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CEO David Wantman proudly announces that former Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay joined WGI, Inc. as vice president for government relations in its West Palm Beach headquarters.
Her addition to the team solidifies WGI’s leadership in helping communities harness the benefits of much-needed infrastructure projects throughout the nation.
"Melissa has a distinguished career in public service and a proven track record of helping Florida’s communities, including a special focus on western Palm Beach County’s underserved Glades communities. She will continue to be a relationship builder, adding depth to WGI’s outreach to municipal, county, and state leadership throughout Florida -- and beyond. Adding Melissa’s skillset to the WGI team is part of our strategic plan and consistent with our core values, especially ‘Passion for People,’” says Michael Davis, WGI senior vice president and chief strategy officer.Melissa was elected to the Board of Commissioners of Palm Beach County in 2014 and served as Mayor of Palm Beach County from 2017-2018. In 2020, she was elected president of the Florida Association of Counties and also served on the National Association of Counties Board of Directors. Previously, she worked for nearly 20 years as a legislative aide in several agencies including the County’s Legislative Affairs office, former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s office, the Florida House of Representatives, and Florida’s Department of Community Affairs. She is a founding member of the County’s Sexual Assault Response Team as well as the Addiction Stabilization Unit. She served as State Chairwoman of the Junior Leagues of Florida and volunteered for local organizations including the Homeless Coalition and ChildNet. She is a graduate of Florida State University.
"WGI is one of the nation's fastest-growing firms dedicated to its associates, clients, and helping communities improve infrastructure through environmentally friendly design,” says Melissa. “I am excited to join the team, where I can combine my public-sector experience and my passion for building strong communities with such a talented group of professionals.”WGI clients are aware of both the potential and challenges, associated with disruption and change as the country embarks upon the largest infrastructure investment in generations. As a national leader in the planning and design of such infrastructure, WGI looks forward to providing sustainable and resilient solutions to transportation, water, and climate-related challenges. Melissa will help WGI effectively communicate with clients, elected officials, and affected communities.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Melissa for several years, watching her work hard and help make Palm Beach County a better place to live, work, and play. She is an extraordinarily talented and visionary thinker. With her relationships and expertise, we will help cities, counties, and states better position for the future using WGI’s forward-leaning approaches to technology and innovation,” says David Wantman.Melissa will work on the strategy team based in the company’s headquarters. In her role, she will collaborate with all WGI service lines, including transportation, planning, civil and building engineering, environmental, and geospatial. She will work closely with WGI’s urban and community planning and mobility teams and provide thought leadership on emerging infrastructure policy at the local, state, and national levels. ABOUT WGI As a multidisciplinary solutions-providing consulting firm, WGI has 25 offices in eight states, serving an active client base in over 40 states, specializing in the following disciplines: geospatial and land surveying, subsurface utility engineering, land development/municipal engineering, mobility planning, traffic and transportation engineering, parking solutions, restoration and structural engineering, landscape architecture, environmental sciences and water resources, architecture, land planning, and MEP engineering. In 2022, ENR ranked WGI #167 - up eight places -- on its list of the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States. ENR Magazine also named WGI its 2021 Design Firm of the Year in the southeast United States. For more information, please visit www.wginc.com. WGI Company Contacts: WGI Contact: Michael Davis Senior Vice President/Chief Strategy Officer Michael.Davis@WGInc.com 561.687.2220 Media Contact: Kelly Owens Alchemy Communications Group ko@alchemycommgroup.com O: 561.935.9953 x.101 M: 561.222.4958