WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — McLaren Engineering Group, a full-service engineering firm, added two new members to its board of directors: Cosema "Connie" Crawford, P.E., director of rail and transit for ASTM North America, and Stephanie Olexa, Ph.D., MBA, founder of Lead to the Future LLC. 

Each began their terms last week, replacing outgoing board members Lt. Gen. Dennis Hejlik and Roger Neuenschwander, AIA, who admirably served the organization since 2014. 

"The current board is honored to welcome our new members, who bring with them an innovative array of experience, industry knowledge, and perspectives," said Malcolm McLaren, P.E., founder and executive chairman, McLaren Engineering Group. "After considering numerous candidates, our nominating committee selected these individuals to guide the firm's strategic plans based on their expertise and the value we believe they will bring to the organization."

As the McLaren Engineering Group board continues to serve and influence the organization, its membership is developing in diversity of backgrounds and skills to champion the firm's progressive changes.

"To best drive our next phase of advancement, the board will continue to provide guidance for our future growth plans and management of operations," said Jeremy Billig, P.E., CEO, McLaren Engineering Group. "Our new members are truly representative of McLaren's brand of 'Applied Ingenuity,' fusing technical excellence with out-of-the-box thinking. I believe they, along with our current Directors and leadership, will help propel us forward."

Crawford and Olexa join current board members, McLaren, Billig, James McCormick (partner and director of construction for D&A Cos.), Jay Carter (former president of Lucent's AT&T customer business unit), and Kenneth Arnold, P.E. (founder and former CEO of Paragon Engineering Services), in providing oversight for the worldwide engineering firm.

Crawford has 40 years of experience with public and private sectors in the management, design, and construction of large-scale transportation programs. Currently director of rail and transit for ASTM North America, she is responsible for rail and transit P3 projects. Previously, as global practice leader at Louis Berger (later WSP), she oversaw major rail and transit programs in the U.S. and overseas. Connie has served as senior vice president and chief engineer at New York City Transit Authority (NYCT), overseeing a $2.25 billion annual capital program for subway and bus infrastructure including tunnels, viaducts and bridges, passenger stations, maintenance facilities, power distribution, and signals and communications systems. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, she directed planning and design efforts to rebuild the collapsed Lower Manhattan subway tunnel in one year. Earlier, as chief engineer for New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), Crawford was responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of 875 bridges and seven tunnels. She is a graduate of Princeton University and a member of the Moles.