Today, we are delighted to announce that the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected Rick Capka for membership. Dawson & Associates takes great pride in team achievements. We are equally proud of the individual accomplishments by teammates who served at the highest levels of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and civilian federal agencies. This NAE recognition is a reflection of Rick’s lifetime of engineering achievements.
Rick joined Dawson & Associates as Chief Operating Officer in 2008 after nearly 35-years of civilian and military experience with federal, state and private infrastructure programs. He spent 29-years in active-duty military service as a U.S. Army Engineer, retiring as a Brigadier General. Rick’s service with USACE included command of both South Atlantic and South Pacific Divisions.
Following his military career, Rick served as the nation’s 16th Federal Highway Administrator, overseeing management and authorizations on nationwide surface transportation projects. In 2003, Rick was the first U.S. Transportation Official to deploy to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom to lead the reconstruction of transportation networks.
Two seminal events stand out in Rick’s storied career of service – Hurricane Katrina and the I-35W Bridge collapse. His leadership in coordinating the response to these historically catastrophic incidents were a keystone for successful recovery efforts.
Rick also served as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, overseeing the $14.7 billion Central Artery and Tunnel (“Big Dig”) Project.
In addition to managing our firm’s daily operations for the past 15 years, Rick leads all Dawson practice groups from federal regulatory, real estate and contracting matters to USACE collaboration efforts. His skill, leadership, and drive are essential to our clients achieving their goals, often ahead of schedule.
Rick is the third member of the Dawson team elected to the NAE. Lt. Gen. (ret) Hank Hatch, who joined our firm in 2012, is an NAE member as was the late Lt. Gen. Elvin "Vald" Heiberg, the Corps of Engineers 46th Chief of Engineers.
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Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Rick Stevens
Senior Vice President
A former Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rick joined our firm in 2018.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawson & Associates.