Brian O’Dowd, PE, has been promoted to director of engineering services for Alaska Railroad (ARCC), effective July 11. O’Dowd succeeds Christian Ryll who retired following a nearly 33-year career.
ARRC says O’Dowd’s experience spans more than a decade of delivering multidisciplinary projects throughout Alaska as a project manager, asset owner, contractor and consultant. His strong background in infrastructure includes construction and maintenance projects for airports, harbors, pipelines, railroads, roadways and vertical buildings.
He has filled diverse roles during his career from project and construction management, to strategic and cross-functional team collaboration, to risk assessment and cost estimation, to legal and regulatory consulting.
O’Dowd’s considerable record and experience, both at the railroad and with previous employers, made him the clear choice to fill the position, according to ARRC Vice President and Chief Engineer Brian Lindamood.
“We recognized Brian’s promising career potential early on, when we hired him as an engineering intern in the mid-2000s. He’s lived up to that potential and we’re very pleased to see him advance within the railroad,” said Lindamood.
Following graduation from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), O’Dowd expanded his knowledge base by managing and directing projects for key engineering firms, including R & M Consultants and The Hamilton Companies. Returning to the Alaska Railroad as a project manager in 2018, he was promoted to senior project manager in 2021.
“The railroad’s engineering services department works throughout ARRC to develop and maintain our vast infrastructure. Brian’s intra-department experience is a great advantage in supporting our capital investment and infrastructure improvement plans and projects. Plus, his years in the private sector provides reliability and range to Brian’s abilities,” added Lindamood. “Brian’s leadership will provide a seamless transition as the newest member of our executive management team.”
O’Dowd earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from UAA and is a certified professional engineer licensed in Alaska. His commitment to lifelong growth in the industry is evident from his service on two American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-Of-Way Association technical committees: the Seismic Design for Railway Structures and Structures Maintenance & Construction.
