Russell Zapalac is the Chief Planning & Project Officer for the Texas Department of Transportation.  In this newly created position, Russell oversees and manages the Department’s public- private partnership and comprehensive development agreement projects.  He also ensures the entire lifecycle of projects are managed and schedules are integrated from a risk and critical path perspective. 

Russell has most recently served as a Senior Vice President and Director of Transportation for HDR’s 17-state Central Region.  His duties included general oversight and leadership of more than 500 professionals.  He has also been involved in some of the largest traditional, design-build and public-private partnership projects in the nation.

Russell is on the Board of Directors for the American Road and Transportation Builders Associations, serves on the Transportation Transformation Group’s Executive Committee and is the past president of the American Road and Transportation Builders Associations Public-Private Venture Division.