Michael Baker International appoints Joseph Catalano VP and office executive

Engineering, planning and consulting services firm Michael Baker International announced that Joseph R. Catalano, P.E., has joined the firm as vice president and office executive for the Chicago office. In this role, he will oversee the growth of the firm’s portfolio of business in the Chicagoland area and provide operational management, staff management and production/project oversight for the office.

“Joe’s expertise in managing high-profile projects and leading people positions him to leverage his record of success to help Michael Baker grow our business in the Chicagoland market,” said Kent Zinn, P.E., S.E., Great Lakes regional director at Michael Baker. “We look forward to his contributions and leadership within our region.”

For more than 30 years, Catalano has applied his engineering, management and leadership expertise to transportation projects for numerous clients throughout Illinois and the Midwest. Most recently, he was the consultant owner’s representative executive for the Illinois Tollway’s $4 billion I-294 Central Tri-State Reconstruction project, a program aimed to increase capacity and improve travel reliability over 22 miles of the Illinois Tollway’s most-traveled interstate.

Prior to that role, Catalano served as director of engineering for HNTB Corporation in Chicago, where he led the operations of a 170-person team, while also planning, directing and ensuring the success of multiple transportation projects. He also served as program manager at HNTB for the Illinois Tollway’s $12 billion Move Illinois Capital Improvement program. Catalano also spent 13 years with AECOM, where he oversaw nearly 200 transportation staff spanning nine U.S. states.

“I am excited to leverage my experience and collaborate with the local and national teams at Michael Baker to deliver exceptional service to both current and future clients,” said Catalano.

Catalano is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and vice chair of the board for the ACE Chicago Mentor Program, which introduces students to careers in the architecture, construction and engineering industries.