Former NCDOT chief operating officer brings deep public-sector expertise and complex program delivery experience
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 22, 2026) – Chris Peoples, PE, has joined HNTB as vice president, senior group director and Raleigh location lead, bringing more than 30 years of executive leadership, engineering and program delivery experience at the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In his new role, Peoples will lead multidisciplinary project delivery, bringing together teams and expertise to execute complex transportation projects and programs for clients across the Carolinas and nationwide.
“Chris has deep public-sector transportation expertise and firsthand knowledge of what agencies need to advance complex programs,” said Greg Boulanger, PE, HNTB Carolinas office leader and senior vice president. “His collaborative leadership and extensive delivery experience will be invaluable as we partner with clients to navigate challenges, align stakeholders and move critical transportation projects forward.”
Most recently, Peoples served as chief operating officer for NCDOT, overseeing major transportation functions including highways, ferries, aviation, rail, integrated mobility, planning and programming. He also held senior roles as chief engineer, deputy chief engineer, director of field support and state materials engineer, supporting engineering and programming across NCDOT’s 14 highway divisions and working with partners to advance transportation priorities statewide.
Peoples earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and is a licensed professional engineer in North Carolina. In 2025, North Carolina State University recognized him as a Distinguished Alumnus of its Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.