Wight & Company is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Washington has joined the firm’s Transportation and Infrastructure practice as Director of Construction. Mr. Washington brings to this position 34 years of experience overseeing complex projects in the pursuit of engineering excellence. He will also serve as Wight’s primary liaison to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“The team is thrilled that Jeffrey is adding his transportation engineering expertise to the team at Wight,” said Mike McMurray, President of Transportation and Infrastructure at Wight & Company. “Jeffrey is the right person at the right time to accelerate growth in our transportation and infrastructure work. He has demonstrated exceptional ability to work under pressure on highly visible projects.”
Mr. Washington has completed over 100 construction projects in his career, including critical projects for the Eisenhower, Stevenson, and Dan Ryan Expressways. Having worked as a Resident Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation for nearly 25 years, he is extremely knowledgeable about all processes involved in completing projects safely, accurately, on-schedule, and within budget. In 2007, Mr. Washington was named as the Engineer of the year the state of Illinois, both Statewide and in District 1.
“I was drawn to Wight & Company because of their streamlined approach to project delivery and advanced use of transportation technologies,” said Mr. Washington. “The team is also focused on the pursuit of excellence in the public interest and sustainability, which perfectly aligns with my own work philosophy, honed over 34 years in the industry.”
“Our transportation and infrastructure group is unparalleled in their depth and breadth of experience, and the addition of Jeffrey only increases capacity in this crucial market,” said Mark Wight, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wight & Company. “I believe that Jeffrey’s ability to lead construction initiatives for this team will elevate our entire firm.”
Having earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Alabama A&M University, Mr. Washington’s experience at an HBCU (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) taught him three major attributes: 1) How to deal with adversity; 2) How to stay resilient; and most importantly, 3) How to communicate effectively with others. He brings to his work a belief that diversity in the industry has greatly evolved over the past 34 years at every level, from inspectors, to resident engineers, to directors, to the Secretary of Transportation as well as to owners of consultant firms and construction companies. Mr. Washington seeks to use this opportunity to continue to create a more inclusive industry for the next generation of transportation professionals.