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Sharmyn Elliott

1955-2022

Elliott demonstrated a tireless commitment to improved transportation systems for the public and was a passionate advocate for opportunities for minorities and women. He had a 45-plus year career in infrastructure engineering and was a steadfast supporter of multimodal transportation users. He was not able to attend college and joined the workforce immediately after graduating high school. He was unashamed of his education in the “University of Hard Knocks.” Elliott began his career in 1973 as a construction field engineering technician and ascended to top positions with various firms, lastly as vice president of Somat Engineering, Inc. and CEO of Somat Engineering of Ohio, Inc. Among his many honors, he was selected to represent the transportation industry in 2021 as a subject matter interviewee for the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee regarding the U.S. Department of Transportation DBE reauthorization and was a board member of COMTO Michigan and COMTO National. Elliott was a strong supporter of MDOT’s Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program (TDRP), which began with four college interns in 2014 and in 2022 placed 65 interns within MDOT and the industry.

Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor, 2022