VHB President and CEO Mike Carragher has been recognized by his alma mater, the University of Delaware, as a 2022 Alumni Wall of Fame inductee. Honored for his outstanding professional and public service achievements, Mike is one of only five alumni inducted to the prestigious Wall of Fame this year.
Mike was recognized with this honor during the University of Delaware Alumni Weekend on Friday, June 3, 2022, where he was introduced by VHB Co-founder and the firm’s first CEO Rich Hangen. Rich was a 2002 UD Wall of Fame inductee.
As VHB’s first non-founder president in its 40-year history, Mike has led the company through one of its most transformational, successful, and strategic periods of growth, geographic expansion, and technological advancement. Under the seven years of Mike’s leadership, VHB has grown from $185M in gross revenues to $310M. His vision and leadership are propelling VHB’s diverse team of engineers, scientists, planners, and designers forward to evolve and embrace new technology to meet increasing client challenges, improve our nation’s mobility, and shape communities in sustainable and meaningful ways.
The recommendation letters from some of the industry’s most well-recognized leaders that were included in the Wall of Fame Award submission package for Mike are a testament to his leadership and tremendous impact.
Carolyn Groobey, a widely respected strategic advisor for high-growth, technology-enabled products and services companies and a member of VHB’s Board of Directors, shared, “Mike is a world-class leader by any measure, but more than that, he is the kind of leader we need in today’s world. In addition to having a clear vision and strong business acumen, Mike is a values-driven leader who uses his voice to courageously move his company and the industry to higher levels of performance, client service and corporate responsibility.”
Robin Greenleaf, ACEC Board Chair, noted, “Mike is known as a caring and engaged leader within VHB and in the ACEC community. I consider Mike Carragher to be a remarkable contributor to not only the engineering profession but to society through his leadership and commitment to all of the communities that he is deeply involved in.”
Mike has remained a dedicated Blue Hen since graduating in 1984. He served as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Mike was the recipient of the University of Delaware 2016 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award. In 2019, VHB was honored with a Blue Hen 17&43 Award in recognition of alumni who have founded or led new ventures and fast-growing companies. In 2021, Mike was invited as the UD Kerr Lecturer and gave an inspirational presentation on building a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future. Mike and his wife, Joan, also support UD’s First-Generation Fund and the Student Diversity and Inclusion Gift Fund.