HOUSTON – Nearly two years ago, Kuo & Associates (KUO), a civil engineering and surveying firm serving Houston and Southeast Texas since 1985, initiated a comprehensive succession strategy designed to enable its two top leaders to retire by the end of 2025, after more than 3 decades of service. Next week, that transition begins.
Shaheen Chowdhury, PE, RPLS, president and a principal of KUO, has announced he will retire December 31st after more than 30 years with the firm. Steven Weng, PE, RPLS, vice president and a principal, will retire at the same time after more than 30 years with KUO.
Engineering industry veteran Ricky Gonzalez, LGPP, whom KUO recruited as part of the succession plan early this past year as executive vice president, will take over as president.
“Our retirement follows a succession plan we put into place in early 2024 when my partner, Steven Weng, and I sold our firm to The HFW Companies (HFW) and joined the growing, national HFW Partner Network,” Chowdhury said of the strategic transition. “As part of that plan, we’ve been working closely with Ricky and a very capable internal team of next-generation leaders since early this past year to ensure a smooth and comprehensive transition.”
Prior to KUO, Gonzalez spent 32 years serving Houston, Texas, and surrounding regions, most recently as a senior associate and municipal/roadway team leader and regional business development principal, for engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. His design and project management experience encompass hundreds of public infrastructure improvements, including roadways reconstruction projects, traffic signalization, trail networks, ADA-compliant sidewalks, capital improvement planning, and traffic engineering initiatives throughout the region, with an emphasis on advancing turnkey “complete streets” solutions that improve mobility and equity in underserved communities.
“Ricky’s hiring aligned with our vision of elevating KUO as a premier infrastructure design consultant in the local and regional markets while developing a high-performing leadership succession plan,” Chowdhury said, “and Ricky has built a great network with strong relationships in the region. Rest assured the strong leadership of Ricky and his leadership team will enable KUO to continue to deliver the top-quality infrastructure design services around which our firm has built its legacy over these past 40 years.”
Gonzalez, who has been transitioning to his new role since starting with KUO, said he looks forward to the opportunity to accelerate the firm’s growth in and beyond the Houston market, in partnership with parent company HFW and the HFW Partner Network. HFW, meanwhile, will continue to support KUO with an operational platform that includes HR, finance, and project delivery support, as well as access to the network’s diverse continuum of design expertise and experience.
“Thanks to Shaheen and Steven, I now have a great opportunity – with help from our very capable leadership team — to continue to build on KUO’s exceptional infrastructure design legacy,” Gonzalez said. “I’m excited and honored to step into this role as we begin the next chapter of KUO together, and I look forward to working closely with HFW and our network partners across the country to build even greater value for all of us, including our clients.”
For more information about Kuo & Associates and its leadership transition, please contact Ricky Gonzalez, LGPP, president, at rgonzalez@kuoassociates.com.
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