Claude Davis Garver, Jr., grew up on a small farm near Charlottesville, Virginia, and never really thought about attending college until a math teacher encouraged him to apply to Virginia Tech during his senior year in high school. In September 1959, Claude's parents took him to Blacksburg to study civil engineering and join the Corps of Cadets. Four years later he graduated and shortly thereafter was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.



With six months to wait before beginning active duty, Mr. Garver applied for a job with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and was hired into the engineer trainee program.



Military service during the 1960s often involved assignments to Vietnam; however, Claude was fortunate to be offered flight training and was awarded his wings in 1965. He spent the remainder of his military commitment flying refueling tankers, servicing aircraft within the U.S. and in Southest Asia in support of the Vietnam War efforts.



In 1969, Mr. Garver left the military and returned to Virginia and his job with VDOT. After completing engineer training, he served in several field management positions before being assigned to central office in Richmond. He became VDOT's State Construction Engineer in 1985, assuming responsibility for contracting and construction of the Commonwealth's highway system-one of the largest state-maintained systems in the nation.



During this period, Mr. Garver became involved with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He worked with a small group of transportation officials from various states to lead development of a software system designed to manage highway construction projects. This effort led to the system that is used today by several state departments of transportation throughout the nation.



During the mid-1980s highway construction projects abounded, but this growth met with a diminished interest in highway construction as a career. Determined to balance this situation, Mr. Garver engaged the help of two Virginia Tech professors: Dr. Michael Vorster of CEE, who has extensive experience in highway construction; and Dr. Richard Harshberger of the College of Business, an expert in management and training who is now Director of the University Leadership Development Program. The two faculty members worked with VDOT and the Virginia Road and Transportation Builders Association to establish the Transportation Construction Management Institute, an annual training session offered in Blacksburg to prepare junior VDOT and industry construction managers for future roles in managing transportation programs. This program has operated successfully for the past 13 years.



Mr. Garver left Richmond in 1989 to take on the challenges of managing VDOT's operations in northern Virginia. In 1992, he returned to Richmond as an Assistant Commissioner, first to oversee planning and programming functions within VDOT and later to manage all of the department's field operations. When Gov. James Gilmore appointed Charles D. Nottingham as VDOT Commissioner in the fall of 1999, Mr. Nottingham asked Mr. Garver to serve as Deputy Commissioner. Among his associations with Virginia Tech, Mr. Garver is particularly proud of being invited to serve on the CEE Alumni Board. Although his term on the board has expired, he remains interested in the work of this group and monitors their activities.



With so many assignments and responsibilities at VDOT, it is not surprising that Claude has had to limit his outside interests to family activities-with an occasional round of golf thrown in when time permits. Claude and his wife Nancy have three daughters, two sons, three granddaughters, and three grandsons.