TxDOT leaders meet with young engineers in the Houston area

February 5, 2024

By Danny Perez

HOUSTON—TxDOT’s Executive Director Marc Williams led a discussion last month with over 65 of the Houston District’s Engineering Assistants, who work in various sections at headquarters as well as area offices in the six-county region of the Houston district.

Engineering assistants at TxDOT rotate between design, construction, and traffic operations sections, gaining vital experience before deciding on which aspect of engineering to pursue upon earning professional engineering licensure. Their work for the department is supervised by a licensed professional engineer.

Williams provided a wealth of knowledge about the agency and shared his five focus areas which are safety, delivery, performance, innovation, and people. Williams encouraged the group to continue developing their skills to become the department’s future leaders as well as assisting with the development of fellow coworkers.

Many of the engineering assistants in the audience provided their feedback and concerns while asking about how best to advance their careers within the agency. Williams also highlighted the importance of engaging with the public on major projects and keeping the public informed to minimize concerns about project impacts, including road closures during construction.

“I believe that opportunities such as this should happen regularly, and having an opportunity to directly engage with high-level leadership is important for an agency to function smoothly and effectively,” said Derek Fregia, engineering assistant and president of Young Engineers Society, Houston District.