Thomas Woodworth is a project controls professional based in Seattle, WA. During more than 15 years with Hill International, Tom has been involved in some of our most impressive infrastructure assignments in the Pacific Northwest, including the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, the agency’s State Route 520 Floating Bridge Replacement and High-Occupancy Vehicle Program, and, currently, the Washington State Ferries (WSF) System Electrification Program. Tom has also recently supported King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division and the WSF Colman Dock Terminal Replacement Project. On each of his assignments, Tom leverages project controls expertise and a people-first project management approach to help Hill and Hill’s clients deliver the infrastructure of change.

Early Experiences in Tech

While Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management, he has built an expansive toolkit by working in a variety of industries over the course of his career. He joined the U.S. Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps during college and, after graduating, became a commissioned Signal Corps Officer. From that experience, Tom developed his knowledge and experience in information technology (IT) and infrastructure. Following his time in the Army, Tom took on private-sector positions in IT and telecommunications. Through all of these roles, he continued to hone his IT and security expertise, enhanced his knowledge of the project management discipline, and mastered project management information systems and project controls tools.

Tom has drawn on his early career experiences throughout his time with Hill. In his first position with the company, he sold and implemented information management solutions with a focus on the project controls space. Because he had hands-on familiarity with the products on the market, Tom could connect Hill’s clients to the software solutions that would work best for their projects. Even as his role has evolved, Tom has always been a technology resource for Hill’s clients, helping them implement project management tools and software on infrastructure programs throughout the region.

On the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, for example, Tom provided comprehensive management of the program’s document control system, orchestrating everything from high-level policies and procedures to data entry, coding, and filing. He was also responsible for the implementation of WSDOT’s enterprise content management systems and contract management database. Using his proficiency with project management software, Tom facilitated monitoring and prompt communications to address potential issues early and contribute to program success.

Studies in Stakeholder Management

Tom attributes many of his other “soft” skills and his people-first approach to project management to formative experiences in the Army. As a commissioned officer, he led an infantry company during combat operations and collaborated with sister forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also contributed to construction projects. On the U.S. Army’s Newport Chemical Depot demilitarization project, for example, he managed a team of government and private specialists in the design and rollout of a one-of-a-kind project management portal that enabled stakeholders to collaborate and share project data in real time. After nine months of design, policy change, and approvals, Tom’s team deployed the portal on time and under budget, and the U.S. Army Soldiers Biological and Chemical Command adopted the team’s project management portal as the standard across other chemical demilitarization sites.

By coordinating public and private, civilian and military stakeholders on projects of international significance, Tom has become a specialist in stakeholder management. He knows how to build teams, effectively negotiate cultural needs and expectations, help ensure people are heard as they want to be heard, align diverse stakeholders to achieve target outcomes, and incorporate stakeholder interests in the decision-making process.

“It takes a team to do just about anything, whether you’re rolling out a new software system, maneuvering an infantry unit, or delivering a billion-dollar infrastructure program,” Tom says. “And if you want to do something well, it’s important to acknowledge the contributions and interests of everyone on that team.”

Tom’s people-first project management approach is crucial on his current assignment with Hill, the WSF System Electrification Program. On the program, Hill is the leader of a General Engineering Consultant (GEC) team comprising 28 specialized firms. Tom and his colleagues are responsible for aligning the team’s efforts across program management, terminal/electrical engineering, marine/vessel engineering, environmental engineering, risk management, construction management, project controls, cost engineering, schedule management, document control, quality management, and more to promote program efficiency and the delivery of professional services in accordance with our client’s requirements.

As project controls manager, Tom is primarily responsible for managing control systems to track and report on program performance, but he also uses his stakeholder management expertise to help Hill cultivate partnerships within the GEC team, as well as with WSDOT and other program stakeholders. He has supported the implementation of Hill’s “zippered” approach, which involves pairing up counterpart staff from WSDOT and the GEC to facilitate communications and program partnership.

Continued Growth With Hill & GISI

“It’s a privilege to be at Hill during this 50th anniversary milestone year for the company and to work with such a great group of people,” says Tom. He mentions Mike Smith, a longtime regional leader who now works as an executive consultant with the company; Greg Heinz, who has long been a leader in the Pacific Northwest and Western Region; Harry Jarnagan and Bernard van de Kamp, who worked with Tom on the WSF System Electrification Program; Senior Vice President Rail and Transit Sector Lead Tom Spearing, with whom Tom worked closely during his earliest years with Hill; and Billing Supervisor Stephanie Latshaw and Accounts Payable Manager Lisa Hanson, who work in Hill’s corporate office in Philadelphia, PA.

Tom says he anticipates continued growth with his colleagues at Hill. He notes momentum on high-profile projects in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, as well as Hill’s acquisition by GISI, which he expects will continue to accentuate the things that make Hill unique in the program management and PM/CM space.

“Under GISI, our local teams can still operate independently and do things quickly and efficiently in the markets we serve, but we now have expanded opportunities with our sister companies,” Tom says. “In addition to broadening our service offerings and increasing our capacity, the acquisition allows our local teams to take part in centers of excellence with Hill’s global organization and the even broader pool of resources throughout GISI. I think that’s a healthy environment, and that it will help all of us across the GISI family of companies continue to grow and innovate for our clients. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

“Over the course of my 30-year professional career, Tom ranks high among my all-time favorite coworkers,” adds Hill President, Americas Greg Heinz. “He brings an endless commitment to performing great project work and to doing the right thing for his clients, his colleagues, and his family. There aren’t enough words available to me to describe how much I admire Tom, how valuable his presence is to Hill International, and how much his friendship means to me.”

Learn more about Hill’s work in the Pacific Northwest on our website: www.hillintl.com. For more information about Hill’s parent company, follow GISI Consulting Group on LinkedIn or visit www.gisiconsulting.com/.