Charles S. Carnaggio, P.E. – Project Director: HART Update and CM possibilities

Sam brings more than 30 years of directly relevant experience developing, overseeing, planning, designing, and building major capital transit projects throughout the country.

Sam is currently the Project Director for the 20 mile 21 station Honolulu Rail Transit Project. The project is to be the first fully automated rail system in the United States. His background includes stints as a construction superintendent, a structural designer, a contract specialist and a transit manager of bus and rail operations. Prior to joining HDR and HART, Sam was the Project Director for the $5.7 billion 23 mile Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project which is an extension of the existing Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) system. During his ten years as the Project Director, he directed a staff of 150 agency and consultant personnel in the management of the Project which included a tunnel and elevated guideway with segmental construction. Prior to that, Sam was the Director of Engineering for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) where he facilitated the issuance of Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA’s), managed the Project Management Oversight (PMO) program and interfaced with the transit agencies on design, contract administration and construction activities. Prior to that, Sam rose through the ranks of the Maryland Transit Administration to become the second in command of the transit agency after stints as the deputy director fo engineering and then the director of operations and maintenance.

Sam is a registered professional engineer, holds a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University and a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering from The Catholic University of America. In addition, he has pursued graduate studies at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville.

Sam is married to his wife, Eileen, who is a contract specialist for the Marine Corps Base Hawaii and they have three children with two enrolled in schools in Honolulu.