John Baker Joins LAN as Vice President after Distinguished Military Career

John Baker, PE has joined planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) as Senior Program Manager and Vice President of Infrastructure. In his new role, Baker will oversee public sector infrastructure projects.

Baker comes to LAN with a storied military career.  A recipient of three bronze stars for heroic and meritorious service in combat zones, he was most recently a Colonel in the U.S. Army, with more than 25 years of military service.  As a leader in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he successfully helmed multiple billion-dollar infrastructure programs. At LAN, he will be responsible for federal government, state, and local projects and be based in the San Antonio office.

Steve Gilbreath, LAN Vice President and Business Group Leader, says, “John is a great addition to our company.  With his outstanding credentials, he will help advance our water resources supply and federal practices. Across the state, he will be actively involved in business development and strategic planning for our infrastructure initiatives with public and private organizations. As the lead on designated infrastructure projects, he’ll help us deliver sustainable solutions for communities. He will definitely add depth to our strong team.”

“As part of our leadership team, John will also be able to mentor newer engineers. They are learning from the best,” adds Gilbreath.

Prior to joining LAN, the Texas A&M graduate was the Director of Operations for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command. Working with a global workforce, the Colonel managed services and infrastructure for 75 Army bases around the world providing emergency management, strategic planning, and training support.  Baker coordinated large scale military responses, including the historic reception, placement, and housing of more than 30,000 Afghan refugees at Army installations.

In his distinguished tenure with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baker served as a District
Commander, Executive Director-Civil Works, and Chief Engineer. As USACE’s District Commander in Germany, he presided over an engineering, construction, and real estate program stretching across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Baker has managed multi-billion-dollar construction budgets including LEED certified and sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIF).

In his Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California assignments, he headed crucial civil works programs for water resources, disaster response, flood reduction, environmental restoration, and sustainable infrastructure.

Baker has been consistently recognized for building highly cohesive teams and excelling in critical situations. In Afghanistan, he led the construction of a $70 million, 3500-soldier Afghan Army base with more than 100 on-site facilities, a success the Afghan President recognized by personally attending the dedication ceremony.

In addition to his master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, he has a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Baker is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

About LAN

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs. With nearly 350 employees across the United States, LAN is a national leader in the engineering industry and is consistently ranked among the “Top 100 A/E Firms” according to Engineering News-Record. LAN is a LEO A DALY company, an international architecture and engineering firm.