The Bi-State Management Team is led by professionals from Ohio and Kentucky who work in tandem to bring this project to life.
Project Managers
TOMMY ARNOLD
Ohio Department of Transportation
Project Manager
Tommy Arnold is a Cincinnatian through and through. Outside of the time he spent earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Dayton, Arnold has lived in Cincinnati his entire life. Although he spent the majority of his 20-year career with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)’s Planning Department, his fingerprints are already on Cincinnati’s roadways — Arnold was the project manager for the Interstate 71-Martin Luther King Jr. Drive interchange, the first two-step, low-bid design-build project ever constructed in Ohio.
Now, Arnold gets another opportunity to leave his mark on his hometown in his role as Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project manager. He’s thrilled to have the chance to bring the project across the finish line, but he’s even happier that the funding for the project came through so that his former boss, ODOT District 8 Capital Programs Administrator Stefan Spinosa, gets the opportunity to see this massive project come to fruition.
“For so many years, we thought this project was not ever going to happen because it was so hard to find the funding,” Arnold says. “I really have been praying and hoping that it would come through in [Spinosa’s] career, which it has now. So that’s very fulfilling, and I’m very happy for him to see it going forward.”
Arnold is even happier for all of the Cincinnatians he knows the project will help.
“This is a huge opportunity for our region,” Arnold says. “Everybody knows the Brent Spence Bridge project, and what we’re looking to do is use the notoriety of the project to really spread the word about the construction industry and the transportation industry. It is an excellent career to get into and there are more opportunities every day.
“I want people to really think about a career either in engineering or in the trades in the transportation world because we need help. There’s plenty of openings on the agency side, the contractor side, the design side, and it’s just a great career.”
A father of three, Arnold loves to spend time with his family outside of work. And his love for helping others isn’t limited to his professional life – he enjoys helping coach his kids’ soccer teams. An accomplished songwriter and guitarist, Arnold has also helped his daughter and two sons discover their passions for music.
STACEE HANS
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Project Manager
As an outstanding shooter and master shot-blocker, Stacee Hans made an impressive mark on the game during her time on the Wilmington College women’s basketball team. Her records for career field goal percentage and blocked shots with the Lady Quakers remain in the record books to this day.
But Stacee’s tenacity on the court was only the beginning. Today, she is the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)’s project manager for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, where she brings the leadership and team-building skills she refined on the court to the world of transportation and project management.
A native of Lucasville, Ohio, near the Portsmouth area, Stacee now calls Independence, Kentucky, her home with her husband Jeff and their two daughters, Kailynn (19) and Keira (16). Jeff is an accomplished basketball coach, entering his 13th season as the head women’s basketball coach at nearby Thomas More University.
After Wilmington College, Stacee pursued an advanced degree at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University. Later, while Jeff was an assistant coach at Indiana State in Terre Haute, she began her career as a watershed coordinator for the Partnership for Turtle Creek Reservoir in Merom, Indiana, focusing on shoreline stabilization and restoration projects.
Upon relocating to the Bluegrass State, Stacee transitioned to the commonwealth’s Division of Water before joining the KYTC District 6 office in Covington as an environmental coordinator in 2006.
Stacee says her career path from environmental to transportation sometimes surprises others.
“When I graduated from college, I was hardcore into environmental sciences, and I was going to challenge everyone, including the transportation industry,” Stacee says. “It’s a bit ironic that I now work on this side, given where I started, but our goal is the same: to deliver a project that benefits the public while being environmentally sensitive.”
When it’s time for a breather, the Hans family heads to Lake Cumberland, a place that holds deep sentimental value. Stacee started visiting the lake as a child with her family and she now passes that tradition forward with her own girls.
“I call the lake visits my reprieve, my sanctuary,” Stacee says. “When we need to recharge or just take a breath, that’s where we go. It’s time we spend together as a family and one of the best things is the cell phone service is spotty. I’m out of range, have limited access to email, and I have to wait until I return to respond.”
