WASHINGTON, D.C. — WSP welcomes Coral Torres Cruz, EIT, as senior vice president, grant strategy and development services lead. She most recently served as chief of staff for the office of the Under Secretary of Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Torres Cruz joins WSP’s grants strategy and development group for Advisory and Planning, which supports clients in planning, preparing, winning and managing competitive grant funding from federal, state and local sources. She leads the team that works directly with public and private organizations and agencies across the U.S. to identify and pursue funding sources, as well as manage grants after the award, including the grant agreement, monitoring, compliance and close-out processes.
“Throughout her 16 years of federal government experience, Coral has witnessed both sides of the grant process in action and understands the key ingredients necessary for a successful transportation grant application,” said Jannet Walker-Ford, business line executive for Advisory and Planning at WSP. “Her deep knowledge of the grant submission process, her foresight into evolving issues and requirements, and her awareness about environmental and equity considerations, gives our clients a significant edge in their quest to maximize funding for their critical infrastructure projects.”
Torres Cruz served as chief of staff for Under Secretary of Transportation Carlos Montje Jr. and most recently, for acting Under Secretary of Transportation Christopher Coes. She was responsible for providing strategic transportation policy advice, with an emphasis on climate and equity programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). She also monitored implementation of more than $660 billion in federal funds that delivered more than 50,000 infrastructure projects across the U.S.
Her extensive federal transportation experience included service as a senior advisor to the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, as a transportation industry and government affairs associate for the Surface Transportation Board, and as a strategic planning and performance management advisor for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Torres Cruz also served as a senior sustainability officer for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, leading the development of executive orders and guidance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in federal facilities related to vehicle fuel efficiency and fleet management.
She is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a master’s degree in transportation engineering.
WSP Advisory and Planning works with clients to develop a strategic approach to secure funding opportunities from a variety of sources for infrastructure investment, including the U.S. DOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grant (RAISE, previously known as TIGER and BUILD) and FTA’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG). WSP’s strategic grants team has helped clients secure nearly $24.3 billion of BIL funding since its enactment in 2021. By considering financial feasibility early in the planning process, WSP ensures that results of thorough transportation corridor analyses translate into successful investments from federal, state and local levels.
About WSP in the U.S.
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP. As one of the largest professional services firms in the world, WSP exists to future-proof our cities and our environment. It provides strategic advisory, engineering and design services to clients seeking sustainable solutions in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water and mining sectors. With approximately 19,000 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP’s trusted professionals are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities it serves through a culture of innovation, integrity and inclusion. wsp.com
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