TxDOT's Digital Delivery Transformation
Speaker: Marco Galindo PE
Born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Marco began his career with TxDOT in 2008 at the Bexar Metro Area Office after graduating with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas @ San Antonio. Marco gained valuable experience through various rotations as part of TxDOT’s Engineering Assistant Program within the SAT District including Construction, Advanced Planning, Central Design, and the Lab. He obtained his Professional Engineer’s license in 2013 and in 2015, he returned to the Bexar Metro Area Office as a Construction Engineer, where he had the rare opportunity to oversee some of the projects that he designed.
Marco has served as the Alternative Project Delivery Supervisor for the San Antonio District since December of 2022. In this role, Marco leads the management of the I-35 NEX Program, valued at over $3 billion dollars.
Friday, March 20 | 4:45 -5:45 pm
Afternoon Plenary Session- Perspectives from Innovation Leaders: The Future of Engineering and Construction
Moderator: Mehmet Ozbek, PhD, M.ASCE, Colorado State University
Speaker: Thai Nguyen, Director of Innovation at Hensel Phelps
Thai Nguyen is the Director of Innovation at Hensel Phelps, where he oversees the company's innovation and investment entity - Diverge. With over two decades of experience in the architecture and construction industries, he focuses on adopting technology to discover and implement disruptive solutions for the built environment through the Diverge program. Thai emphasizes open innovation by collaborating with startups and other industries to introduce fresh perspectives into construction. He began his career as an engineer at Hensel Phelps in 2006, becoming an early advocate for Building Information Modeling (BIM) and playing a key role in developing the company’s Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) program. Thai champions the creation of collaborative ecosystems that bring together builders, technology firms, and academics to test and scale new ideas across the industry. As an industry speaker, he discusses how technologies such as AI, robotics, and automation can enhance efficiency, safety, and productivity on job sites.
Speaker: Charles Hixon
Charles Hixon is the former Chief Digital Officer for North and South America at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management, and development consultancy. In this leadership role, he guided the company's use of technology and digital innovation in its projects. As a Business Development Leader and former IT Director, Charles utilized his strong technical background to develop unique business development processes and identify growth opportunities for several national architectural and engineering consulting firms. These processes involved identifying, researching, and implementing strategic business plans to drive revenue growth across various geographic regions and both established and new business segments. Additionally, he mentored colleagues and teammates on building and maintaining professional relationships. Charles is nationally recognized for his expertise in innovative design and construction technology applications, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Laser Scanning, and Virtual Reality (VR). He has spoken at over 150 national and international conferences.