Honoring Rob Himes: 36 Years of Dedication, Leadership, and Engineering Excellence

Please join us in congratulating Robert Himes on his retirement! Rob retired at the end of December after more than 36 years with Mark Thomas. He joined us in 1986 right out of UC Berkeley and never looked back. Rob was instrumental in the company’s opening of a Sacramento office in 1990, and went on to become Principal in 2004, and President + CEO from 2014-2021. Under his leadership, the firm expanded to new geographies, grew exponentially, and developed an unparalleled team culture.

Rob had a great impact within the company as a leader and Principal, but also will leave an indelible mark on the transportation industry. A recognized expert in Caltrans design, Rob was an instructor through the ITS Tech Transfer Program at UC Berkeley, teaching a Geometric Design Class based on the Caltrans Highway Design Manual and AASHTO Green Book. Hundreds of local agency, Caltrans, and private construction professionals have attended Rob’s class and benefited from his expertise. Rob was recently awarded Outstanding Civil Engineer in the Private Sector for ASCE Region 9, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to the civil engineering profession.

He also led the design of the first Ribbon Path, a completely grade-separated Class I path through an interchange at the US 50/Watt Avenue Interchange. This design concept has since been implemented at other interchanges throughout the State. This is one of more than 100 projects Rob delivered throughout his career – ranging from intersection improvements to mainline widenings, interchange reconstructions, and other complex projects.

We are grateful for Rob’s dedication to Mark Thomas and hope that he enjoys traveling and relaxing as he settles into retirement. Cheers to Rob!