ALDOT Spring Design Conference
Speakers and Bios
Amber Seymore, P.E., Assistant QC Engineer
Amber is married to Wade Seymore, who serves as the State Location Engineer. Together, they have three children: Cheyenne, Caleb, and Jeremiah. Amber earned her Master's degree in Civil Engineering from UAB in 2010. Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Quality Control Engineer and oversees highway construction management in West Alabama.
Bryan Moatts, Environmental Specialist
Bryan serves as a Senior Environmental Specialist at ALDOT. He earned his Bachelor of Biology degree with a concentration in Marine Biology from the University of Montevallo in 2016. Previously, he has worked with FLDEP, ALDCNR, and USACE. Currently, Bryan focuses on the Stormwater Section of the Design Bureau, where he reviews projects for Section 404/10 Permits.
In his spare time, Bryan enjoys building gaming PCs, shooting sports, and exploring topics as an amateur physicist and meteorologist.
Lance Day, ALDOT Roadway Design Engineer
Lance is one of two Roadway Design Engineers at the Design Bureau in ALDOT's Central Office, where he has dedicated the past 16 years of his career. Originally from Phenix City, Alabama, Lance obtained his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Auburn University in 2010.
He resides in Prattville with his wife of 16 years, Amber, and their two children, Luke and Ellie Kate. In his leisure time, Lance enjoys golfing and traveling, with a recent trip to Italy being a highlight.
LaTasha R. Merchant, P.E., ALDOT Roadway Design Engineer
LaTasha graduated from the University of Alabama. She has been working with ALDOT in the Design Bureau for nearly 22 years and currently serves as a Roadway Design Engineer.
Martin Clark
Martin is a graduate of Florida State University and holds a license as a Professional Engineer. He began his tenure at the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) in 2017, joining the Design Bureau. Before this, Martin spent approximately seven years on the contractor side, where he was involved in the construction of roads and bridges across Florida, Texas, and Alabama. Currently, he serves as the Design Manager for the West Alabama Highway Design-Build Project.
Paul Beaird, Assistant Quality Engineer
Paul graduated from Auburn University in 2005. He has worked at the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) for 20 years. From 2006 to 2018, he was part of the Consultant Management Section, and since 2018, he has been serving as the Assistant Quality Control Engineer in the Quality Control department. He is married and has two children.
Vince Beebe, P.E., Regional Asst. Pre-Construction Engineer
Vince is a licensed Professional Engineer with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Alabama in 2002. With approximately twenty-three years of experience in transportation engineering, Mr. Beebe has spent five years at the Baldwin County Highway Department and eighteen years at ALDOT. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Pre-Construction Engineer, where he oversees general project planning for ALDOT's Southwest Region.
Zach Grayson, Location GIS Manager
Zach is married to Serena Grayson, and they have one son, Carter, and a daughter, Charlotte, expected to arrive in May. He graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Geosciences-GIS from Mississippi State University. He spent a decade working in the Transportation Planning Section of the Maintenance Division before transitioning to the Location team last summer.
Kaye Chancellor Davis
Kaye currently holds the position of Deputy State Materials and Tests Engineer, where she supervises the Geotechnical Division, the Materials Division, and the Pavement Management Division within the Materials and Tests Bureau. As a recognized expert in geotechnical engineering for the Department, she has made significant contributions to the field. Kaye earned her Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a Master's degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on Geotechnical Engineering from Auburn University. Additionally, she is an active member of two national committees: the AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements and the Committee on Bridges & Structures. Kaye resides with her husband, Glen, and their daughter, Sarah.
John-Michael Walker, P.E., State Traffic and Safety Operations
John-Michael is the Traffic and Safety Operations Engineer at the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), a position he has held since 2018. With over 15 years of experience at ALDOT, he has expertise in roadway design, preliminary engineering, and highway safety. John-Michael is dedicated to implementing data-driven traffic operations and safety enhancements throughout Alabama. He earned his degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is committed to promoting efficient, engineering-based transportation solutions.
