Robert is a professional engineer with 24 years of experience in city and private sector work. He began his employment with the City of Sugar Land in December 2009 in the Engineering Department as the Assistant City Engineer and in May of 2013 became the Director of Public Works. In December of 2013, he led the transition of the Water Utilities Department into the Public Works Department.Under his leadership, the Public Works Department provided excellent and reliable customer service by developing and implementing infrastructure programs and data-driven strategies for the repair, operations, maintenance, and regulatory compliance of the City’s public streets, traffic control devices, intelligent transportation systems, sidewalks, bridges, drainage systems, water, wastewater and reuse infrastructure. In addition, the Public Works Department helped develop and implement a risk-based, citywide, corporate asset management program developed around the International Standards Organization (ISO) 55000 and Publicly Available Specification (PAS 55) requirements. This process required collaboration from across the organization at all levels and led to the development of an integrated set of processes to minimize the lifecycle cost of owning, operating, and maintaining assets, at an acceptable level of risk, while continuously delivering established levels of service. Also, the Public Works Department became a regional and state leader in developing innovative solutions and integrating technologies to aid in the field of traffic engineering and operations.
Prior to working for the City of Sugar Land, Robert spent nine years practicing engineering in the Dallas – Fort Worth area where he worked as a vice president of a civil engineering firm. He worked in all areas of the firm, including civil engineering design, project management, and construction management. The primary focus of his work centered on land development and municipal infrastructure projects.
Robert holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University – College Station. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer (TX) and is a Certified Floodplain Manager in the State of Texas. He serves as the National Chair of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Engineering & Technology Committee and is Chair of the Trending Technologies Subcommittee. In addition, he serves as the Treasurer of the Public Works Emergency Response Council of Texas and is a past president for the American Public Works Association – Southeast Texas Branch. He serves on the American Water Works Association – Water Loss Control Committee and Asset Management Committee and is also a member of the Texas City Management Association and International City/County Management Association.