ARTBA Foundation celebrates industry leaders with 2025 Impact Awards

Ben Lehr of Chen Moore and Associates and Jaime Franchi of the Long Island Contractors’ Association, Inc., were honored Sept. 29 with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Foundation’s 2025 Leadership Impact Awards. The pair were recognized during a special awards lunch at ARTBA’s national convention in Irving, Texas. 

Winners are selected from the more than 850 professionals who have completed ARTBA's Industry Leader Development Program (ILDP), an intensive, two-and-a-half day gathering that introduces participants to the federal legislative and regulatory process and ARTBA’s role in shaping transportation policy. 

Nominees are evaluated by their peers based on three key criteria: 1) demonstrated contributions to national, state, or local transportation design and construction associations or professional societies; 2) proven track record displaying visionary thinking, driving change, or solving problems that helped improve operational performance; and 3) serving as a mentor to firm/agency colleagues or industry peers, and driving efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. 

Benjamin Lehr, PE, LEED AP, director of transportation, Chen Moore and Associates (2014 ILDP Class)  

For more than a decade, Ben Lehr has been an active force within ARTBA, now serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee as chair of the Industry Leader Development Council. Lehr brings both technical expertise and leadership to Chen Moore and Associates, where he focuses on business development and transportation projects for public-sector clients throughout the southeast. His portfolio ranges from city and county work to managing large-scale design-build projects, including a $66 million bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and a $425 million, 21-mile interstate widening. With degrees in civil and structural engineering, Lehr pairs deep technical knowledge with a passion for mentoring the next generation of transportation leaders. 

Jaime Franchi, director of communications and government relations, Long Island Contractors’ Association, Inc. - LICA (2023 ILDP Class)  

Since joining LICA in 2022, Jaime Franchi has quickly made her mark as a dynamic voice for New York’s heavy construction industry. As editor-in-chief of Long Island Road Warriors, she transformed the publication into a respected and widely read platform showcasing local projects, stakeholders, and industry leaders. On the advocacy front, Franchi’s efforts helped secure inclusion of LICA priorities in the New York Governor’s “People’s Budget,” including a $1 billion capital budget increase for 2025. She also played a pivotal role in passing the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, earning her a seat on the Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan Board. Franchi recently founded Forewomen Long Island, a groundbreaking group empowering women in infrastructure.