Modjeski and Masters' Chairman of the Board,
William B. Conway, PE, Retires
 

 
On September 28, 2007 Modjeski and Masters’ Chairman of the Board, Mr. William B. Conway, PE, retired from the firm after devoting 50 years of service to the company. He will remain available to the firm as a part-time consultant, providing technical advice and expertise on special projects. Dr. John M. Kulicki, PE, CEO of Modjeski and Masters, will assume Mr. Conway’s position as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Donald F. Sorgenfrei, PE, and Dr. Zolan Prucz, PE, both Senior Vice-Presidents of Modjeski and Masters, will assume many of Mr. Conway’s responsibilities in the New Orleans design office.

Mr. Conway obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and a Master of Science in civil engineering from the Thayer School of Engineering in 1954. He joined Modjeski and Masters in 1957, following employment with other firms, an instructionship at Dartmouth College, and service in the U.S. Navy Construction Battalions. He was appointed Engineer-In-Charge of the New Orleans design office in 1961 and became a partner in 1969. He was elected Chairman of the Board and CEO when the firm incorporated in 1992. He relinquished the title of CEO in 2004 and continued on as Chairman until his retirement.

Mr. Conway’s technical specialties include design of deep water caisson foundations, design of long span truss, girder and cable supported spans, retrofit and strengthening of steel structures, vessel/bridge collision analysis, and management of design teams for major projects. His professional registration spans 16 states, highlighting the demand for his expertise.

His distinguished career includes many notable milestones and accomplishments. He has been the Principal-in-Charge of eight Mississippi River Crossing projects. Among these, the Interstate 310 Bridge at Luling, Louisiana was the longest cable-stayed span in the United States when it opened in 1978. The Greater New Orleans #2 Bridge in New Orleans, Louisiana is the second longest cantilever span in the United States and ranks fifth on the list of the world’s great cantilever bridges. Most recently, he directed the seismic retrofit of the steel portions of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge in California, the design of the Florida Avenue Lift Bridge in New Orleans, and the widening of the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River.

Mr. Conway’s willingness to share his depth of knowledge is demonstrated through his participation in professional organizations and vast amount of published and presented materials. He is a member of the American Concrete Institute, the American Institute of Steel Construction, the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, and the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. He has authored/co-authored over 65 presentations, papers, and reports throughout his career, including topics such as movable bridges, Mississippi River crossings, ship collisions, and seismic retrofits.

The value of Mr. Conway's long career is being recognized by both the engineering community and by our firm. He was recently awarded the John A. Roebling Medal for lifetime achievement in bridge engineering. A company event is planned for October to honor him for his service which spanned half a century with Modjeski and Masters.

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