(Washington, DC) – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Ronaldo T. “Nick” Nicholson, PE, as the District’s new Chief Engineer and Associate Director of DDOT’s Infrastructure and Project Management Administration. Mr. Nicholson is a former Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Program Director who was responsible for the $7 billion transportation improvement program known as Virginia Mega Projects. In his role with VDOT, Mr. Nicholson oversaw the successful completion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, and the design and start of the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane projects, The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project and other large scale design-build/design-bid-build transportation projects.

“We are extremely pleased Nick has decided to work for DDOT and the District,” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein. “As we have stated before, DDOT is dedicated to creating the best urban transportation system in the nation and as such require leaders who are able to take on larger more complex projects, manage resources, be fiscally responsible, and coordinate public outreach to all 8 wards of the city as well as our regional partners. I am confident Nick’s experience and leadership will be a great asset to the city and to DDOT’s vision.”

Prior to his 17 years with VDOT, Mr. Nicholson was a Senior Engineer for the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and prior to that worked for the U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration.

Mr. Nicholson is part of the team that received the 2008 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OPAL) Award given by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the 2006 Governors Team Award presented by the Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Nicholson is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineering, the Transportation Research Board and a life member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

He received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas and holds a Master’s of Science degree in Structural Engineering from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has been a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia since 1988 and is currently applying for the same in the District of Columbia.

Originally from East St. Louis, Illinois, Mr. Nicholson and his family currently reside in Chantilly, Virginia but are scheduled to relocate to the District in 2010.