Engineering Leadership in Action: Steve Borden’s Role in Hurricane Helene Recovery
We are proud to share a recent feature from the University of Tennessee’s Tickle College of Engineering highlighting the leadership of Steve Borden, PE (BS/CE ’91) during Hurricane Helene.
As Regional Director for the Tennessee Department of Transportation Region 1 at the time, