Janet R. Gonzalez, ENV SP, LEED AP BD+C
Transportation Sustainability Director
HDR Inc.
- Alma Mater: Arizona State University
- Fun Fact: Gonzalez once participated in a “Water Use it Wisely” televised and broadcasted campaign in Mesa, Arizona, to educate the public on water saving measures before she even knew that this was called “sustainability”
- Favorite Book: Currently reading “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. Other favorites include “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and “How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- Favorite TV Show: Anything on HGTV is her current guilty pleasure
- Favorite Movie: "Indiana Jones" — all of them
- Favorite Hobbies: In addition to enjoying the outdoors and running, she is relatively artistic and enjoys the arts — photography, painting, museums, music, comedy and theater shows, and loves to salsa dance
When Janet Gonzalez was growing up, she had a passion for volunteering for organizations and efforts to improve her community and present a better quality of life, so getting into the transit field as an adult was a chance to build on those efforts to improve communities using her professional skills.
Gonzalez is transportation sustainability director for HDR Inc. In the position she works to grow sustainability efforts for communities across the U.S.
She has also served as a senior transit manager for the Washington, D.C., streetcar program, the Kansas City Streetcar, Omaha Urban Circulator and BRT and the North Central Corridor project in Austin, Texas.
Gonzalez led sustainability workshops in various cities across the U.S. to help transit agencies identify for planning, guiding and measuring sustainable practices on infrastructure programs. She’s also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, serves on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Sustainability Committee, and is an ISI Envision Sustainability Professional and LEED accredited professional.
Gonzalez is also chair of the Woman’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Chicago chapter and serves on the 2015 WTS International Conference Blue Ribbon Committee.
Gonzalez volunteers in underdeveloped areas of Mexico and proposed strategies to assist Mexico City in meeting water consumption, quality and infrastructure.
She also serves as a board member for Everlasting Marks, which promotes en environmental awareness and cultural understanding for youth through service programs focused on sustainable community construction projects.
“Have an open mind to continue to want to learn. Just because you’re done with school doesn’t mean you’re done with learning.”
“At the end of the day, really, you never know who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to be presented.”
“At a grassroots level, I’ve always participated in community functions.”
