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For Garver Oklahoma Roadway Team Leader Jenny Sallee, PE, transportation engineering is about so much more than moving people down the road. “It’s not just putting the pavement down. There are so many more details that go into it—from good geometry, clear signing and striping to determining how water crosses the road without flooding—that are crucial for safety.”

 

Sallee discovered a passion for math and drafting at an early age, leading her to the civil engineering program at Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. After obtaining a Master’s degree with a focus on structures, she pursued roadway engineering and has never looked back.

As a woman in the male-dominated field of engineering, Sallee finds common ground with her colleagues by focusing on delivering quality results. “I’ve been fortunate to work with great, supportive people throughout my career,” Sallee said. “Our industry is driven by logic and facts which helps people see beyond gender. I concentrate on doing the best job I can do, and at the end of the day that’s what matters.”

 

Sallee’s notable achievements include the I-40 & I-35/I-235 Interchange in Oklahoma City and a 20-mile corridor study and construction plans for the Turner Turnpike widening near Kellyville. She has led Garver’s highway design team of more than a dozen employees since 2019. 

 

A south Tulsa resident, Sallee is especially proud of her role in the diverging diamond interchange at Memorial and the Creek Turnpike. “As a mom with a teenage son, I was highly motivated to see that come to fruition before he got his driver’s license,” she joked. “I love that I get to drive through my projects. I get to experience them and think, ‘Wow, this really makes a difference in people’s everyday lives.’”

Sallee credits Garver’s family-like employee culture for her 14 years at the company. Named one of Oklahoma Magazine’s Great Companies to Work For, employees enjoy a wellness program, top tier benefits, team building and development opportunities. “Garver prioritizes providing the best employee experience possible,” said Sallee. “We invest in our people, and we try to make work fun where we can. Each office has its own unique flavor, but what we have in common is the collaborative and connected environment.”

 

Garver keeps employees’ best interests in mind by advocating for issues impacting the company and industry. “The past few years I’ve gotten more involved in government relations, understanding the legislative process and getting to know legislators,” Sallee said. She credits Open For Business Oklahoma (OFBO) with providing learning opportunities for how to make the most of legislative visits. “OFBO has helped me become a lot more aware of the process, how our legislative system operates, and what’s important to focus on. At the same time, OFBO has helped us connect with other firms with similar platforms to us.”

 

Garver recently celebrated 30 years in Oklahoma. With more than 120 employees located in the state, Sallee and her colleagues look forward to continuing to keep Oklahoma’s roadways safe for generations to come. “Lives depend on what we do. From driving down the road to drinking clean water, we do these things every day. It fades into the background and we don’t realize just what it takes to keep us safe,” she said. “You want qualified critical thinkers designing critical infrastructure, and that’s what we offer at Garver.”