The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) prides itself on its diverse and well-trained workforce, and is proud to recognize the achievements that are a result of this culture. Recently, Engineering Georgia magazine, the official statewide magazine of Georgia’s engineering industry, released its listing of Top 100 Influential Women in Georgia.  Nearly 10 percent of the listing includes women who work for or with Georgia DOT on a daily basis. 

Georgia DOT’s Chief Engineer Meg Pirkle, Administrator for the Program Delivery Office Kimberly Nesbitt, Director of Engineering Hiral Patel and Director of Intermodal Carol Comer were among the women of Georgia DOT named in the magazine’s second annual listing https://bit.ly/2NAzlrO. State Transportation Board Members Ann R. Purcell, Stacey Key, Emily Dunn and Dana Lemon were also named to the Top 100 list.  

Engineering Georgia bestowed Pirkle the honor of being on the front cover of the edition and made her the focal point of their feature article. In the article, the magazine highlighted Pirkle's career path and what led her to becoming the department’s first female chief engineer. Pirkle began her career at Georgia DOT 30 years ago after earning a civil engineering degree from Vanderbilt University. The article highlights her accomplishments and her ability to effectively communicate and develop relationships as factors that led to her success. 

“What Meg, Kimberly, Hiral and Carol do to ensure our department is innovative and successful is invaluable,” said Russell R. McMurry, P. E., Georgia DOT commissioner. “There are many other women who work for GDOT who are deserving of recognition, and I am certainly grateful to each of them for their service to our agency and our state.” 

In the same issue, Engineering Georgia announced its inaugural list of the Top 50 Women in the Know, a list that consists of women who serve clients in their communities, across the country and around the world and are quickly becoming innovators, influencers and experts in their fields. Two Georgia DOT employees were named to this list: Natalie Dale, media relations strategist and Marlo Clowers, deputy program delivery engineer.

Georgia DOT and its staff of nearly 4,000 employees are responsible for managing a budget of $3.70 billion, maintaining 48,675 lane miles statewide and delivering a sustainable and efficient transportation system that serves all of Georgia.  Entrusted with public resources, the department is responsible for not only what is done and the results achieved, but also for sharing those results. Those tasks have never been more clearly defined than by those including these recognized women and others who are driving and ultimately delivering those results.