Articles

Keynote Speaker - October 2023

Keynote Speakers

Alberta Blair, PE - Director of Public Works, Dallas County
Mark Bouma, PE - Senior Corridor Manager, North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA)

 Topic: TBD

Alberta Blair is the Director of Dallas County Public Works. Alberta is responsible for the planning, design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction of approved transportation projects. In addition, she provides engineering support to the County’s four Road and Bridge Districts, and real estate support to the entire County government. Transportation projects are executed in partnership with Dallas county cities, Texas Department of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, North Texas Tollway Authority, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Alberta joined Dallas County in September 1993. Her last assignment was Assistant Director of Engineering and Construction, where she led the Engineering & Construction division of for Public Works for over 15 years. She was responsible for the design, engineering, and construction of approved transportation projects under both the 1991 bond and Major Capital Improvements Program. These projects were completed in coordination with the planning, utilities and right of way acquisition and collaboration under Dallas County’s 5-Phase project delivery system. In addition, she provided engineering support to the County’s four Road and Bridge Districts, and the unincorporated areas and other county departments.

Prior to joining Dallas County, she served 7 years with the City of Dallas as a project manager. Her last responsibilities with the City were serving in the central Dallas business district, which included projects, such as the streets for the Arts District, McKinney Avenue Trolley, and Farmers Market project. Additionally, she was the project manager over the first initial tax increment finance district (TIF) for the State Thomas area. Upon leaving the City of Dallas, she served on the State Thomas District TIF Board as head of the Design Review Committee, and also as Board Chair. In addition, Alberta has served on the Cultural Affairs Commission for the City of Dallas.

Mark Bouma started with the NTTA in 1998 leading the design and construction of the President George Bush Turnpike and Addison Airport Toll Tunnel.  In 1999, he became Director of Engineering, leading the NTTA’s rapid growth in planning, design and construction of toll road and capital improvement projects.  In late 2007, with the creation of the Project Delivery Department, he assumed the responsibility of providing technical direction and quality assurance over design and construction of NTTA capital projects.  Currently, as Senior Corridor Manager he leads maintenance rehabilitation and structural engineering, construction, right-of-way, utility and project finance.

Previously, Mark was employed by HNTB Corporation.  His work included construction management of the Dallas North Tollway extensions from IH 635 to SH 121, TxDOT bridge inspections, rehabilitation design of the historic Waco Suspension Bridge, and design of bridges and interchanges.

Mark earned his B.S. and M.E. degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

Mark is the past Chairman of the Engineering and Design Committee for the International Bridge Tunnel & Turnpike Association.  He current serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Infrastructure Advancement Institute and he remains active in the Boy Scouts in Frisco as a Special Projects Advisor to the Boy Scout Order of the Arrow honor society.