ABOUT US

MISSION STATEMENT

Provide a forum for members and partners of the highway industry to promote a safe, efficient and sustainable highway system through education, innovation and fellowship.

CONCEPTION

The realization of the enormous growth of the highway industry in the Mid-20th century, in particular, the inauguration and implementation of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highway Act of 1956, and the recognition that the knowledge for such a program could only be consummated by the whole-hearted and integrated efforts of all persons associated with the highway industry, led to the formation of the American Society of Highway Engineers with the intent and determination to assume its responsibility for the development of the rapid growing demands of the highway industry.

HISTORY

The Society was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1958 with the conception and inception of the first Chartered Section credited to a small group of dedicated engineers from the Pennsylvania Department of Highways, in associaion with a group of outstanding contractors, material suppliers and consulting engineers in the Harrisburg area.

STATE-WIDE

At the present time, the society membership numbers over six thousand nationwide, and consists of four (4) sections in Virginia - Potomac (D.C. area); Old Dominion (Richmond); the Greater Hampton Roads section; and the Blue Ridge section (Roanoke). Members in the Society also are active in other transportation-related organizations. The American Society of Highway Engineers has a national chapter located in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and is also active in numerous other states including North Dakota.

OLD DOMINION

The Old Dominion Section of ASHE was chartered in Richmond, Virginia on October 23, 1990. The Section began with 80 members; 36 employees of the Virginia Department of Transportation, and 44 consultant, contractor and local government members. Members of the National Board and Mike Martin from the Potomac Section in Northern Virginia were instrumental in getting the Old Dominion Section off the ground.

In the early years, the Old Dominion Section held dinner meetings at the Engineers Club of Richmond, as well as several eateries around town such as Calabash Seafood and Julian’s Restaurant. Unfortunately, the Engineers Club closed its doors in 1996. To make matters worse, due to Virginia’s Workforce Transition Act of 1995, many of VDOT’s most senior employees took early retirement, and VDOT participation in ASHE dropped to a scant 5 members by 1997. Fortunately, many of those same VDOT retirees began a second career in the consultant community and they remained loyal ASHE members.

To help turn things around, the Section started meeting bi-monthly at the VDOT Central Office Auditorium during lunch. This made it easier for local VDOT employees to attend and also allowed members from the Hampton Roads and Roanoke areas of Virginia to attend meetings without needing to spend the night. By 2003, VDOT employees once again made up approximately 50% of the Old Dominion Section membership. In 2017, the Section has 91 members and still growing.

Since 2010, our sections has offer Professional Development Hours to our members and the Engineering Community. We continue to support our Scholarship Program to two Local Community Colleges, John Tyler and J. Sargent Reynolds. We give $2,000to each institution per year, which is awarded to one very deserving Engineering student at each institution per year to help offset the cost of tuition.

Other Section highlights include:

• In 2000 the section celebrated its 10th anniversary. We held a celebratory dinner in conjunction with VDOT’s annual consultant forum. Lieutenant Governor John Hager was a guest speaker and we were able to recognize over half of our original 80 members.

• The success of the Old Dominion Section helped to generate interest for other sections in Virginia. In 2000 the Greater Hampton Roads section was chartered.

• The Old Dominion Section of ASHE is a member of the Richmond Joint Engineers Council. Since 2002 our Section has regularly participated in career day activities sponsored by RJEC during Engineers Week. Presentations have included “Building a Road”, traffic simulations, and surveying demonstrations.

• Also starting in 2002, we have held our annual holiday social at VDOT. The section provides a buffet lunch and in return, guests provide an unwrapped toy gift that we donate to ASK – the Association for the Support of Children with Cancer.

• From 2002 through 2006, several Old Dominion Section members participated on the planning committee for the 2006 ASHE National Conference held in Williamsburg. Many more members volunteered and attended this fantastic conference, held on the eve of the 400th anniversary of this nation’s founding at Jamestown.

• The success of the Old Dominion Section helped to generate interest for other sections in Virginia. In 2007 the Blue Ridge section in the Roanoke area was chartered.

• In 2010 the Old Dominion Section established Engineering Scholarship agreements with John Tyler Community College and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College to award one $1,000 scholarship each year.

• In order to fund the Scholarships we held our first Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament on September 15, 2010. We have continued to hold our Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament eachyear and have raised sufficient funds to increase our annual scholarship awards to $2,000 for 1 student at each school ($4,000 total).

Presidents of the Old Dominion Section

1990-1991 Craig Eddy
1991-1993 Brad Meador
1993-1994 Woody Price
1994-1996 Robert Gallagher
1996-1997 James T. Simpson
1997-1999 Paul R. Trapp, Jr.
1999-2002 John A. Stuart
2002-2003 Robert A. Donovan
2003-2004 Robert A. Donovan/Dwayne Wohnig
2004-2005 Suzanne Lucas
2005-2007 Douglas C. Gilman
2007-2008 Susan With
2008-2010 Robert O. Cassada
2010-2012 George T. Rogerson, Jr.
2012-2015 John Midyette
2015-2016 Mitch Johnson
2016-2017 Devin Robertson
2017-2021 Terrell Hughes
2021- Carlos Garcia