The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has announced new directors for Design and Project Delivery in April.
Justin Hernandez was named director of Design and Daniel Nguyen was chosen as the director of Project Delivery. They replace Rick Johnson, who recently retired as ODOT director of Project Delivery and whose role was divided into two positions to better serve the needs of the department.
“Throughout the selection process it was clear that that we have a large group of very accomplished and capable candidates that will play a critical role in our future,” said ODOT Chief Engineer Brian Taylor. “I am thrilled and confident in Justin and Daniel’s ability to guide, direct and build our future.”
Hernandez will oversee the design of vital transportation construction projects statewide. Nguyen will create and oversee consistent project delivery policies and processes as well as unified planning and project management activities.
Hernandez has served as state bridge engineer since 2021 where he directly affected the design and construction for both local and state-owned bridge structures across Oklahoma. His career with ODOT began in 2002 as an engineer in training. In 2003, he joined Bridge Division as a design engineer. In 2011, Hernandez transitioned to be a project engineer for field districts in central, north-central and northwest Oklahoma. He was then named assistant bridge engineer in 2016.
Hernandez has spent his entire career contributing to the department’s achievement of a top ten national ranking for highway bridge conditions, improving from a low ranking of 49th in 2004 and rising to 5th in 2021. During his time with the department, Hernandez has been responsible for the design of bridge projects of all types, in locations across the state, including the Pharaoh Award-winning SH-33 bridge over Cottonwood Creek in Guthrie.
A licensed Professional Engineer, Hernandez received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2001. He and his family live in Oklahoma City.
Nguyen began his career with ODOT in 2006 as a chemical scientist in the Materials Division. In 2009, he began work as the division construction auditor for Division 4 in Perry. Nguyen was then promoted to the Division 4 project manager position in 2012. He briefly served the City of Oklahoma City before returning to ODOT as Project Management division manager in 2019.
While at ODOT, Nguyen contributed as project manager on notable projects including the I-40 Crosstown relocation in OKC, the I-235 and I-44 interchange reconstruction and the replacement of the historic SH-33 Cottonwood Creek bridge in Guthrie.
Nguyen received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Nguyen has his Project Management Professional certification and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He and family reside in Oklahoma City.
