April 21, 2015
Thomas Nelson Jr., PE, (BS Civ Egr ’92) was named Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Kentucky Division Administrator in April.
He had served as the special assistant to the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C., since August 2012. In that role, he provided direct support to the administrator and served as a key advisor on program and policy issues having national, regulatory, and legislative implications. He assisted in the delivery and implementation of MAP-21 and the implementation of the agency signature initiative for accelerating project delivery, Every Day Counts.
Nelson previously served as a major projects engineer in the Office of Innovative Program Delivery, where he was responsible for providing technical and policy assistance to FHWA field offices, partners, and stakeholders in implementing risk-based project management.
Before joining FHWA in 2009, he served for eight years as a vice president and area manager with CH2M HILL. He led and managed staff in developing strategic business plans, designing complex transportation projects, and engaging the public on major highway projects. Nelson also gained 10 years of leadership experience with the Michigan Department of Transportation, where he served as the unit leader for highway design.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University in 1992, and he is a licensed professional engineer.
