The Missouri Valley District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (MOVITE) has named Tyler Wiles its 2026 Transportation Professional of the Year.

Wiles is a longtime active member of the transportation engineering community. He served as president of the Iowa Section of the Institute for Transportation Engineers in 2024.  

Sometimes I open a junction box lid and find a snake or a spider. But I never want a contractor to find an issue with a design because of something that I could have found myself.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the transportation profession through leadership, service, and professional achievement. MOVITE represents more than 800 transportation engineering professionals across Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

“Business can sometimes feel cold and I pride myself on developing warm relationships,” he said. “I want to know about my clients’ lives and their families.”  

A traffic and technology group leader at Olsson, Wiles designs intelligent transportation systems, traffic signals, transportation technology planning, traffic operations, and roadway safety initiatives across the country.

His personable approach helps cultivate trust.

“I talk openly with my clients, and I want them to know they can talk openly with me,” he said. “I may not have all the answers to their questions right away. But I have the connections and resources to go find them the answers.”

Wiles and his Olsson colleagues are responsible for designing much of the infrastructure in the intelligent transportation system master plans for many cities, including Des Moines and Ames, Iowa. He takes pride in knowing every detail of his designs, even if that means getting his boots dirty in the field.

“It’s not glamorous. Sometimes I open a junction box lid and find a snake or a spider,” he said. “But I never want a contractor to find an issue with a design because of something that I could have found myself. I think my clients appreciate that.”

A native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Wiles earned a civil engineering degree from Iowa State University in 2007 and an MBA in organizational leadership from the University of Iowa in 2017. He began his career in Phoenix in 2007 and has been based in Des Moines since 2011.

“Tyler has a passion for serving his clients, partnering with his colleagues, and mentoring emerging professionals,” said Kurt Rotering, Wiles’ manager and a senior transportation leader at Olsson. “I’m proud to have him representing Olsson and helping to shape the future of our profession.”