DEC President, CEO Michel Maksoud Honored for Mentorship Work
WTS-Houston Recognizes Maksoud for Advocating for Women in Transportation
HOUSTON, Texas, April 24, 2023 -- DEC President and CEO Michel Maksoud, Ph.D., P.E., has been recognized for his dedication to mentoring, advancing and advocating for women in the transportation industry. WTS-Houston Chapter presented the Honorable Ray LaHood Award to Maksoud at the chapter’s scholarship and awards gala on April 6.
WTS is an international organization dedicated to advancing the transportation industry and the professional women who lead it. The award is given annually to a man who has made an outstanding contribution to the transportation industry and who seeks out opportunities to advance and advocate for women in the industry.
In accepting the award, Maksoud thanked WTS-Houston, recognized the DEC employees who volunteer in the chapter and shared career advice.
“The best advice I received and would give is, as you climb the career or corporate ladder, get to a shelf, reach down, and pull someone up. Then continue climbing. I do this by mentoring, inviting young engineers to networking events and offering career guidance,” Maksoud said. “I advise young engineers early in their careers to get involved in industry organizations like WTS and in civic organizations in the communities where they work to build life-long connections.”
ABOUT MICHEL MAKSOUD
Maksoud was appointed to head up the Texas engineering firm in 2019 after leading DEC’s Houston Transportation Department since 2006. He has more than 30 years of civil engineering project experience, including highly visible, major projects across Texas, such as the Grand Parkway in the Houston region.
Maksoud has given countless hours to community and industry organizations in volunteer and leadership roles during his career. As CEO of DEC, he is serving as chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Transportation Committee, as a member of the ACEC Government Affairs Committee, and a member of the Greater Houston Partnership Transportation & Infrastructure Advisory Committee. Among his community activities, he supports aspiring engineers by mentoring University of Houston engineering students with resume reviews and mock interviews.
Maksoud attended The Pennsylvania State University, earning master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in civil engineering from the American University of Beirut. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.
ABOUT DEC
Since its founding in 1945, DEC has built a solid reputation as a premier civil engineering firm with expertise in water resources, water and wastewater infrastructure, transportation, land development, program management and much more. The company serves clients from seven offices across Texas.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Kathy Thomas, Community Strategies LLC