ESD President Named to Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor

BY MATTHEW ROUSH

Kirk Steudle, PE, FESD—former Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) director, Lawrence Technology University (LTU) trustee, and current president of The Engineering Society of Detroit—was inducted into the Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor this fall.

The Hall of Honor, a permanent display in the Van Wagoner Transportation Building in Lansing, MDOT’s headquarters, was established in 1971 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Michigan’s network of highways, roads, streets, transit systems, railroads, airports, and waterways. Members are elected by a committee representing a wide range of transportation industry organizations. With the inclusion of this year’s honorees, 92 people have been inducted into the Hall of Honor.

“The Hall of Fame honor is especially rewarding considering the prior inductees. I walked by that display for my entire 30 plus year career and was in awe of what these great leaders did for transportation in Michigan and the impact they had on the nation over the past 120 years,” Steudle said. “To be considered as part of that group is truly humbling. It was also very satisfying to be inducted with a great friend and colleague, Greg Johnson, at the same time.”

Steudle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from LTU in 1987. That year, he started as a staff engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation. He was promoted to Bay City Transportation Service Center Manager in 1997 and Deputy Region Engineer for the Metro Detroit Region in 1999. He was named MDOT Chief Deputy Director in 2003 and MDOT Director in 2006.

Steudle left the MDOT in 2018 to become interim president of the American Center for Mobility. In 2019, he was named senior vice president of the Anaheim, Calif.based transportation equipment manufacturer Econolite Group Inc. He recently left Econolite to establish the engineering consultancy Steudle Executive Group.

Steudle is focused on integrating technology into transportation. He is a noted expert in surface transportation, and a nationally recognized leader in the development of connected vehicle technology. He served as chair for the Intelligent Transportation Society of

America Board of Directors in 2015 and was inducted into the ITS World Congress Hall of Fame in 2016.

Steudle chaired the Transportation Research Board executive committee in 2014 and served as the 2011-12 president to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He has been a board member of the Engineering Society of Detroit since 2009 and is ESD’s current president. He was named to the Lawrence Tech Board of Trustees in 2020.

When asked what his most memorable aspect of his career was, Steudle said “embracing technology with constant innovation for better customer service” was a priority. Accomplishments such as moving the Gordie Howe Bridge through the political, planning, and funding process as well as advancing the development of Mcity at the University of Michigan and the American Center for Mobility were notable. He is also proud of helping to increase collaboration with other state departments, and for advancing the quality of life and economic development within communities as well as working with the Corps of Engineers to secure funding for the Detroit District New Lock at the Soo Lock in Sault Sainte Marie.

Steudle was inducted into the LTU College of Engineering’s Hall of Fame in 2012 and serves on the college’s advisory board. He received the University’s highest honor, the Alumni Achievement Award, in 2008.

Steudle has served as ESD President since 2020. In 2014, he was inducted into the ESD College of Fellows. In 2016, he received the society’s Horace H. Rackham Humanitarian Award.