Each year the Ray L. Lappegaard Distinguished Service Award is presented to a transportation professional who displays outstanding leadership, mentorship and support to the profession. The award is named in honor of Ray L. Lappegaard, chair of the CTS Executive Committee from its creation in 1989 until his death in April 1993. Lappegaard held numerous high-level positions in state government and the private sector, and was a mentor to many in the transportation field.
2024 Recipient
This year's award was presented to Gloria Jeff, MnDOT Metro District’s livability director and previous project director for the agency’s Rethinking I-94 initiative.
An active member of the Transportation Research Board for over 40 years, Jeff is co-chair of its Committee on Transportation and Equity. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials and chair of the AASHTO Equity Task Force. Jeff has led US government delegations in international settings, addressing transportation issues in the Asian Pacific region and the International Association of Road Congresses.
Past Recipients
2023
Mark Maloney, Public Works Director, City of Shoreview
2022
Dave Montebello, Board Chairman, SRF Consulting Group
2021
Bill Dossett, Executive Director, Nice Ride Minnesota
2020
Bernie Arseneau, Highways and Roads Director, HDR
2019
Sue Mulvihill, Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer, Minnesota Department of Transportation
2018
Amy Vennewitz, Deputy Director, Metropolitan Transportation Services, Metropolitan Council
2017
Alan Forsberg, County Engineer, Blue Earth County (retired)
2016
Don Theisen, Director, Public Works, Washington County
2015
Brian Lamb, General Manager, Metro Transit
2014
Howard Preston, Senior Transportation Engineering Professional, CH2M Hill
2013
Julie Skallman, Director, State Aid Division, Minnesota Department of Transportation
2012
Charles Zelle, President and CEO, Jefferson Lines; Chair, Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Co-Chair, Transportation Task Force of the Itasca Project
2011
Ann Johnson, faculty director of the Construction Management degree program and outreach coordinator, Department of Civil Engineering
2010
Ferroll Robinson, Part-time Fellow, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
2009
Doug Weiszhaar, Vice President for special projects at WSB & Associates
2008
Connie Kozlak, Systems Planning and Programming Manager, Metropolitan Council
2007
Donna Allen, Director, MnDOT Office of Transit
2006
Jeff Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission
2005
Michael Sheehan, County Engineer, Olmsted County
2004
Natalio Diaz, Director, Metropolitan Transportation Services
2003
Peter Fausch, Principal engineer, SRF Consulting Group, Inc.
2002
Richard Hansen, Public works director/highway engineer, St. Louis County’s Public Works Department
2001
Gene Ofstead, Assistant commissioner, MnDOT (retired)
2000
Darryl Durgin, Former deputy commissioner, MnDOT
1999
Douglas Differt, Vice president/director of transportation engineering, BRW, Inc.
1998
Charleen Zimmer, President, Zan Associates
1997
Chuck Siggerud, Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc.
1996
Ernest Olson
1995
Robert J. McDonald
1994
Jim Newland, CTS Interim Advising Committee
1993
William Smith, CTS committee member