Meet Transportation Business Unit Leader Will Kratt

Passionate about improving communities, Will works closely with partners to improve a wide range of transportation systems, from pedestrian access and multi-modal travelers to large-scale corridor planning. Will takes a holistic approach to planning, considering all aspects of community life to reach overall goals. Read on to find out more about Will, his passions, and his ever curious, futuristic mindset.

What do you see changing or growing in our industry?

I think there will be some significant changes on two ends of a spectrum. First, we will go back to the basics with communication and working with people. Isolation during the pandemic, working from home, absence of work culture, weakening relationships, and demand for better transparency will drive the need for more human interaction. With more information and data available, people will want to have increased access to that information. Community engagement on projects that affect people’s lives will be a must. On the other end of the spectrum, technology will continue to change the way we work and communicate. Artificial intelligence tools are becoming more mainstream for things like copywriting, creating imagery, and providing customer support. Automation tools are taking care of repetitive tasks, allowing people to focus on higher level skills, which should lead to increased productivity if implemented correctly. The paradox is that these will happen concurrently and drive each other to create more—and hopefully better—communication overall.

What is something about working in our industry that would surprise others?

There has been a large focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) within our school systems, which is fantastic to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s needs. However, I think the balance in a young person’s education has drifted too far away from social sciences and communication skills. If you cannot get along well with others and understand their perspective, (whether they are team members or customers) or if you struggle to empathize and communicate with people, it’s tough to succeed in the planning and design world. Understanding math and science is important, but most of the specific tasks for an engineering or technology career require on-the-job training regardless. It’s much more difficult to teach and coach soft skills such as maintaining a good attitude and work ethic and having empathy and a willingness to learn. Education should provide a balance between textbooks and tests with participation in clubs, recess, and other non-curricular activities that can also offer enrichment.

Where is your favorite vacation spot and why? In relation, where is your dream vacation?

Anywhere that our family can learn about other cultures and observe different ways of life! Often that means leaving the U.S., but there are many cultural differences here, too. It’s a great way to sharpen empathy skills, and as a person on planning and design teams, some of the best ideas for positive change in our own communities can be found by taking good ideas from others and putting your own spin on them.

How do you recharge after work?

I recharge after work in many ways. I love spending time with family and friends, which brings me a lot of happiness. But I also value time alone to read or think. My favorite topics are related to work: transportation, urbanism, business, etc. If I’m staring off into space, I’m probably just processing ideas on how to contribute to creating better communities!

Have you received any awards?

Two-time Volunteer of the Year for Downtown Mainstreet, Inc. (DMI).
2023 Volunteer of the Year for the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce.

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