Speakers
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Ana Mijares PEDistrict Engineer | Texas Department of Transportation — Beaumont DistrictAna Mijares, P.E., serves as the district engineer for TxDOT’s Beaumont District.
The district comprises eight counties: Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler.
Mijares oversees the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the transportation system for the eight-county Beaumont District.
A TxDOT veteran, Mijares began her TxDOT career in 1993 as a summer intern in the Lufkin District. After earning her B.S. in Civil Engineering, she joined the Lufkin district as an Engineering Assistant. She rotated through multiple offices in the district before becoming an Assistant Area Engineer.
In 2006, Mijares moved to the private sector, contributing to transportation projects across several Texas districts and working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on hurricane protection in Louisiana.
She returned to the Lufkin district of TxDOT in 2012 as Central Design Lead. She then became District Design Engineer in 2014, overseeing $785M in construction. In 2020, she was appointed Director of Transportation Planning and Development, where she managed a 10-year portfolio and delivered $400M in projects.
In 2022, Mijares became Deputy District Engineer for the Beaumont District. In 2024, under her support and guidance, the district successfully delivered a record-breaking $960 million in construction projects. She is also very proud of the recent implementation of smart work zones on the Rainbow Bridge Rehabilitation Project and the creation of the first Traffic Incident Management (TIM) team in the district.
Mijares earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M in 1996 and received her Professional Engineering license in 2004.
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Heather Ashley-NguyenDirector of TP&D | Texas Department of Transportation – Austin DistrictHeather Ashley is a 2001 graduate of UT Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Heather served 12 years in the private sector as roadway design engineer, before joining TxDOT in 2013. Heather has 11 years of design build project experience that includes planning, procurement, and design/implementation. Heather is currently serving as transportation planning and development director and leads a team of over 100 and manages programming and delivery of projects including the $7B Capital Express Program.
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Lorena Echeverria de Misi PETPP Portfolio Planning Engineer | Texas Department of TransportationLorena brings more than 25 years of transportation engineering experience with a unique blend of long-range corridor planning, UTP programming, advanced project development, PS&E, letting and funding expertise.
Lorena joined TxDOT’s Transportation Planning and Programming (TPP) Division in 2021 as the Corridor Planning Branch Manager. For five years, she led the development of the statewide multimodal transportation Corridor Planning Program, where she oversaw statewide corridor studies, developed corridor master plans as decision-making planning tools for TxDOT districts, and supported future interstate designation and development in Texas for the I-69, I-14, and I-27 systems. In October 2025, Lorena was appointed as TxDOT’s first TPP Portfolio Planning Engineer, where her role now is to continue guiding corridor planning and build upon this experience to enhance synergy between statewide freight planning, international trade and border planning, long-range programming, the Unified Transportation Program (UTP), and district project implementation in alignment with statewide initiatives and priorities.
Lorena has served TxDOT in numerous capacities. She began her career in 1993 as a summer intern in the Pharr District’s Pharr Area Office then joined the San Antonio District’s Bexar County Central Area Office as an Engineering Assistant. In 1998 Lorena went to the private sector where she managed projects through all stages of development for the TxDOT Districts of Austin, Bryan, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco. Lorena returned to TxDOT in 2012 as the Austin District Central Texas Regional Mobility (CTRMA) Engineering Liaison, where she gained diverse experience in the planning, development and implementation of design-build projects. In January 2013, she was appointed as the first woman Austin District Director of Transportation Planning and Development (TP&D), where she managed an 11-county project portfolio. In late 2013, Lorena was appointed as TxDOT’s first permanent Division Director for the Professional Engineering Procurement Services (PEPS) Division. In this position, she was responsible for standing up a newly formed division and procuring an annual estimated $1 Billion in new professional engineering contract capacity for TxDOT. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Sep 18 2026
- Time: 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
From Vision to Reality: Delivering Multimodal Projects Through Integrated Planning and Engineering: Connecting Statewide Strategy, Project Portfolio Development, and District Delivery to Advance Transportation Solutions
As transportation agencies work to address growing mobility needs, infrastructure demands, system resiliency, and funding constraints, successful project delivery requires strong coordination between planning, programming, engineering, and implementation. Transforming long-range transportation goals into projects that can be funded, developed, and delivered demands an integrated approach that bridges organizational, technical, and geographic boundaries.
From Vision to Reality: Delivering Multimodal Projects Through Integrated Planning and Engineering brings together leaders from statewide planning and programming, project portfolio management, and district transportation development to explore how agencies are advancing multimodal transportation solutions from concept to construction.
The session will examine how transportation priorities are identified, evaluated, programmed, and ultimately delivered through coordinated planning and engineering processes. Panelists will share perspectives on:
- Linking statewide transportation goals to regional and district priorities
- Developing and managing project portfolios that maximize mobility, safety, and system performance
- Integrating multimodal considerations into planning, programming, and project development
- Balancing technical, environmental, funding, and stakeholder considerations throughout project delivery
- Strengthening collaboration between planners, engineers, and decision-makers
- Advancing resilient infrastructure investments that address both current and future transportation needs
Through real-world examples and lessons learned, panelists will highlight how integrated planning and engineering approaches help agencies move projects efficiently from vision to implementation while supporting long-term transportation system resilience.
Attendees will gain practical insights into the processes, partnerships, and leadership strategies that enable successful multimodal project delivery across Texas, demonstrating how coordinated planning and engineering efforts can transform transportation visions into successful infrastructure outcomes.
