Jonnette Adams

Jonnette Adams stands out among her peers as the 2006 Young Engineer of the Year, for her outstanding engineering leadership and community involvement.

Jonnette Adams graduated with an honours degree in engineering in 1994, and since then has worked in roading, originally with Works Consultancy Services in Taupo (on the expansion of the Whakapapa skifield car park), and then Opus International Consultants in Wellington (as site engineer for the Silverstream to Manor Park 4-laning project). Three years of strategic and asset management planning responsibilities with the Hutt City Council broadened her experience, and proved excellent preparation for her current position as Project Engineer with Transit New Zealand.

Jonnette is now Transit New Zealand’s project manager responsible for the Wellington Inner City Bypass Project, a very significant civil engineering scheme that posed particular challenges, not only in engineering, but especially in changing the public’s negative perception of the project. It has also disrupted commuting patterns and inner-city life during construction.

Jonnette set up processes and systems to keep up to date with information, and in turn had to keep the public – particularly motorists, pedestrians and cyclists – informed about the project, and warn them of upcoming works.

Jonnette has taken many opportunities to explain the project to school and other groups, and enjoys showing the public that engineering can be fun and interesting. This approach to her work explains how she has managed to turn public perception around and gain community support for the project.

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