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Doug Smith

Doug Smith Joins Tetra Tech as President of Infrastructure Business Group

A graduate of the master's program and former adjunct professor in civil engineering at CU-Boulder, Doug Smith (MS CivEngr '75) recently joined Tetra Tech as president of its Infrastructure Business Group.

Tetra Tech is a $1.3 billion, publicly traded company headquartered in Pasadena, CA, although Smith selected Denver as his home base when he joined the company in December 2005. From Colorado, he oversees more than 1,600 employees in 45 offices working on water infrastructure projects across the country.

In 2004, Smith returned to Colorado from London, where he lived for several years while consulting on water projects around the world with Black & Veatch. Smith says he and his family enjoyed living in Great Britain, and he had the opportunity to work on design-build projects as far afield as Australia and Botswana.

Coming back to Colorado after being gone for more than 15 years was a "great Rip van Winkle effect," he says. "It was fascinating to come back—it was different, but the same."

Originally from Kansas, Smith came to Boulder for graduate school in 1973 and stayed through the late 1970s, working as public utilities director for the City of Boulder. During this period, Boulder voters approved the growth limitation referendum known as the Danish Plan, and the Pearl Street Mall was created. Smith was involved in master planning for the city and the design of the Windy Gap water project, among other things. He also taught the civil engineering course, Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering, in the college.

"I enjoy teaching a great deal, but right now my travel schedule doesn't allow it," he says. Smith has three children, the youngest of whom is a freshman at CU majoring in vocal performance.