Underground Construction - April 2022 - 26

UCT
2022 MVP Gary Oradat
A Quiet Industry Giant Takes a Humble Bow
Jeff Awalt | Executive Editor
To understand the affection an entire
industry can seemingly have for an individual,
one only needed to walk into
the large ballroom of the Fort Worth
Convention Center on Jan. 25.
There had been concerns that attendance
might lag at the in-person
Underground Construction Technology
Conference (UCT) as a new variant of
Covid-19 raised fresh concerns about air
travel and large events. But those fears
proved unfounded, as attendance exceeded
expectations.
And nowhere was that more evident
than at the luncheon honoring
Gary N. Oradat as the Most Valuable
Professional of the underground infrastructure
industry for 2022. The biggest
crowd in MVP Award history came to
pay homage to Oradat, applauding not
just his exemplary career, but the success
of the many professionals he mentored
over the past 45 years.
2022 Most Valuable Professional Gary Oradat
" I met Gary Oradat back in 1988, and
he has guided and helped me through
my career, " said Russ Ford of Lockwood
Andrews & Newman, recalling a sign that
he noticed in Oradat's office at that first
meeting. " It said something like, 'Don't
interrupt the guy doing the job to tell him
that it can't be done.' And through his entire
career, that's who Gary has been. "
Oradat has been continuously involved
in the underground infrastructure
construction and rehabilitation industry
since graduating from Texas A&M
University in 1975. He got his first engineering
job at Dallas Water Utilities, and
that experience landed him an Engineer
III job in Houston's Public Works and
Engineering Department. He spent 23
years in the department, rising to the position
of deputy director before retiring
in 2004 and becoming chief engineer at
the Coastal Water Authority, where he
advanced to executive director.
" Winston Churchill once said,
'History will be kind to me for I intend
to write it,' " said Tony Almeida of Halff
Associates, the MVP for 2013. " And
that's exactly what Gary has done. He
wrote his own story, and that is what
makes his story so remarkable.
" When I was asked to introduce this
year's most valuable award recipient, I
felt honored and humbled, " Almeida
added before introducing Oradat at his
award presentation. " How do you do
justice to someone who has been recognized
by their peers to be worthy of
such an honor? "
After leaving CWA in 2011, Oradat
founded an engineering consultancy and
served as water utilities practice lead with
Halff Associates, then joined the Trinity
River Authority (TRA) in 2019 as executive
manager of the newly formed
Planning, Design and Construction
Administration team.
Oradat, who lives in Fort Worth-area
city of North Richland Hills, has been involved
during his career in virtually every
aspect of municipal planning, operations,
design, construction and management of
water and wastewater transportation and
treatment, stormwater drainage and raw
water transmission segments.
His
professional
American
involvement
Society
for
includes
serving as past chairman for
the
Testing
and Materials-Plastic Piping Systems
Committee. He remains an active memPresenting
the MVP were: Mike Shelton, UCTA Gulf Coast Past President; Gary Oradat, 2022 MVP
Awardee; Lauren Kubin, UCTA North Texas President; Justin Reeves, UCTA National President;
Robert Carpenter, Underground Construction magazine.
26 APRIL 2022 | UCONonline.com
ber of several subcommittees, including
sewer, trenchless technology and reinforced
plastic piping systems.
He is also a past board member of the
Underground Construction Technology
Association's Gulf Coast chapter. In addition,
he is currently a member of the
American Public Works Association
and the Society of American Military

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Underground Construction - April 2022

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