AASHTO Journal - AASHTO Names Iowa DOT’s De Vries ATG Vice Chair

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently appointed Jeff De Vries (above) – transportation engineer administrator for the Iowa Department of Transportation – to a two-year term as vice chair of the AASHTO re:source Administrative Task Group or ATG.

[Above photo via Iowa DOT]

The ATG is an oversight and advisory committee under AASHTO’s Committee on Materials and Pavements that manages policies, procedures, and personnel qualifications for construction materials testing laboratories. AASHTO re:source is a technical service program offered by AASHTO that provides services and tools through three major programs: the Laboratory Assessment Program, the Proficiency Sample Program or PSP, and the AASHTO Accreditation Program or AAP.

[Editor’s note: A 2021 episode of the AASHTO re:source Q&A podcast delved into the ATG and the role it plays in the construction materials laboratory accreditation process.]

A 1987 graduate of Iowa State university with a bachelor’s in civil engineering, who later received a master’s in civil engineering from Kansas State University in 2013, De Vries served as a U.S. Navy officer and aviator, holding leadership positions in flight training, nuclear safety, aircraft maintenance, and aviation operations.

He was recognized as both Training Wing Six and Training Squadron Ten Instructor of the Year, receiving two Naval Achievement Medals for excellence in instruction and improvements to nuclear weapons training programs, and subsequently served as an aircraft division officer, managing maintenance operations for nine P-3 Orion aircraft and supervised approximately 200 naval personnel. After his naval career, De Vries then spent 12 years as a commercial airline pilot.

De Vries joined Iowa DOT in 2009 and currently leads and manages three sections within the agency’s Office of Construction and Materials, overseeing engineers, geologists, and technicians while providing second-line supervision for the Structural Materials Group.