Ex-DOT Procurement Chief Joins Engineering Firm
Engineering firms bidding on Connecticut highway work should expect sharper competition from consultants with state procurement insight.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
Fuss & O'Neill, a civil and environmental engineering firm based in Hartford, has hired Charles Roman as vice president and lead of its highway sector. The appointment is relevant to Connecticut transportation firms and clients as the firm expands its highway initiatives across New England.
Why it matters
Roman brings more than 38 years of transportation leadership, including nearly four decades with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, where he most recently served as Administrator of Procurement and Negotiations Committee Oversight Designee. For operators in Connecticut's engineering and construction ecosystem, a senior hire with state agency procurement experience signals how a regional engineering firm is positioning itself for public highway work.
Charles Roman brings more than 38 years of transportation leadership experience, including nearly four decades with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The announcement does not specify the size of the highway sector team he will oversee or the scale of the firm's current highway work.
The players
Fuss & O'Neill
A civil and environmental engineering firm headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, providing transportation, environmental, and infrastructure consulting services across New England.
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The state agency responsible for planning, building, and maintaining Connecticut's highways, bridges, rail, and transit systems, and a major procurer of engineering services from private firms.
The details
Roman will provide strategic support to the executive leadership team and develop and maintain client relationships, the two core functions of a senior sector lead at a professional services firm. His responsibilities center on directing the firm's highway sector initiatives throughout New England. Because his background is on the public-agency side, his role is likely to shape how the firm approaches state and regional transportation procurement from the consultant's side of the table.
Timeline
The hiring announcement was published on November 6, 2026.
Market Landscape
Senior hires moving from state transportation agencies into private engineering firms are a recurring pattern in public infrastructure markets. Former agency procurement officials bring knowledge of how state contracts are scoped, evaluated, and awarded, which matters in a market where consultants compete for public highway work.
Connecticut engineering and construction firms bidding on state highway work should note that competitors are adding former state DOT procurement expertise to their leadership teams. Operators who sell professional services to public agencies may want to reassess how they track senior personnel changes at competing consultants.
The takeaway
Senior personnel moves from public agencies into consulting firms can shift competitive positioning on state contracts. Operators in professional services should track leadership hires at firms they compete against, particularly those with prior state procurement experience.
Further reading
For more on executive moves across the state's business community, see the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nerej.
