A Message from FHU President Holly Buck: We're 40 and Future Ready
In 1984, Bob Felsburg, Steve Holt and Arnie Ullevig created a vision. The vision was to do meaningful work. To put their clients first. To build a culture of excellence by surrounding themselves with people whose good nature rivaled their expertise. And, to have FUN doing it.
As we embark on our 40th year, I am humbled and incredibly proud to say these values have remained intact. They are the founding principles upon which our long-standing success has been built.
2024 is marked by deep gratitude for our clients and our growing staff. Their unwavering commitment to transportation excellence is inspiring.
Each employee at FHU plays an invaluable role in forging our path forward. Our staff are the reason we are now 40, and also future ready! We look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary with our clients, teaming partners and employees. Stay tuned!
To kick off a year of celebration, it is my pleasure to highlight a new class of exceptionally talented staff who join our employee ownership model – our newest Shareholders and Principals.
Congratulations to Principals Patti Brunger, Steve Ingracia and Allison Sambol. Also joining employee ownership as Shareholders are Rachel Ackermann, Graham Blaxton, and Malinda Reese.
These new owners are technical experts and personify the mission and vision of FHU. They are at the forefront of solving challenges for our clients and demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities within FHU and the transportation industry. They bring fresh perspectives to our work today and are key to our future success.
Patti is the Director of Human Resources overseeing employee recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits programs, and legal compliance. Over her 30-year career, Patti has worked extensively with technical and scientific workforces. She is an ace when it comes to hiring the industry’s top talent, building an inclusive work environment, providing employee growth opportunities, and implementing enterprise-level systems and policies. She is a leader in creating a company-wide culture focused on the joy of doing work that positively impacts people and communities.
As National Services Director, Steve is a proven technical leader with more than 30 years of wide-ranging experience in transportation, telecommunications, information technology, software development, and automation systems. His career spans public and private sectors and has centered on the intersection of infrastructure and technology. He is a passionate innovator helping clients understand and harness emerging transportation technology and energy solutions. Steve ensures our clients are future ready and encourages them to think boldly about transit, CAV, EV, shared mobility, and data analytics.
Allison is a scientist, geographer and strategic thinker who leads our Great Plains Environmental team. With nearly two decades of project work throughout NE, IA, SD, KS, and CO, she helps clients weave environmental stewardship into their transportation systems. Allison has extensive technical expertise, regulatory knowledge and a roll-up-your-sleeves tenacity that helps DOT’s and Local Public Agencies successfully comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). She believes truly excellent transportation solutions are sustainable and incorporate the natural and human environment.
As the Transportation Operations and Safety Lead, Rachel Ackermann strives to bring a comprehensive approach to transportation operations analysis. She has played a pivotal role in numerous projects, highlighting her expertise in traffic engineering and transportation operations. Her background in interdisciplinary engineering and policy allows her to evaluate emerging transportation technologies from a mobility and energy perspective. Rachel’s dedication includes actively monitoring current trends and emerging technologies and staying abreast of federal funding sources, demonstrating her commitment to advancing transportation projects.
Graham Blaxton is a Senior Construction Engineer on the Construction Management team. He has 16 years of progressive experience and is best known for his partnering mentality and project-first approach for state, municipal, and private owner clients. Graham is a collaborative leader making a positive impact on his team and within the communities he serves to bring projects to life.
Malinda Reese, a top performing leader, is the National Transit & Advanced Mobility Director. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, she has focused the last decade on planning for and designing transit and advanced mobility solutions. She supports communities in making smart transportation investments that improve access to opportunity and drive economic growth for their communities.