Christopher Woodland, PE is one of the many skilled GAI professionals who help clients create better transportation infrastructure, communities, water infrastructure, power generation and delivery, and more from our office locations throughout the United States. Today we will find out a little about Christopher—the background, motivation, and methods that he brings to the table every day for GAI and GAI’s clients.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your area of specialization and what drew you to it.
Christopher Woodland: I have 27 years of experience delivering complex transportation and bridge projects. Throughout most of my career, I have specialized in bridge replacement, bridge rehabilitation, and bridge inspection projects.
What drew me to engineering is a desire to understand how things work. Many of my hobbies, and, ultimately, my career, have been driven by this curiosity. I was always interested in how bridges are designed to accommodate continuous traffic while remaining cost-effective.
While I was still earning my civil engineering degree, I had the opportunity to work as a co-op student with the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH), where I worked every other semester prior to graduation. One of my most rewarding experiences as a student was evaluating bridge load-carrying capacity and performing bridge inspections. This helped me understand how bridges function and gave me a strong sense of what works well and what does not.
Q: What sorts of projects do you typically contribute to at GAI, and what role do you play?
Christopher: Over the course of my career, I have performed hundreds of bridge inspections and led dozens of bridge rehabilitation projects. At GAI, I currently lead the West Virginia Transportation and Infrastructure Team and serve as a key project manager for multidisciplinary projects across the state. As part of this role, I serve as a business development lead and client manager. Our major client is the WVDOH, and we also perform work for municipalities and contractors.
One standout project I was involved in was the North 77 and 79 Bridge Bundle, which included the rehabilitation of 13 interstate bridges. What I really liked about this project was the opportunity to work with many of our other GAI offices to form a large design team that could deliver a quality project on schedule. The project has been challenging, but I believe that GAI has done great work for the client.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role at GAI?
Christopher: One of the most rewarding aspects of my role at GAI has been working with and mentoring staff. That appreciation has grown throughout my career. Earlier on, I focused primarily on individual tasks. Over time, I’ve come to value collaboration, working through challenges with others and developing practical, creative solutions as a team.
As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve realized how much experience I’ve gained, especially when mentoring junior staff. I enjoy sharing ideas, supporting others, and contributing to a strong team environment.
I also enjoy helping build teams with the right mix of engineers and technical staff to strengthen our West Virginia presence. GAI’s depth of talent is one of its greatest strengths, and collaborating with colleagues who bring different perspectives allows us to develop innovative solutions.
This mix of ideas can lead to identifying more efficient approaches to projects that can reduce both delivery time and costs for the client. In one example, our team successfully navigated significant challenges to deliver plans for an accelerated bridge construction using precast concrete panels—a first for the WVDOH.
Overall, I take pride in teamwork, mentorship, and delivering thoughtful solutions for our clients.
“GAI’s depth of talent is one of its greatest strengths, and collaborating with colleagues who bring different perspectives allows us to develop innovative solutions.”
Q: How do you measure your success?
Christopher: One way I measure success is through client feedback, both formally through evaluations and informally through their choice to continue their working relationship with GAI. While many firms have capable staff who can deliver projects, we focus on providing a higher level of service.
Clients tend to return to those teams that they trust and that make their jobs easier. In a state like West Virginia, where the engineering community is relatively small, both individual and firm reputations are constantly on display. Maintaining that trust and consistently delivering quality service is critical, and it remains a key focus in how I approach my work.
On a personal level, I consider myself successful when I fulfill my aspiration to be a positive example and a strong father for my family. My approach is grounded in Colossians 3:23-24, a perspective that guides both my personal life and my work. It reminds me to give my best effort, act with integrity, and stay focused on a higher purpose in everything I do.
Q: Why do you feel that GAI is a good place to put your skills to work?
Having worked for state agencies and several consulting firms, I’ve developed a strong perspective on how organizations engage with both employees and clients. One of GAI’s key strengths is the trust placed in local teams to make important decisions on projects and pursuits. In contrast, larger firms often have layers of bureaucracy that slow critical decision-making.
GAI strikes an effective balance: we are large enough to offer a wide range of in-house expertise across disciplines, yet agile enough to empower staff at the local level. In West Virginia, this allows us to deliver complete projects without relying heavily on outside partners, improving efficiency and coordination.
A recent example is our successful pursuit of a bridge rehabilitation bundle in West Virginia. While competing teams relied on multiple firms, we delivered a comprehensive approach using internal resources. This highlights the strength and depth of our team.
Our leadership also supports professional involvement outside the firm. I’ve been associated with the American Council of Engineering Companies of West Virginia (ACEC-WV) for 11 years, including eight years with GAI’s support. This support helped me to grow into my current role as ACEC-WV president, where I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside others to drive positive change for our industry in the state. To me, this is a clear example of how GAI’s trust and support enable us to deliver strong results to clients and the communities we serve while making a meaningful impact on the broader AEC industry.
Contact Christopher Woodland, 304.933.5224 for more information about GAI’s West Virginia infrastructure services—message GAI and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.
Christopher Woodland, PE leads GAI Consultants’ West Virginia Transportation and Infrastructure Team, serving as a key project manager for multidisciplinary transportation projects throughout the state while also providing client management and driving business-development efforts. His broad expertise across transportation engineering disciplines equips him to guide diverse teams and integrate technical, project management, and stakeholder considerations for effective infrastructure project delivery.
