Chief Engineer

Lance W. Simmons, P.E., serves as TxDOT's chief engineer.

In this role, he is responsible for management and control of the Engineering and Safety Operations and District Operations.

A 28-year TxDOT veteran, Lance officially began his career with the Department in 1994 in the Atlanta District’s Design Office (after working three summers in the Atlanta Area Office). Through the Young Engineers’ Rotation Program, Lance also worked in the Advance Planning, Traffic and Atlanta Area Offices. From 2001 to 2009, Lance served as the Atlanta District’s Bridge/Special Projects Engineer before being selected as its Director of Operations in 2010. He was named District Engineer in the Bryan District in March 2015. Since August 2021, Lance has served as TxDOT’s Director of Engineering and Safety Operations.

In 2014, Lance was honored with the Luther DeBerry Award at the Transportation Short Course.

As a Terry Scholar at Texas A&M University, he earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1994.