KANSAS CITY, MO — Former Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz joins 1898 & Co. to help businesses, industries, and governments make the most of unprecedented opportunities fueled by federal funding for addressing critical infrastructure needs.

After having led the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) for four years, Lorenz is now a Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co., the business and technology consulting arm of Burns & McDonnell, a 100 percent employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm. With more than 25 years of experience, she is recognized as a national leader in policy development, collaboration, and scenario planning.

"At 1898 & Co., we bring together a unique blend of business professionals, technologists, engineers, and industry specialists, a combination that allows us to better serve our clients and deliver multifaceted solutions," said Chris Underwood, Vice President and General Manager of 1898 & Co. "Julie will bring her diverse experience and unique perspective to help solve our clients' most complex challenges. She will lead an industry transformation in critical infrastructure, advancing the industry to a more successful future."

As a Principal Consultant, Lorenz will provide C-suite-level advisory services for the private and public sectors, and will also lead the charge to grow services into other markets. This includes consulting on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) deployment across infrastructure sectors.

While at KDOT, Lorenz launched the Kansas Infrastructure Hub in support of IIJA, created the $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, and led the Kansas Recovery Office, responsible for administering over $1 billion in CARES Act COVID-19 relief funding in six months. In October 2022, Lorenz received the George S. Bartlett Award for leading development of a national vision for transportation, which was unanimously approved by all 52 state and territory departments of transportation.

"Working with the private sector and our KDOT team, I helped rebuild aged infrastructure and modernize how we deliver transportation," Lorenz said. "Kansas is now positioned to better seize opportunities and meet challenges today and in the future. Solutions need to work in the real world, not just exist on the drawing board. I look forward to moving vision to action for our critical infrastructure clients."

Prior to her role with KDOT, Lorenz worked as a Senior Strategic Consultant for Burns & McDonnell on transportation projects at the local, regional, and national levels. Before that she served for eight years as KDOT's Director of Public Affairs.

During her career, Lorenz has led research for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) on topics such as long-term and emerging trends in transportation and how to create and sustain a culture of innovation for state departments of transportation. She just completed her appointments on the executive committee of the TRB and is chairing the Council on Aviation for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. She is President of the Mid-America Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Lorenz is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where she earned a Master of Arts in organizational psychology, and Drury University, where she earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and business administration.

1898 & Co. is a business, technology, and cybersecurity consulting firm serving the industries that keep the world in motion. As part of Burns & McDonnell, the company's consultants leverage global experience in critical infrastructure assets to innovate practical solutions grounded in operational realities.