Michael Baker International Welcomes Nicolaas Veraart, AICP, ASLA, ENV SP, as Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead for its Growing Planning Practice
New York City – Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced today that Nicolaas Veraart, AICP, ASLA, ENV SP, has joined the firm as Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead – Planning. In this role, Mr. Veraart will engage with a diverse client base and work closely with the firm’s Planning staff and other disciplines across the country to deliver integrated and innovative solutions that are sustainable, resilient and inclusive. He is based in Michael Baker’s New York City office.
“We are thrilled to welcome Niek to Michael Baker International,” said David Boone, Chief Growth Officer at Michael Baker. “As the National Practice Lead – Planning, Niek will serve as a trusted advisor to clients across federal, state and local entities, communities and the private sector, continuing to grow Michael Baker’s Planning practice and guide the future of sustainable and resilient communities that meaningfully connect people to their environment.”
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Mr. Veraart brings to Michael Baker a wealth of knowledge in planning and national regulatory practices, most recently as Vice President of Louis Berger/WSP. He spent more than 20 years at the firm, where he served as Global Lead for Resilience, Climate Risk and SmartCities, led Environmental Planning and Urban Planning practices, and served as Director of New York Operations. Prior to that, he worked with Weston as Director of Environmental Planning and with HOK as a Landscape Architect.
Throughout his career, Mr. Veraart has led numerous award-winning projects including the National September 11 Memorial Pedestrian Simulation, the Hoboken Green Infrastructure Strategic Plan and the environmental planning for the post-9/11 rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, including the Fulton Transit Center and the World Trade Center Memorial and Redevelopment Plan. He also worked on award-winning publications like the Breezy Point Home Elevation Urban Design Guidelines and the Navy Climate Change Adaptation Planning Handbook. He has published for the National Academies on Pedestrian Simulation for the National September 11 Memorial and contributed to the National Transit Resilience Handbook and a Resilience Primer for Transportation Agency Executives.
An industry thought leader, Mr. Veraart is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Society of Landscape Architects, National Association of Environmental Professionals, Urban Land Institute and an affiliate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is an Advisory Board member of the Rutgers University Big Data Program. Mr. Veraart regularly speaks at leading industry events, including the Transportation Research Board National Conference, the American Planning Association National Conference, the Annual Natural Hazards Conference and the Infrastructure Security Partnership, among others.
Mr. Veraart earned a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree – both in Engineering, Planning and Landscape Architecture – from Wageningen University in Wageningen, Netherlands.
About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, including design, planning, architectural, environmental, construction and program management. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions to support U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients. Michael Baker’s more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement to help solve challenges for clients and communities throughout the country. To learn more, visit https://www.mbakerintl.com.
