Doug Kreis, associate director of the Kentucky Transportation Center, was one of two recipients of 2020 College of Engineering Staff Excellence Awards. The following tribute was submitted by those who nominated him.
As Associate Director of the Kentucky Transportation Center, Doug Kreis not only works hard to expand the impact of our research but does so in a loyal, encouraging manner. He has a unique instinct for people and business yet considers each decision carefully. He often gathers our research group together with our clients to brainstorm ways we can better serve them, thus bringing the Center and the University a broad variety of research opportunities.
Although his duties take him all over Kentucky and the U.S. to meet with clients and to develop new partnerships, he stays in constant contact with each of his employees. It is not unusual to receive the answer to a question within minutes of asking.
When there are disappointments or grants KTC doesn’t receive, he evaluates what we can do to improve on future efforts and cheers us on with his boisterous sense of humor. Anywhere extra guidance is needed—in a meeting with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, at a job site or in one of the state’s transportation districts—he shows up. His management style is supportive, yet he doesn’t micromanage. He is direct and transparent with his employees and KTC’s partners, as well as generous. He makes sure his employees have the tools and equipment they need to perform at their highest level of productivity.