November 2021 Vol. 76 No. 11
Features
Gary Oradat to be Named 2022 MVP
The Most Valuable Professional of the underground infrastructure industry will be honored at the annual Underground Construction Technology (UCT) International Conference & Exhibition, in Fort Worth, Texas, at a special luncheon on Jan. 25. The 2022 award, co-sponsored by the Underground Construction Technology Association and Underground Construction magazine, will be presented to Gary N. Oradat, P.E.
Oradat, who resides in North Richland Hills, Texas, has had a 45-year career of progressive engineering, supervisory/managerial, and administrative/executive experience involving the various aspects of municipal planning, operations, design, construction and management, in the water/wastewater transportation and treatment, stormwater drainage, and raw water transmission segments.
Robert A. Carpenter, editor-in-chief of Underground Construction, recently made the announcement on behalf of the UCTA and the magazine.
“Gary has been a fundamental force for growth and improvement throughout the industry for much of his career,” Carpenter stressed. “His involvement and leadership have been critical successfully addressing market needs.
Since his graduation from Texas A&M University in 1975, he has been continuously involved in the underground infrastructure construction and rehabilitation industry.
His first position was in Dallas Water Utilities, as a wide-eyed young utility engineer that led to a successful 23-year career with the city of Houston’s Public Works and Engineering Department. He started as an Engineer III and worked his
way up to Deputy Director.
He retired from the city in 2004, joining the Coastal Water Authority as chief engineer and advancing to executive director. Upon leaving CWA in 2011, he founded Oradat & Associates, P.C. and most recently was the water utilities practice lead with Halff Associates.
He joined the Trinity River Authority in 2019 to serve as executive manager of the newly developed Planning, Design
and Construction Administration team.
Throughout his career, Oradat has demonstrated leadership and expertise that significantly contributed to the improvement of the agencies he was in, and to the underground sewer and water infrastructure industry.
The work he and many of the previous MVP recipients did, especially during Houston’s 1990s technology explosion as a
key element of the Greater Houston Wastewater Program, allowed the city to develop and utilize technology and materials to reshape our industry. The template has been often repeated by other cities around the country.
Oradat’s career has also positively impacted the underground marketplace by assisting with improvement of concrete additives and pipeline coatings/liners for use in manhole
and/or sanitary sewer rehabilitation.
His professional involvement includes being a past chairman with The American Society for Testing and Materials-Plastic Piping Systems Committee. He is an active member of several subcommittees including, sewer, trenchless technology and reinforced plastic piping systems. He is also a past board member with the Underground Construction Technology Association’s Gulf Coast chapter. He is currently a member of the American Public Works Association and the Society of American Military Engineers, and a registered professional engineer in Texas and Louisiana.
In his private life, Oradat and his wife attend North Richland Hills Baptist Church, where he serves as the Sunday School teacher for married adults. He is also a past Boy Scouts of America Den and Pack Leader, Sam Houston Area Council.
To attend or sponsor the MVP Award Luncheon, details are available on the UCTA website: uctaonline.org.
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