Two former students were recently honored by the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University for their career achievements in the engineering industry. They were recognized during the annual distinguished graduate, scholarship and fellowship banquet, which was held on Nov. 7 at the Hilton Hotel in College Station.
Jeff Collins ’80 began a more than 35-year career in civil engineering after graduation from Texas A&M. Beginning with CRSS Engineering in Houston as a department manager, Collins now serves as the executive vice president on the board of directors for LJA Engineering. During his career at LJA, Collins has focused on building the public side of the firm, which inspired him to help build a firm that kept in mind while focusing on client needs.
Kelly Kaatz ’86 has been working in water resources at HDR Engineering for more than 30 years. Progressing from an engineer in training to eventually become an area manager and regional director, Kaatz now serves as a senior vice president and regional director of operations for the company. To Kaatz, the most significant step in his professional career was transitioning from a project engineer to a project manager. In this role, he learned how to serve not only the needs of the client, but act as a role model and exemplar for those under his leadership.