/ Awards / HNTB’s Tom Schnetzer recognized as WTS Puget Sound Man of the Year

HNTB’s Tom Schnetzer recognized as WTS Puget Sound Man of the Year

Parul Dubey on December 7, 2020 - in Awards, News, People

Award recognizes contributions toward advancement of women and minorities in the transportation field

 

SEATTLE – HNTB Northwest Division delivery officer Tom Schnetzer was recently recognized by WTS Puget Sound, receiving the Honorable Ray LaHood Award, also known as its annual Man of the Year award. The award recognizes male leaders in transportation who actively lead by example in seeking opportunities to further the WTS mission, which is to strengthen the transportation industry through the advancement of women and minorities. In light of the March cancellation of the WTS annual awards gala, the organization recognized the 2019 WTS Puget Sound award winners via email to the WTS virtual community.

“We congratulate Tom on being recognized for his advocacy for women both at our company and in the transportation industry,” said James Thomson, PE, HNTB Northwest Division president. “Throughout his career, Tom has demonstrated a commitment to equity and inclusion, mentoring, and advocating for young engineers. He continually demonstrates HNTB’s core values of integrity, respect for others, and commitment to professional excellence. We are proud to call him a trusted member of our HNTB team.”

Schnetzer has been an active member of WTS since 2007 and was instrumental in the launch of the office’s first internship and mentoring programs as well as spearheading a pay equity analysis in the HNTB Bellevue office. He currently is the co-chair of the WTS Puget Sound Mentoring Committee and continues to actively mentor numerous proteges in the transportation industry.

From its founding in 1982, the WTS Puget Sound Chapter has become one of the most visible and valued forums for discussing transportation trends and projects and highlighting women in transportation leadership. Dedicated to equity and advancement of women in transportation, the chapter provides VIP speakers, pioneering programs, leadership training, high school and university outreach, and mentoring and professional development.

“It is an honor to be recognized by WTS Puget Sound for my commitment to the promotion of women and minorities in the transportation industry,” said Schnetzer. “To ensure diversity, equity and inclusion in this industry, we must actively work to fill the leadership gaps through mentoring and sponsorship of women.”

Schnetzer has spent most of his civil engineering career focusing on large bridge, highway and airport projects. Since joining HNTB in 2002, some of his roles have included being the deputy project manager on the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Third Dependent Runway, bridge lead on the retrofit and modifications to the existing Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the design manager for I-495 Capital Beltway HOT Lanes Design-Build project. In 2011, he became the bridge and structures department manager at HNTB, a department which has been the lead technical engineer for many of the most complex, high-profile transportation infrastructure bridges and tunnels in the Northwest. In 2013, he became HNTB’s Northwest District operations manager, while being the I-405 GEC structures lead, and he recently was promoted to Northwest Division delivery officer.

HNTB is both a Trailblazer Corporate Sponsor on the international level and a Gold Corporate Sponsor for WTS Puget Sound. HNTB has more than 350 WTS members, including 15 senior executives and 30 employees who are current or former national and chapter-level women in leadership.

About HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. Celebrating 106 years of service in the United States and 60 years in Seattle, HNTB continues to grow in size and service offerings to clients from its office in Bellevue, currently employing approximately 250 full-time professionals in the region. HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management. For more information, visit www.hntb.com or follow HNTB on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Comments are disabled