Sue has 35 years of experience in the program management, environmental planning, transportation planning, and consulting industry. Throughout her career, responsibilities progressed from independently performing and delivering ASTM Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments for properties across the southern United States to managing, overseeing, and delivering programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Sue worked for engineering consulting firms the early years of her career, one of which took her to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where she was the Conservation Section Manager for the Environmental Directorate. Her public service began in the state of Washington working for the Jefferson County Department of Community Development, and later she spent 20 years working for TxDOT. Over her years at TxDOT she managed the Houston District’s Advanced Project Development (APD) environmental section and was a Deputy Director for the Environmental Affairs Division in Austin where she developed and oversaw TxDOT’s program for assuming FHWA’s environmental responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), otherwise known as NEPA Assignment. Texas was the second state in the nation to enter that program. She finished her years with TxDOT at the Houston District where she managed APD’s environmental and schematic sections, a district with more roadway construction projects than many states. Her specialty is providing guidance and recommendations on land use; transportation; and environmental laws, regulations, and policy based on research, evidence-driven analysis, and experience. Over her career she has been involved as a committee member for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Environmental Issues in Transportation Law Committee, TRB’s Environmental Analysis and Ecology Committee, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality – Galveston Bay Council, the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Technical Advisory Committee, and has actively participated in the Women’s Transportation Seminar – Houston Chapter Mentor/Mentee program.
