Quaiser Hashmi, PE
President and CEO
Quaiser Hashmi, President and CEO of ATANE, is responsible for spearheading this vibrant, 175-person full-service consulting firm in Lower Manhattan. Upon accepting this position in May 2019, he stated, “This honor—and challenge—is the culmination of my career at ATANE, which I joined in February 2000.” Most recently Vice President of the Engineering Design Department, Quaiser has been responsible for the management of critical bridge and highway infrastructure work in the tri-state area, including the design-build reconstruction of the Harlem River Drive Ramp to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, recipient of the 2013 ACEC New York Platinum Award for Engineering Excellence, and the Claremont Parkway Bridge over Metro-North Railroad in the Bronx, recipient of the 2015 ACEC New York Gold Award.
Paul Cavota,Board Chairperson
Board Chairperson
Inspection at ATANE, has more than 45 years of experience, including 32 years with NYSDOT. He oversaw all construction infrastructure inspection projects, including highways, bridges, tunnels, dams and utility infrastructure. Paul’s distinguished career includes Construction/Project Manager for the Gilboa Dam Reconstruction, the Croton Aqueduct Rehabilitation and Site Restoration, and the activation of the Third Water Tunnel, all for NYCDEP. He managed ATANE’s JV partnership for Phase 1 of the Gowanus Expressway repairs and interim deck replacement and was Project Executive for the firm’s JV partnership for Phase 2. He also managed the catenary replacement on the New Haven Main Line for CTDOT and the Park Avenue and Nassau Concord Viaducts project on the BQE for NYSDOT. Paul led the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal Infrastructure Rehabilitation for NYCEDC and the Fulton Street Improvements project for NYCDDC. He was Construction Manager for the award-winning rehabilitation of the Cross Bronx Expressway/Bruckner Interchange, which was completed one year ahead of schedule with no contractor claims.
Paul was a professor of civil engineering technology at Nassau County Community College from 1973 to 2010, and is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the Civil Engineer Corps of the US Navy,
having served over 20 years on active and reserve duty.
Mahmood Mohammed, PE
Exec. Vice President
Bridge Inspection
Mahmood Mohammed heads the Structural Inspection and Evaluation Department, which comprises over 30 inspection teams conducting more than 1,000 bridge and 700 ancillary inspections annually.　His expertise has been instrumental in making ATANE one of the Northeast region’s premier bridge inspection and analysis firms. Mahmood has managed the inspection and evaluation of over 4,000 bridges and 3,500 ancillary structures, including major bridges like the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, the first extradosed bridge in the U.S. He also led the first-of-its-kind investigation/monitoring of the Gold Star Bridge, which received an ACEC NY Platinum Award. Mahmood is a Professional Engineer in 10 states.
Richard T. Anderson,Board Member
President of RTA Advisory Services LLC, a private firm specializing in industry relations and strategic planning. He is President Emeritus of the New York Building Congress.
For more than twenty years, Mr. Anderson ushered in a period of unprecedented influence and growth for the Building Congress, a public policy organization in its 98th year of promoting the design, construction and real estate community.
In his role as an expert in government policy and construction, Mr. Anderson’s views and assistance on a range of issues are sought by private firms, public officials, agency leaders, the news media, good government groups and other organizations inside and outside of the building community.
Prior to the Building Congress, Mr. Anderson served as Executive Director of The Dallas Plan, a non-profit group formed to prepare a long-range capital improvements strategy for that city, and as President of the Regional Plan Association, the nation’s oldest metropolitan planning organization serving the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metropolitan region.
Mr. Anderson was the first elected President of the 40,000-member American Planning Association, a national group based in Washington, D.C., and served as Chairman of its College of Fellows. He is a founding member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and is Vice Chairman of the APA Foundation. He serves on the boards of the National Building Museum, ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York Foundation, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, the Salvadori Center, Beverly Willis Foundation, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New York City. He is senior advisor to about 15 building industry organizations in New York.
In recognition of his efforts to make New York City a better place to live and work, Mr. Anderson was awarded the 2001 George S. Lewis Award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, where he served as Public Director and was elected Honorary New York AIA in 2010. He received a 1995 Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
The Building Congress Board of Directors presented him with a Distinguished Service Award in 2004 and its 2016 Industry Recognition Dinner Distinguished Leadership Award. He was elected to the National Academy of Construction in 2006 and received the De LaSalle Medal from Manhattan College in 2015, the Boy Scouts of America James E. West Award in 2016, and was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building. He was honored by Ronald McDonald House, New York Landmarks Conservancy and the National Building Museum in 2017.
The Salvadori Center presented Mr. Anderson with their 2016 award for lifetime contributions to the building industry. Mr. Anderson also serves as President Emeritus of the New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress.
A graduate of Rutgers University, where he was elected a Loyal Son in 1989, Mr. Anderson earned a Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University and completed post-graduate doctoral studies in public administration at New York University. He is a member of the Union League Club of New York and John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Florida.
Walter Hickey,P.E.
Board Member
Walter retired from MTA Bridges and Tunnels as Deputy Chief Engineer. His background in overseeing Capital and Major Maintenance Programs at prominent bridges, such as the RFK Suspension, Lift, and Bronx Truss bridges, along with the Henry Hudson Bridge, reflects his hands-on experience in managing critical infrastructure projects. His proficiency in bridge rehabilitation, water distribution, building construction, rail reconstruction, and mechanical systems aligns seamlessly with ATANE’s work scope. His proven track record and professional standing in the community further enhance the company’s reputation and capabilities to serve our clients.
