November 2020 ASCE OKC Branch Meeting

The ASCE OKC Branch continues the 2020-2021 year with Dawn Sullivan from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, who will present "Becoming Top Ten," which describes ODOT's vigilant efforts to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges statewide.

Speaker: Dawn Sullivan, P.E., Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Topic: “Becoming Top Ten”

Since July 2019, Dawn Sullivan has been serving as the deputy director for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. In her executive staff position, Sullivan oversees all day to day administration and strategic planning for the department.
With 32 years of service dedicated to the department, Sullivan began her career as an engineering student intern at the Sand Springs Residency in 1988 and continued as a student engineer as part of the OU Bridge Design Squad. After graduating with her Civil Engineering degree, she participated in ODOT’s Engineer-in-Training program in various offices within the agency before becoming a professional engineer. She entered the engineering manager ranks in the Roadway Design Division, before becoming the assistant division engineer in the Planning & Research Division in 2000, and was promoted to be Division Engineer in 2002. In 2007, a reorganization of the department created the Environmental Programs Division, and Sullivan stepped into the role to establish and lead that division. In 2016, she was named the Director of Capital Programs, the first woman to serve on the executive staff, where she remained until becoming the deputy director for the agency.

Sullivan is a founding member of the Oklahoma Chapter - Women’s Transportation Seminar International and was recently announced as Oklahoma’s WTS Woman of the Year. She has participated on multiple AASHTO and TRB committees, has served as co-chair for the Oklahoma State Transportation Innovation Council and the Southern Plains Transportation Center Advisory board chairman. She has completed the Executive Development Program for State Officials and the National Transportation Advanced Leadership Institute certifications, and is a Certified Public Manager.
A graduate of Broken Arrow High School, Sullivan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and has been a Professional Engineer since 1995.

Sullivan and her husband, Kenny, reside in Norman. They have four adult children and four grandchildren.