2026 Roadway Practice Summit: Learning, Connection, and Friendly Competition
What do a wooden train whistle, a rock-paper-scissors tournament, and professional development have in common? They were all part of Horrocks’ 2026 Roadway Practice Summit on August 26 and 27, which brought together about 70 employees from our firm’s largest practice for two days of learning, connection, and some friendly competition.
Learning to Be Leaders Who Put People First
Roadway employees from different offices and states — Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington — gathered to learn from one another and spend time with coworkers. The agenda included trainings, project highlights, keynote presentations, and group activities.
Leadership was a strong theme throughout the summit. Kris Peterson, a Senior Project Manager, drew on his extensive leadership experience at UDOT and Horrocks to explore the difference between managing and leading. His message focused on caring for people, being willing to have difficult conversations, and helping others grow.
The ELT speakers echoed a similar message: Good leaders and employees leave their teams and organizations better than they found them. Bryan Foote, President, reflected on Horrocks’ strong culture and the importance of helping employees feel valued. Meanwhile, Russ Goble, Chief People Officer, spoke about the importance of believing in the Horrocks brand and shared his life motto:
“Mission first, but people always.”
Gathering to Learn and Have Fun
There was a splash of fun throughout every element of the summit.
Darren Eyre, a Transportation Project Manager, shared how the Rail and Roadway practices work together. He opened with a wooden train whistle and AI-generated images of Roadway employees as railroad wizards and Jedi knights, proving that cross-practice learning does not have to be completely serious to be memorable.
That same spirit carried into trivia, communication games, and a room-wide rock-paper-scissors tournament. For the tournament, each person who lost became a supporter of the person who beat them, leaving the final competitors with two massive, enthusiastic cheering sections.
Why Time Together Matters
Summits can be a lot of work; it isn't easy to coordinate 70+ people's schedules and travel needs! However, the opportunity to connect in person, highlight team members' hard work, and strengthen relationships makes the effort worthwhile.
Dustin Richins, the Roadway Practice Lead, shared,
“The more we personally know each other, the better we work together as a team. We see more success and higher quality in our projects.”
Kat Yoder, the Roadway Practice Unity Lead, shared a similar takeaway.
“Beyond ‘what we do matters,’ it’s also ‘who you are matters.’”
Over two days, the Roadway practice had the chance to celebrate both: the work they do and the people they do it with.
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