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Academy of Distinguished Civil & Environmental Engineer

Steven E. Simmons
Steven E. Simmons, P.E.
Vice President, Huitt-Zollars

Steve Simmons is Huitt-Zollars Transportation Practice leader responsible for expanding the company’s services in highway planning, design, and construction management. He is actively involved in promoting the firm’s highway practice that currently serves state highway agencies, toll road authorities, local agencies, design/builders and public/private partnerships. Simmons has a wealth of State DOT experience; retiring from the Texas Department of Transportation after 30 years, including 10 years as TxDOT’s Deputy Executive Director. Simmons also served as District Engineer for TxDOT’s Fort Worth District and Deputy District Engineer for the Houston District.

As TxDOT’s Deputy Executive Director, he served as the department’s Chief Operations Officer overseeing all Engineering and Support Operations for a 14,000 employee, $8 Billion per year State transportation agency. Simmons was involved in all phases of management including planning, right-of-way acquisition, engineering design, and construction/maintenance of highways and bridges, as well as the associated administrative and support activities. Simmons worked with all the Texas Metropolitan Planning Organizations in developing the Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTP) and in developing the State of Texas Transportation Improvement Plans (TIP). During the 10 years as the Deputy Executive Director, the department went from a “pay as you go” agency to one that relied heavily on using bonding and innovative financing to deliver the needed transportation for a high growth state. Simmons served as:

  • TxDOT’s Public-Private Partnership Oversight Committee - Chairman
  • TxDOT’s congressional delegation liaison
  • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Texas Delegate
  • Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Official’s Secretary Treasurer
  • TxDOT’s Internal Compliance Officer

Simmons also served on Governor Perry’s Texas Critical Infrastructure and Homeland Security Task Forces.

Simmons earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston in 1981 and became a licensed Professional Engineer in 1986. Simmons served on the Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Boards for the University of Houston and the University of Texas at Arlington. In 2005, Simmons became the first University of Houston graduate to receive both the Engineering Alumni Association's Distinguished Young Engineering Alumnus Award (1997) and the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award (2005).

Simmons has been married to his wife, Lisa, for over 43 years; they have 2 boys—Chris (39) and Phillip (34).

 

PUBLICATIONS
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Performance, Congestion Performance Measure Task Force (Chairman) Report