employees to pursue leadership roles in industry organizations like the National Association of Women in Construction and hosts an annual "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day," engaging over 200 middle school girls in STEM activities.
- Superior Construction — In 2022, fourth-generation, family-owned Superior Construction, with operations throughout the mid-west and southeast, launched the Superior Women in Construction (SWiC) initiative which offers employees targeted coaching, mentorship, and career development. The program has successfully promoted participants and fostered an inclusive culture throughout the firm. SWiC members engage with the community through volunteer events, promoting women in construction outside the company's doors and creating a pipeline of future talent in the industry. Superior's commitment to advancing female talent and driving innovation in the industry underscores their leadership and dedication to diversity.
Excellence in Academia Award
This award is given annually to at least one woman in academia or a research institution who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, mentorship, and significant educational and/or research contributions in the transportation industry.
- Judy Perkins, Ph.D., PE, Professor, Prairie View Texas A&M University System and Google Endowed Professor — Perkins has a long history of service to academia and the country. During her more than three decades as a U.S. Army transportation officer, she managed billions in fixed assets and facilities before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. As a professor, Perkins' impressive body of research focuses on subjects such as asset management, hurricane evacuation and how the nation's transportation network can better meet the needs of underserved populations. She is the first African American and first female to serve as the department head for PVAMU's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and secured numerous grant awards, including the largest competitive grant in school history ($40 million) to establish it as the first Historic Black College or University (HBCU) to lead a national-tier University Transportation Center (UTC). She has been active in programs that expose students in rural, public schools to STEM fields and was instrumental in developing the Mid-America Transportation Scholars Program for African American and Native American students.
- Mansoureh Jeihani, Ph.D., PTP, professor and director, National Transportation Center, Morgan State University — During 20 years of research, Jeihani has established herself as one of the leading experts in the study of transportation systems, publishing over 120 papers, filing nine patents, and securing 50 research grants totaling over $30 million. Jeihani has been instrumental to the growth of Morgan State, establishing a new PhD offering that led to a threefold increase in graduate enrollment within four years, and creating a safety and behavioral analysis lab that has gained national media attention. She also spearheaded development of new graduate and undergraduate courses to align the university's offerings with emerging trends in transportation studies. Jeihani has been a featured speaker at White House events and is involved in a number of organizations, including the Maryland Connected and Automated Working Group, Baltimore's Safe Streets for All initiative and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
Future Industry Leader Spotlight Award
This award recognizes students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an American college or university who have achieved an outstanding academic record while demonstrating extraordinary leadership skills within and outside of the academic environment.
- Aimee Resnick, Northwestern University — As a summer intern at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Resnick facilitated efforts to recognize and replicate successful interagency programs, including gender equity initiatives. She is currently a senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in social policy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Resnick maintains a 4.0 GPA while also serving as a leader within the local Rotary Club, raising tens of thousands of dollars for schools in the United States and abroad. Upon graduation, she would like to work as a legislative liaison for CDOT and hopes to one day run for elected office.
For more information, visit artbafoundation.org.
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