Stacee sees the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to set a new standard and make a lasting impact on her community, much like her record-breaking days as a Wilmington College Lady Quaker.
“It’s almost surreal to be part of what I consider one of the most transformative projects for not only Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, but our entire region and the Midwest,” she says. “It’s amazing, and sometimes there aren’t even words to describe it.”
Construction Managers
Scott LeBlanc
Ohio Department of Transportation
Construction Lead
Scott LeBlanc has long considered himself a “bridge guy.” That was until one day about 18 years ago when he rappelled off the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge in Warren County, Ohio. All 240 feet of it.
That’s when LeBlanc knew he wanted to be a “big bridge guy.” Emphasis on “big.” As in higher heights, longer spans and more complexity.
Bridges and bridge projects across the nation, let alone in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, don’t get any bigger than the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project. That’s why it was no surprise LeBlanc jumped at the chance to become a construction lead on the Bistate Management Team responsible for the administration and delivery of the project.
“I warned my various bosses over the years that if the Brent Spence Bridge project ever gets off the ground, I’m throwing my hat in the ring,” LeBlanc says. “Big bridge projects don’t come along very often, let alone one like this.”
A civil engineering graduate of the University of Cincinnati and licensed professional engineer in Ohio and Kentucky, LeBlanc began his professional career working 10 years for a general contractor before joining the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in 2004. There he has held various construction positions within the organization, including Statewide Bridge Specialist out of ODOT’s Central Office in Columbus and District Construction Engineer in District 7 (Sidney) and District 8 (Lebanon).
LeBlanc said he’s excited to take on the scope and complexity of the BSBC Project, which consists of constructing a 1,500-foot-long, double-deck companion bridge across the Ohio River, six miles of roadway network including more than 55 bridges, as well as improvements to the current Brent Spence Bridge. That said, he is also aware of the perils that can come with a project of this nature.
“It is a massive undertaking with a lot of moving parts, all in a very confined footprint,” LeBlanc explains. “We will need the traveling public to treat our work zones like the residential streets they live on, paying attention, driving at posted speeds and using the various resources we will be providing to educate themselves on the current and upcoming impacts to traffic. The profession that we have chosen often takes place just feet from active traffic.”
This phase of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project is expected to last six or more years. That duration shouldn’t be a problem for this self-described “endurance junkie” who has completed three Ironman Triathlons, the Pikes Peak Marathon and the JFK 50 Mile trail race.
“I’m always up for a good challenge,” LeBlanc says.
CORY WILSON
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Construction Lead
Cory Wilson doesn’t mind breaking a sweat or getting his hands dirty. On most weekends, you’ll find Wilson in his garage tinkering with tractors and cars, working on projects in the yard, or just watching sports.
But during the workweek, it’s a different story. That’s when Wilson plans the details for the construction of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country.
Originally from Butler, Kentucky, Wilson has worked for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2009. During his first nine years, he worked in various roles with KYTC District 7, including transportation engineer supervisor. He has worked in the Covington office for District 6 for the last six years and plans to spend his entire career with the Cabinet.
“The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor is a once-in-a-career project that will impact a lot of people in a really positive way, moving people and freight into and out of the area in a more efficient way,” said Wilson, KYTC’s construction lead on the project. “It’s a real honor to be part of it.”
Wilson has been working with the team on pre-design and pre-construction tasks, onboarding all the players, and getting the project’s many ducks in a row as the team moves toward the design phase. This is Wilson’s third time working on the Brent Spence Bridge, so he knows it well. The first time was for the emergency repair in 2020, and then for the painting process in 2021. In fact, you just might recognize him from that project – Wilson was regularly featured in video updates on the progress of repairs. With that background and knowledge, he can easily dispel rumors that persist to this day. One example: structurally, the Brent Spence Bridge is in great shape, he says; it just lacks the capacity to efficiently carry traffic today.
“Some people have this misperception that we’re going to replace the bridge, and that’s obviously not true either,” he said, referring to the planned construction of the companion bridge to just to the west of the existing bridge.
Married for 11 years, Cory Wilson and his wife have three daughters, ages 6, 3, and 1, a trio that keeps things lively at home.
Wilson dreams one day of crossing the Ohio River with his family, pointing to the Brent Spence Bridge and its brand-new companion bridge, and sharing stories with his girls about how he played a part in its construction.
“It will be really cool years from now when I can point it out to my kids,” Wilson said.
Design Managers
JOE SMITHSON
Ohio Department of Transportation
Design Lead
As a design engineer, Joe Smithson knows the importance of collaboration. Working with his construction counterparts to ensure highways can be built as designed and economically maintained is a critical part of his job.
“We’re always asking for feedback from the construction team and contractors,” Smithson says.
Smithson’s collaboration skills will be put to the test in his role as the design lead for the Ohio portion of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project, one of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects.
“This is the project of lifetime,” Smithson says.
A multi-decade career in highway engineering prepared the Blanchester, Ohio, native for his key role on the $3.6 billion project. After nearly eight years as a geotechnical engineer with a Cincinnati consulting firm, Smithson joined the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in 2005 as the district geotechnical engineer in the District 8 office in Lebanon. In 2017, he was named district design engineer and became a member of the Bistate Management Team for the BSBC Project in early 2023.
Smithson developed his interest in the geotechnical aspects of civil engineering as an undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati, serving several co-op internships at a geotechnical firm. Smithson went on to earn his master’s degree at UC and has focused on the engineering behavior of earth materials ever since.
Innovative thinking is a key requirement in Smithson’s job.
“No two highways are alike,” Smithson explains. “Even the simplest of projects requires outside-the-box thinking.”
As part of the team that will evaluate proposals to alter the BSBC’s configuration during the upcoming innovation period, Smithson will ensure that changes will be made only when they help achieve the project’s goals and objectives, reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, or shorten the timeline for project completion.
A project of the scale of the BSBC would take four to five years to design under normal conditions. Smithson and his team have 18 months, although the 2012 BSBC design concept gives his team a starting point from which to work.
In his free time, Smithson is an avid fan of hard rock and hair metal. In fact, you may find Smithson in the pit at area music festivals, such as Louder than Life. Consistent with an engineer’s commitment to safety, he’ll be the one wearing ear plugs.
Nikki Boden, P.E., MBA
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Design Lead
You might say engineering is in Northern Kentucky native Nikki Boden’s blood. The granddaughter of a structural engineer who built bridges throughout the United States, she gravitated toward math and science even as a child. Young Nikki knew she wanted a career field focused on those subjects, but she wasn’t sure how to begin.
Fortunately, a guidance counselor at Boone County High School told her about a civil engineering scholarship offered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to attend the University of Kentucky. That enabled the future Wildcat to earn a degree in a field that suited her academic interests and followed in her grandfather’s footsteps. From there she went on to complete an MBA at Xavier University.
While at UK, Boden realized she was something of a trailblazer in the engineering field.
“When I started out as an undergrad in my major, there were typically only one or two other girls in my engineering classes,” Boden recalls. “By my last semester, the tide was starting to turn, and I had one class that had more young women than young men. It’s exciting to see more female engineers in our traditionally male-dominated field.”
With nearly 20 years in engineering under her belt, Boden serves as the Cabinet’s design lead for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. She says she’s excited for the once-in-a-career challenge of helping build one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country.
“I love the collaborative environment,” she explains. “Every member of the design-build team brings individual expertise to the table, so we can work together toward the best possible outcome. I’ve always had a love of learning, and this project brings the opportunity to learn from the very best in our field.”
A lifelong soccer fan and FC Cincinnati season ticket holder, Boden can often be spotted with her husband and three young children clad in orange and blue and cheering on their team at TQL Stadium. When she’s not at a soccer match, Boden’s often found in the kitchen of her family’s Edgewood home working on recipes to tempt her sons and her daughter into becoming foodies.