Heather Gilmer '97, '96 MA HFA

Heather Gilmer '97, '96 MA HFA has over 25 years of experience in steel fabrication quality management and the development of national codes and specifications. She is a member of numerous industry technical committees, including the American Welding Society (AWS) Committee D1 on Structural Welding; the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Committee 15 on Steel Structures; ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys; the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration; and various standards committees within the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). She is a current or past chair of several subcommittees and task groups. She is also a coauthor of the FHWA Bridge Welding Reference Manual. In addition to her BS from UMass Amherst, she has an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a recipient of a 2024 American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2023 Richard S. Fountain Award (awarded by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the National Steel Bridge Alliance, and AASHTO), and a 2019 AISC Special Achievement Award. 

She began her professional career with the Texas Department of Transportation. After 11 years with the DOT, she held quality management roles with two major steel bridge fabricators, and then brought her multifaceted perspective to fabrication inspection and consulting services, currently as a Senior Engineer with Pennoni. Her industry certifications include Certified Welding Inspector (AWS), Certified Quality Auditor (American Society for Quality), Certified Associate in Project Management (Project Management Institute), and Bridge Coatings Inspector (SSPC, now AMPP). She is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states.