Esther McGinnis
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR, ESG
“I tell junior professionals that there are challenges everywhere – their goal shouldn’t be to avoid them. Instead, build up the strength of character and intellectual capacity to face challenges and excel – that will set you apart personally and professionally.”
Esther McGinnis leads the firm’s robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program. This includes the key focus areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; sustainability; safety, and firm governance.
She also chaired Gannett Fleming’s COVID-19 Corporate Response Team, working in crisis and recovery to ensure a safe and healthy environment for employees and continued delivery of excellence to our clients.
A 40-year industry veteran, McGinnis began her career as a project manager at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. She joined Gannett Fleming in 1995 and collaborated with a team of engineers, planners, and scientists to create the model for how project teams account for environmental and social stewardship.
With a passion for mentorship, allyship, and a more inclusive industry, McGinnis co-founded the award-winning Connected Women at Gannett Fleming™ employee resource group and served as an inaugural member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee. She also serves on the advisory council for the Equity in Infrastructure Project.
McGinnis’s contributions to the infrastructure industry have been celebrated with the Ethel S. Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association as well as the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg Women of Excellence Award.
Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE)
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEP)
- WTS International
Education
- Bachelor of Science in civil engineering technology, Point Park College
Esther McGinnis
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
“I tell junior professionals that there are challenges everywhere – their goal shouldn’t be to avoid them. Instead, build up the strength of character and intellectual capacity to face challenges and excel – that will set you apart personally and professionally.”
Esther McGinnis leads the firm’s robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program. This includes the key focus areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; sustainability; safety, and firm governance.
She also chaired Gannett Fleming’s COVID-19 Corporate Response Team, working in crisis and recovery to ensure a safe and healthy environment for employees and continued delivery of excellence to our clients.
A 40-year industry veteran, McGinnis began her career as a project manager at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. She joined Gannett Fleming in 1995 and collaborated with a team of engineers, planners, and scientists to create the model for how project teams account for environmental and social stewardship.
With a passion for mentorship, allyship, and a more inclusive industry, McGinnis co-founded the award-winning Connected Women at Gannett Fleming™ employee resource group and served as an inaugural member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee. She also serves on the advisory council for the Equity in Infrastructure Project.
McGinnis’s contributions to the infrastructure industry have been celebrated with the Ethel S. Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association as well as the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg Women of Excellence Award.
Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Highway Engineers
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals
- WTS International
Education
- Bachelor of Science in civil engineering technology, Point Park College
