Accomplished industry professional brings more than three decades of experience advancing major infrastructure projects
HOUSTON (May 10, 2023) – Sharyn LaCombe, AICP, ENV-SP, has joined HNTB Corporation as the planning and environmental department manager in HNTB’s Houston office. With over 30 years of experience in both public and private sectors, LaCombe has demonstrated her expertise in advancing major infrastructure projects and programs involving multimodal transportation modes such as transit, rail, highways, aviation and bike/pedestrian paths.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sharyn to our team,” said Mike Voinis, PE, Houston office leader and vice president. “Her extensive experience in transportation planning and environmental compliance, combined with her leadership skills, will be invaluable to our clients as we continue to provide innovative infrastructure solutions throughout Texas.”
Before joining HNTB, LaCombe worked for the Federal Transit Administration, as an environmental protection specialist at the United States Department of Transportation’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Her responsibilities in this role included developing regulations, guidance and standard operating procedures to help FTA project sponsors complete the National Environmental Policy Act environmental review process required for grant making; internal and external training programs; representing the agency on inter- and intra-agency working groups to streamline the environmental process and serving as the agency’s Federal Historic Preservation Officer.
During her time in the private sector, LaCombe performed a wide range of NEPA technical analyses on all classes of action (CE, EA, and EISs), including developing the long-range planning, alternatives analysis, community outreach, purpose and need statements, community and natural impact assessments, as well as the avoidance, minimization and mitigation of potential impacts. She has led planning and the environmental tasks from inception through final design, including mitigation monitoring and permits.
As a result of her commitment to advancing the field of transportation planning and environmental compliance she received the USDOT Office of the Secretary’s Partnering for Excellence Award in 2019, the FTA Administrator’s Business Process Improvement Award in 2021 and 2017, FTA Administrator’s Excellence in Mission Results Award in 2018, and Administrator’s Team Award for Innovation for Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Natural Gas Improvement and Modernization Program in 2022.
LaCombe is a member of the American Planning Association and American Public Transportation Association. She is a graduate of Leadership APTA 2004 and has participated as member of the Planning & Policy Committee, Environmental Justice Subcommittee, and as a mentor in APTA’s Early Career Mentor Program. LaCombe is also a distinguished lecturer for the National Transit Institute. Her lectures cover a range of topics including managing the environmental review process, environmental justice and section 106/4f regulations.
LaCombe holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography/urban and regional planning from Marshall University and a master’s certificate in historic preservation from the University of Kentucky. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and a certified Environmental Sustainability Professional by the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure.