Awards recognize industry leaders who advocate for the advancement of women in transportation
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 2, 2025) – HNTB‘s Kip Strauss, AICP, project director, and Claire Baker, PE, project engineer, have been honored with prestigious awards from WTS Kansas City. Strauss received the Honorable Ray LaHood Award, which celebrates leaders who have significantly advanced women in the transportation industry. Baker was named Member of the Year, an award recognizing her dedication to promoting WTS’s goals and enhancing its reputation within the transportation sector.
At HNTB, Strauss is a leading expert in transportation planning and traffic engineering, delivering projects such as multimodal transportation studies, corridor studies, environmental assessments, traffic evaluations, demand modeling, toll studies and master plans.
Baker is a roadway engineer who supports clients on a variety of highway design projects. She has a broad range of experience in municipal and highway design, as well as water resources. Since 2018, Baker has been an active member of WTS, holding leadership positions in both the Oklahoma and Kansas City chapters.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate Kip and Claire for their outstanding achievements,” said Gretchen Ivy, PE, HNTB’s Central States office leader and senior vice president. “Their dedication to advancing women in the transportation industry and within our organization is truly inspiring. These awards highlight their exceptional commitment and exemplary leadership.”
