Karla Petty

Karla Petty serves as FHWA’s Director, Office of Technical Services (OTS). In this capacity, she provides executive leadership to five units dedicated to advancing the nation’s infrastructure goals through technical assistance, training, and technology deployment to State and local transportation agencies along with other transportation stakeholders, nationwide. The five units: the Center for Accelerating Innovation, the Center for Local Aid Support, Knowledge Management, the National Highway Institute, and the Resource Center – collaborate with all FHWA units to serve the Agency’s external and internal customers. The five units are all supported by OTS’s Finance and Business Operations unit.

Prior to this position, Karla served as FHWA’s Arizona Division Administrator. In this role, she led and directed a team of professionals responsible for delivering the annual $1 billion Federal-aid Highway Program in Arizona. Under her leadership, Division staff provided program and technical assistance, oversight, and guidance to Arizona Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and other transportation partners. Through financial and technical assistance, the Division worked to improve highway safety, mobility, and livability while encouraging innovation. Karla served in other key leadership positions at FHWA, including Division Administrator for the Colorado Division, Assistant Division Administrator for the Missouri Division, District Engineer and Systems Manager for the Georgia Division, and Area and Safety Engineer for the South Carolina Division.

Karla joined FHWA through the Highway Engineer Training Program and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology.