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ON THE MOVE HDR’S ERIN SLAYTON TO TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR With nearly 20 years of experience in the planning, design and delivery of major transportation infrastructure programs, PROMOTED Erin Slayton, P.E., DBIA, ENV SP, has been promoted to serve as HDR ’s transportation program management director. In her new role, Slayton will lead delivery of program management services for clients in all transportation markets and continue to diversify HDR’s service capabilities. She will guide the further development of HDR’s program management practice, with a focus on the delivery of holistic, value- added services throughout the project life cycle. Slaytonbrings adeepbackground in successful programmanagement, including working in the public sector for the Seattle Popular Monorail Authority before she came to HDR in 2006. At HDR, her work has involved co-locating with clients on-site to provide project oversight and coordination of management services on large, complex infrastructure programs in three different regions. In addition, she served as an HDR department manager for the $4.56 billion Washington State DOT SR 520 Floating
Bridge Replacement and HOV Program from 2012 to 2014. More recently, Slayton helped develop and manage the procurement and delivery of the $1.7 billion Arizona DOT South Mountain Freeway Project, before moving to Columbia, South Carolina in 2018 to focus on the management of the South Carolina DOT’s $1.6 billion Carolina Crossroads Project. Working on complex, multi-billion-dollar programs, she has demonstrated her ability to meet aggressive schedules, build consensus between diverse stakeholders and drive decisions to keep projects moving forward. Slayton’s background includes civil design, project management, program management and business management. “Erin’s long history in program management combined with her passion for employee professional development make her an ideal fit as our Program Management Director,” said Transportation Group President Tom McLaughlin. “Her skills managing diverse teams and delivering complex well-known projects will pave the way for us to enhance our technical capabilities, capture new geographic markets and build stronger client relationships.”
HDR’s program management teams create customized and comprehensive systems and tools to help clients successfully manage the development and delivery of complex infrastructure projects, improving overall risk management and alignment with program goals. Services include program planning and project prioritization, project delivery method selection, cost risk assessments, stakeholder engagement and communications, procurement support, project controls, feasibility studies/preliminary design, environmental planning and documentation, final design, value engineering and construction management, with a consistent focus on effectively managing costs and risks. For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 10,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world – and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future
MARK ZWEIG, from page 9
college professor in a really well-run business college in a state-owned university is a fabulous job, and one I can throw myself into because the mission is worthwhile. Maybe I will still do some other things and start another business some day. Or maybe not. I know many of our readers can identify with what I am saying. I see way too many of my 60 and 70 year-old architect and engineer friends who are on the same path I was on. I am fairly certain that I have worked with as many of you over the years as practically anyone else. I encourage you to look in the mirror and to ask yourselves if you are still doing what you want to do every day. Maybe it’s time you moved over and let some of those younger, fresher, and more motivated people take over. It doesn’t mean you have failed if you do so. It’s the opposite of that. You have gotten the ball rolling. Now maybe some other people can increase the size of that ball and get it rolling even faster. Your willingness to back off and let go will be essential to the survival of your business. You don’t want to lose all your best people because you are unable to pass the baton, do you? You don’t really want to be carried out of there on a stretcher, do you? You don’t want your family to say they barely knew you because you were always gone, and when you were there you were distracted, do you? Maybe now is the time to get really serious about your transition. Design the perfect life for yourself just like you have designed incredibly complex construction projects. Put the same thought into it. And do it before it’s too late to do so! MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.
the realization about what is really important in life. That is your relationships with other people and doing some good. But up until recently, much of my motivation has really been driven by my need for ego gratification. That’s not good – it’s not healthy. In fact, it’s rather pathetic. He or she who craves the envy or admiration of others will surely go off-course in their life. I was definitely going off- course. “I encourage you to look in the mirror and to ask yourselves if you are still doing what you want to do every day. Maybe it’s time you moved over and let some of those younger, fresher, and more motivated people take over.” Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of friends still (many of which are clients in architecture and engineering firms that I worked with over the years). We did a lot of good and helped a lot of people see the opportunity they had with their businesses, I taught a lot of students, and my older kids turned out to be independent and successful. I also have a wife (third time is the charm!) who is my best friend and has helped me become a better person. We have a beautiful house and still have a couple cool cars and bikes. But I was lucky. It all could have gone the other way. Maybe now if my diet and other bad habits don’t catch up with me, I may have 15 or 20 years to really live. Being a
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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 1, 2021, ISSUE 1377
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