Increasing headcount meets rising demand for public agency planning and implementation support
COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 24, 2023) – HNTB announces the addition of several new professionals to better support clients in the rapidly expanding advanced mobility and electric vehicle infrastructure space and meet increasing demands for implementation services.
Kelley Smith Burk recently joined HNTB as a project director to expand the firm’s sustainable energy solutions service area focused on the development and delivery of policies, strategies and programs that facilitate the transition to a clean energy transportation sector. She will leverage her years of experience as the Chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials and decade long career leading Florida’s Office of Energy where she oversaw the development of energy policies and programs for the state.
Thea Ewing, AICP, joined HNTB as a project director to work with clients at the intersection of mobility, technology and economic development. She brings more than 20 years of experience in regional planning, economic development and leveraging state and federal grant funded programs to achieve transportation goals. Ewing most recently served as the chief regional development officer for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission where she led the transportation planning efforts for both the agency’s Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Rural Planning Organization.
Tom Timcho also joined the firm as a project director, bringing more than 30 years of experience focused on the transportation and defense industries. Timcho is recognized throughout the industry as a connected and automated vehicle subject matter expert and has been a key contributor to the design of this next generation transportation technology. Most recently, his work has focused on emerging transportation technologies, including Smart City technologies, the operational and safety benefits of these technologies and how these technologies integrate with existing and emerging practices and products.
Megan Stein joins HNTB as a senior project manager, bringing extensive program management, community engagement, strategic planning, and economic planning experience in the areas of renewable and lower carbon energy sources. Prior to HNTB, Stein was a clean cities director focused on federal, state, and local project administration for U.S. Department of Energy programs.
“We are pleased to welcome Kelley, Thea, Tom and Megan to our thriving advanced mobility group,” said Katie Zehnder, PE, HNTB project director. “They each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in sustainable energy that will allow us to provide more comprehensive solutions to clients as they look to transition to a transportation future where mobility is not only efficient but also environmentally responsible.”
Since 2020, HNTB’s team of mobility experts have worked on dozens of alternative fuel and electric vehicle infrastructure projects in support of their state DOT, aviation, transit and local clients. This includes assisting 10 departments of transportation with the development of their National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program implementation plans last year.
More recently, HNTB has won several contracts to assist with the development and implementation of statewide advanced mobility strategy and electric vehicle infrastructure with multiple departments of transportation including North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Indiana.