Kara Lentz: Landed In Aviation
Aviation Project Manager
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff
Age: 38
Years in Aviation: 13
Memberships: AAAE, CMAA
Did you know?
Lentz was on a family game show on television as a child.
Kara Lentz didn’t start her career in aviation, but found herself on an airport project three years out of college and never turned back. Today, Lentz has 16 years of professional experience, 13 of which have been focused on aviation terminal, landside and airfield projects. Her educational achievements include a BSCE from The Cooper Union and an MSCE from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. She is a licensed professional engineer, a certified LEED professional and a Certified Construction Manager (CCM) by the Construction Management Certification Institute (an independent administrative body of the CMAA). As an aviation project manager with WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and through her diverse professional experience, Lentz has been involved in all phases of project management including startup, planning, design, construction, activation and closeout. Additionally, Lentz serves as the aviation business development lead for the Texas/Mountain Region of WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. Lentz’s career includes many leadership roles including serving as project manager for the $140-million, 15-gate concourse and Automated People Mover (APM) station at Dulles International Airport, project manager for the $500 million Hotel and Transit Center Program for Denver International Airport, and her current role as project manager for the Concourse B and C Gate Apron Replacement and Drainage Improvement Project at Denver International Airport. Lentz also has a strong commitment to community service. Her involvement includes many outreach activities in the greater Denver community and a professional mentor role in Engineers Without Borders, a service organization for professionals with engineering knowledge serving developing counties. She serves as a professional mentor for college chapter of Engineers Without Borders at the University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of Southern California to build projects in Honduras, Rwanda and Peru.
