Khalil Jaber, Deputy Director of Engineering for the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), has been awarded the 2026 Nebraska Engineering Pillar Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies for Nebraska (ACEC NE) for his leadership and service to the profession.
“It is a privilege and an honor to receive this acknowledgement, and I want to thank the ACEC NE Board of Directors for this prestigious recognition. I can only imagine this award signifies the success and importance of our partnership,” said Jaber, who has served as the Deputy Director of Engineering at NDOT since 2012. “This could have not been achieved without the commitment and help of our teammates and the absolute support of the Director’s Office.”
Jaber’s career at NDOT has spanned nearly 36 years. Prior to being chosen as Deputy Director of Engineering at NDOT, Jaber served as the Program Management Engineer, the Public Transportation Engineer in the Rail and Transit Sections, Project Engineer and Consultant Coordinator in Roadway Design, and a Field Project Manager in the District 5 Bridgeport Office.
“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Khalil for over 25+ years and I appreciate not only his service and leadership for the Nebraska Department of Transportation as the Director of Engineering, but also his ability to engage and leverage the relationships across the industry for the betterment of our transportation system. He is very deserving of this recognition by ACEC NE as a true pillar of the engineering profession in Nebraska,” says Tony Dirks, Director of Civil/Transportation Services,Senior Vice President at Benesch.
Jaber received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Nebraska. He has also been a Project Management Professional (PMP) since January of 2008.
“The reason I fell in love with the civil engineering profession and wanted to do it before I even entered high school is the diversity in the discipline and the number of people you
collaborate with just by being involved,” Jaber said. “Being in the transportation sector, you have the ability to engage with and influence the design of highways or bridges knowing how many people will be utilizing them to get to their destination safely and efficiently.”
In addition to pushing key policies for engineering, programming, and planning, as well as delivering signature projects, Jaber has been involved in many key initiatives at NDOT throughout his tenure. Such initiatives include assuming NEPA Assignment 326, as well as currently seeking full NEPA Assignment 327. Jaber was also involved in implementing the Federal Funds Purchase Program (FFPP), which was established to provide a way for NDOT to purchase the federal funds used by Local Public Agencies in exchange for state cash, and tailor projects to better meet their needs.
Despite a distinguished career and numerous achievements, Jaber made clear that NDOT’s success is built on teamwork and shared commitment, and credits his success to those that mentored him.
“I wanted to hear their stories. I wanted to hear their struggles. I learned a lot from those different stories, and now I get to share them with my team, so they can reflect on every story and struggle,” he explained.
In turn, Jaber has without a doubt become a source of wisdom and leadership at NDOT himself.
“Deputy Director Jaber truly embodies what it means to be a public servant,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “Khalil has led at every level of our organization, setting the standard in performance, ethics and leadership. He has guided and mentored much of our leadership and we are better because of it. I am personally thankful for his friendship and counsel as we’ve navigated complex situations— his level of thoughtfulness has had a direct impact on the quality of Nebraska’s transportation system.”
“ACEC Nebraska deeply values our strong and collaborative partnership with the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Khalil Jaber exemplifies the professionalism, leadership, and commitment to public service that make that partnership so effective. We have great respect for his work and the positive impact he continues to have on Nebraska’s engineering industry,” says Jeanne McClure, Executive Director of ACEC Nebraska.
Khalil and his wife live in Lincoln and have two children and three grandchildren.
ACEC Nebraska established the Nebraska Engineering Pillar Award to recognize outstanding engineers who have supported the organization and its mission, as well as contributed to the engineering community in the state. The organization represents consulting engineering firms in Nebraska, and its mission is to improve the quality of life in the state by strengthening the business environment for the consulting engineering profession.