Wade Henry
Wade serves in the Design Bureau as the Assistant State Design Engineer over the Final Design Division. He began his career at ALDOT as a PCET in the Materials and Tests Bureau before moving to the Location Section of the Design Bureau. Wade holds a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from Auburn University. Throughout his career, he has served in several key roles within the Design Bureau, including Assistant Location Engineer, Stormwater Engineer, and Preliminary Design Division Head.
In addition to his professional work, Wade has strong interests in emerging technologies and outdoor activities. He is married to Kerry Henry and is the father of two children, Parker and Adeline.
Brad Williams
Brad serves as the State Bridge Engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation with over 22 years of experience, including 8 years in the Construction Bureau. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Auburn University. In addition to his civilian career, he is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Alabama Army National Guard with more than 29 years of military service. He is a Master Army Aviator and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot, with over 2,200 total flight hours, including more than 650 combat hours. His overseas deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom (2006–2007) and Operation New Dawn Iraq (2011). He is married to LeeAnn Williams, and they have two children, Madison and Mason.
Emily Duke
Emily, ALDOT's Senior Biologist, brings over a decade of experience to the Department working with both state- and federally listed species. She is a graduate of The University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in Biology and of Auburn University Montgomery with a master's degree in Secondary Science Education. Her role within the Department allows her to dedicate her time to the continued protection of our State's protected species and their habitats while ensuring the demands of our transportation system are met. While you may speak with her most often regarding our bat surveys and clearing windows, her experience extends far beyond that into wetland and stream delineations, habitat assessments, and mitigation management. Emily is happy to represent ALDOT and illustrate the steps being made to join the environmental and engineering worlds together.
James A. Schonk, P.E.
James is a senior project manager at STV with more than 18 years of experience delivering complex railway, bridge, and highway infrastructure projects. James has led the design of new rail and highway bridges as well as the rehabilitation projects. In his current role, he manages public infrastructure projects with a focus on public project owners' representation for CSX Transportation (CSXT) and several shortline railroads, including the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). His portfolio spans 10 states and includes everything from multimillion-dollar complex accelerated bridge construction efforts (CMGC, Design-Build, etc.) to local improvements such as grade crossing replacement projects. His expertise encompasses all stages of project delivery—from life-cycle management and engineering review to construction management and stakeholder coordination—supporting the development of safe, efficient, and resilient transportation systems.
Richard Klinger, P.E.
Richard is a graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and started his career with the Alabama Department of Transportation in 2008. He spent the first 10 years with the Maintenance Bureau focusing on bridge hydraulics and environmental compliance and protection. In 2017, Richard assumed the position of State Environmental Construction Engineer in the Construction Bureau. He is tasked with maintaining environmental compliance on all ALDOT construction projects, is the Construction Bureau Product Evaluation Board Member, and the Director of ALDOT's Qualified Credentialed Inspector Training Program.
Sanders Thomas
Sanders has more than 30 years of experience in civil engineering and cartography. He began his career in 1986 as a Professional Civil Engineer Trainee with the Alabama Highway Department's Design Section in Montgomery. He later advanced into cartography, serving as a Cartographic Editor and ultimately as Production Manager for an aerial mapping company, where he oversaw five departments and their personnel.
Returning to civil engineering, Sanders joined a leading architectural and engineering firm as a Civil Designer, supporting ALDOT and local municipalities in transportation design and rehabilitation projects.
In 2006, Sanders joined Bentley Systems as a Senior Technical Support Engineer within the Civil Infrastructure team. There, he provided configuration support, product guidance, and both onsite and virtual training for OpenRoads and InRoads users across multiple Departments of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and private consulting firms.
Sanders currently serves as ALDOT's Virtual Resident Engineer, supporting engineers and designers using OpenRoads Designer and continuing to provide technical support and training. His career reflects a long-standing commitment to advancing transportation design and supporting professionals across the industry.
Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)
An award-winning scholar and frequently invited keynote speaker, Dr. Karen Philbrick is the executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University. She leads two competitively selected multi-university consortia focused on improving the mobility of people and goods. These include the California State University Transportation Consortium, which unifies the surface transportation research and workforce development efforts of the 23-campus California State University system, which represent and support the geographical, cultural, racial, and socioeconomic diversity that makes our state and nation strong, and the Climate Change and Extreme Events Training and Research Program funded by the FRA.