Spotlight Series

I know it’s hard to pick one, but what’s one thing that you have worked on directly that you’re proud of in your past work at WSP?

Landa: Definitely the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Master Plan, because it was a combination of multiple disciplines that were needed to help deliver the master plan, including transportation planners, designers, experts in water and energy, experts in buildings and properties, geotechnical, and finance. We had a wide range of experts that were needed to help develop this full blown, very universal master plan that could completely change the way we look at downtown Dallas. I’m very proud of the fact that WSP, with the leadership of the City of Dallas staff, was able to bring the multitude of expertise and resources to the table to deliver what could be the biggest project in the City of Dallas’ history. I’m also very proud that I was able to ensure that the GDPC was at the table when this master plan was developed as we made sure that our previous president and several of our executive team members were part of the master plan stakeholder task force that we developed. That was made up of key stakeholders throughout the entire area that had a vested interest in the success of this master plan. So, being able to ensure that the GDPC had a seat at the table from day one all the way to the very end is something I’m very proud of because it supports our history of having been a part of some of the biggest decisions that have made Dallas what it is today.

We have seen a ton of growth in the region just in the past few years. What do you and WSP have going on right now that you’re really excited to see?

Landa: Many people don’t remember this, but Parsons Brinkerhoff was the largest and most prominent transportation engineering firm in the world for many, many decades. And WSP, which is a Canadian owned company based in Montreal, acquired Parsons Brinkerhoff which allowed WSP to become more of a whole company. Now we are the largest global engineering firm in the world with over 75,000 employees in over 49 countries and 500 offices. So, we have grown exponentially in the seven and half years I’ve been at WSP. I’ve seen it grow so many different times and we continue to grow our capacity to do some of the big projects that are coming down the pipeline, not only here in Dallas, but throughout the entire world. There are no words to describe how it feels to be a part of a company that is making such major change worldwide with the projects that we’re designing from transportation systems to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, to dams, to airports, to stadiums… you name it, WSP does it all. I’m so happy to be a part of the ride and to be surrounded by such intelligent and experienced professionals who are delivering all these projects. It’s great to be a part of.

What do you envision for the next 5 to 10 years for our region, and how do you envision yourself and WSP playing a role in that growth and development?

Landa: That's a good question. Because of the passage of The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, The CHIPS Act, The Inflation Reduction Act and so many other bills that have pumped trillions of dollars into the market from the federal government, we will continue to see growth. And that does not even include money that's coming from the state or local governments, and private sector. When you put that all together, we're talking about investment in game-changing projects that are changing the face of the country. Particularly here in DFW we have so many projects that are coming that will make Dallas the premier market in America. We are very excited about being a part of that.  To accomplish all of this, we’re going to need top notch firms like WSP and other major corporations in the industry to really step up and provide the engineering needed to deliver these projects. Additionally, we're excited not only to be a part of that, but very also excited about creating opportunities for small businesses, minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses. The opportunity to help small, diverse, and emerging businesses participate in this fast-growing industry is amazing and I am just so happy to be a part of it.