AMES, Iowa – Nov. 24, 2025 – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) selected the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Stuart Anderson as the recipient of a 2025 President’s Transportation Award.
The AASHTO President’s Transportation Awards honor individuals or teams at state departments of transportation across the country. These individuals have provided exemplary service, furthering the transportation activities of member departments to make their communities better.
Anderson, who is the Director of the Transportation Development Division and the agency’s liaison to the Iowa Transportation Commission, received the prestigious national honor at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City this week. The award celebrates Anderson’s 33 years of engineering and administrative leadership and exceptional contributions to transportation policy, planning, and system development in Iowa.
Throughout his distinguished career, Stu has led transformative initiatives that have advanced safety, mobility, and long-term planning across the state. His work has been instrumental in:
- Shaping Iowa’s Complete Streets Policy to support multimodal integration.
- Strengthening asset management programs to ensure responsible stewardship of infrastructure.
- Developing sustainable funding strategies, including Iowa’s first excise tax for electric vehicle charging.
- Leading the creation of multi-billion-dollar investment programs, and guiding or participating in the development of every state long-range transportation plan since 1997.
- Establishing Iowa as a national model for strategic planning, data-driven programming, and innovation.
“Stu’s dedication and forward-thinking approach have not only benefited Iowans, but have also influenced transportation policy at the national level,” said Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler. “There is no one person who has had a deeper individual impact on transportation in the state of Iowa than Stu has over his accomplished career. His recognition by AASHTO is a testament to his work and the respect he has earned among his peers across the country,” Marler added.
Anderson is a 1991 graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He joined the Iowa DOT as an intern, eventually earning his professional engineering license (P.E.). He has held several DOT leadership positions at the highest levels and serves on multiple transportation committees and task forces.
For more information about Stuart Anderson’s award and accomplishments, see this AASHTO video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeiNSDEyCaw
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