AASHTO Journal - WSDOT’s Millar Receives 2024 OPAL Award from ASCE

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently awarded one of its 2024 Outstanding Projects and Leadership or OPAL awards to Roger Millar (above), secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation and immediate past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

The ASCE said the OPAL awards recognize “lifetime achievements” across five categories – construction, design, education, government, and management – by individuals who have “advanced the civil engineering profession” and enhanced their communities through innovative ideas, superb leadership, and a “dedication to furthering the education” of future civil engineers.

“ASCE is proud to honor the most renowned minds in the engineering field with this year’s OPAL Award recipients,” said Marsia Geldert-Murphey, ASCE’s 2024 president, in a statement.

“The 2024 award winners have each played a role in improving the resilience and sustainability of infrastructure projects around the world, tying together past advancements with future needs,” Geldert-Murphey added. “Our communities and future workforce are stronger thanks to these exemplary individuals and their contributions to the engineering profession.”

Millar received the 2024 OPAL in the government category for his “demonstrated leadership of public sector projects and programs.”

Appointed WSDOT secretary by Governor Jay Inslee (D) in 2016, ASCE noted that the prominent theme throughout Millar’s career is “stewarding transportation systems that are not ends unto themselves, but rather the means toward economic vitality, environmental resilience, aesthetic quality, public health and social equity.”

In addition to serving as AASHTO 2022-2023 president, Millar also served as the chair of board of directors for the Intelligence Transportation Society of American from 2021 to 2022. He was also selected by The Resilient Roads Roundtable as one of its “Innovators and Influencers” luminaries in April 2023.

ASCE said it plans to recognize all of its OPAL Award winners at the OPAL Gala in October in Tampa at the organization’s 2024 convention.