FHWA Division Administrator Catherine "Kay" Batey retires

“If you’re real smart and want a good job, you need to go work for the federal government.” These were the words of Catherine “Kay” Batey’s father years ago, but Batey didn’t listen, at least not at first.

Batey instead chose to earn a Bachelor of Science in biology and chemistry from the University of Tennessee, followed by a job at a Tennessee hospital, before realizing this was not the path she wanted to take.

“It just wasn’t where I wanted to be,” Batey said.

After six years in the medical field, she went back to the University of Tennessee for a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering.

“I have to admit, it wasn’t easy, but I was glad I did it,” she said.

Batey says math came easy to her and so did moving around. Throughout her 40-year career, she has lived and worked in Tennessee, Arkansas, Washington D.C., Kansas, Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, and Illinois.

Per her father’s advice, she started working for the Federal Highway Administration in 1987 and has served in a number of positions throughout the United States, including: Planning and Project Development Engineer in the North Carolina Division, Transportation Engineer in the Louisiana Division, Environmental Engineer in the Maryland Division, Assistant Division Administrator in Alabama, and various other Division assignments for the Highway Engineer Training Program.

Batey also co-instructed the National Highway Institute Federal-Aid Highway 101 course, served on the National Human Resource Management Committee, and served on the Innovative Conference on Asphalt and Transportation Executive Board.

In July 2013, Batey became the Division Administrator for Illinois. She led an office of 33 professionals delivering the state’s Federal-aid Highway Program. During her five years in Illinois, she has worked with three different transportation secretaries.

“I have met some of the nicest people here,” Batey said.

She was grateful that Illinois gave her the unique opportunity to work in both rural and urban areas in the transportation field.

“The whole state is diverse from top to bottom,” she said.

Batey was excited to play a role in the Smart Transportation Infrastructure Initiative, which plans to launch a testing track for self-driving vehicles at Illinois Center for Transportation in Rantoul.

“We know that’s the future and it’s going to be here before we know it,” Batey said.

She was also active in ICT’s annual Illinois Bituminous Paving Conference.

“[ICT] is a tremendous asset to the university. They are so dedicated, they have such integrity, they want to do the right thing, and make things work. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Batey said.

While Batey loves the people and projects in Illinois, as well as the expansive Midwest sunrises and sunsets, she is not a fan of the cold weather. It is a fact that makes her retirement to Tennessee at 62 years old a bit easier.

“I’m not used to the snow and the ice and the [Department of Transportation] and the maintenance here, all I can say is they do a top job,” Batey said.

Batey is looking forward to spending more time with her family, including her mother who she will help care for, five nieces and nephews, a brother, and her sisters.

“My sisters and I, we’ve never been close enough in the last 35 plus years to just pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, you want to have lunch?’ So I’m looking forward to that,” Batey said.

Batey is hoping to make some time to play golf and maybe even teach a course. She will be missed dearly by ICT and other transportation professionals throughout Illinois.