Thomas Davis Rust

Thomas Davis Rust, PE, FAICP, is Vice Chairman and a member of the Executive Committee. He previously served as Chairman and Senior Principal of Patton Harris Rust & Associates, whose assets were acquired by Pennoni in 2011. Tom has a diversified engineering and planning background, as well as an extensive community and civic involvement knowledge base. He participates in the leadership, outreach, and client interaction for the firm and is actively involved in projects. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in engineering from George Washington University, and a master’s degree in environmental and urban planning from the University of Virginia.

Tom spent five years on the Town Council of Herndon, Virginia, before serving as the Mayor for 20 years. He has served in the Virginia General Assembly in the House of Delegates since being elected in 2001 and retired in 2016. The Washington Post has called him, “one of the more effective lawmakers in the General Assembly.” Tom has also worked in the Virginia higher education system by serving in leadership positions and on the Longwood University and Virginia Tech Boards of Visitors.

Tom has also been recognized by many groups for his work, having received the “Tower of Dulles” and “Dust, Blood and Sweat” awards for his work promoting transportation. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service for the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce and was named the 2011 Legislator of the Year from the American Planning Association. In 2015, he received the OPAL award from the America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Albert Gallatin Infrastructure Leadership Award from George Mason University. Additionally, he was recognized as Virginia Tech’s Distinguished Alumnus at the 2015 graduation ceremonies.