BRIGADIER GENERAL J. RICHARD CAPKA, P.E. (Retired)

Highlights

• Federal Highway Administrator (2006-08)
• CEO of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (2000-02)
• Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General
• Professional Engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• West Point graduate with 29 years experience in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Biography

Rick Capka joins Dawson & Associates after more than 2 ½ years of leading the Federal Highway Administration and more than 36 years of managing projects and overseeing federal and state-level infrastructure programs.

From 2006 to 2008, he was Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, having served as Acting Administrator from 2005 and Deputy Administrator from 2002.

In that capacity, he helped to prepare the Bush administration's transportation reauthorization proposals, shaped the management of highway mega-projects nationwide and in 2003 was the first U.S. Transportation Official to deploy to Iraq.  Additionally, he led the Federal Highway Administration response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Response to the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis.

Prior to this, from 2000 to 2002, Mr. Capka was Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) where he oversaw construction averaging more than $100 million per month.  There he achieved federal approval of its Finance Plan, which guaranteed continued federal funding for the program.  The cost estimates, which were central to the plan, remained unchanged for more than five years.

In 2000, he retired from the U.S. Army, having spent 29 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and achieving the rank of Brigadier General.  As Commander of the Corps’ South Atlantic Division from 1998 to 2000, he was responsible for managing $1.3 billion in Corps projects throughout the southeastern U.S. and in Central and South America.

From 1996 to 1998, BG Capka was Commander of the South Pacific Division and responsible for the Corps' activities in the western and southwestern U.S. In 1997, he earned specific praise from both the President and Governor of California for his leadership in coordinating the federal response to the unprecedented floods that severely damaged Central California’s flood control systems.

He is a West Point graduate and holds a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Business Administration from Chaminade University of Honolulu.

Other Achievements

• Distinguished Service Medal (2000)

• Defense Superior Service Medal (1996)

• Legion of Merit (1994)

• Secretary of Transportation’s Gold Medal Award for Outstanding Achievement (2004, 2006, 2007)

• ASCE’s Civil Government Award (2005)

 

Email: jrcapka@dawsonassociates.com