Craig Hanchey, P.E., PTOE (F) is the Executive Vice President and East Region Manager for Neel-Schaffer, Inc. in Nashville, TN, USA. He has been an ITE leader from when he was a student and officer at the University of Tennessee ITE Student Chapter. Today, he is the ITE Southern District (SDITE) Administrator. Craig’s journey mirrors many in our profession—he has methodically and progressively built a career based on achievement, actions, and dedication, taking leadership opportunities and advancing the profession for all. ITE has been a partner and beneficiary of Craig’s career trajectory.
Spending the majority of his career with a single employer, Craig started out working for Hamilton County and the City of Jackson, MS. Having shared the experience of working for one firm over my career, I see in Craig’s career many of the same building blocks—a passion for transportation engineering and safety, building a career network through ITE, mentorship support, and access to supportive mentors (like Hibbett Neel), and a fully engaged work-life balance. Craig (unlike me) is very quiet and reserved. He uses listening as a strength, proving one doesn’t need to be an extrovert to be an effective leader.
Craig has served as ITE President for two Sections (Tennessee and Deep South) and the Southern District. As Tennessee Section of ITE (TSITE) President in 2001, he set and accomplished clear goals—a road map for any ITE Section President. He created greater student chapter involvement in TSITE (formed a new student chapter with the student paper award winner Shannon Fain, who later became an ITE leader), improved attendance at Section meetings with exceptional programs, updated the TSITE operations manual, and achieved more efficiency in tracking and allocating the Section’s financial resources. As an officer, he surveyed members to determine how ITE can best serve the membership. A valuable plan then as it is today.
ITE has recognized Craig along the way. He has been the recipient of SDITE’s Joseph Thomas Young Member Award, the Marble Hensley Outstanding Individual Activity Award, the Herman Hoose Distinguished Service Award, and as a leader at Neel-Schaffer a part of the Private Sector Employee Outstanding Service Award. I would ask all our ITE Districts and Sections to use their award process to engage young professionals in good service and continue to recognize the kind of stewardship Craig has exemplified.
It is clear we will not be in New Orleans, LA, USA at an ITE Annual Meeting to meet with leaders like Craig. When we are able (or at a virtual meeting), you can talk to Craig about how a person who lives in Tennessee can root for Louisiana State University, along with his love for history, travel, and hockey. I want to know more about as the District President, how he attended meetings at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY, USA—I can only dream of trips to the ITE Kentucky Section. Good guys like Craig shape our communities and he is a great person to learn from to help shape your career.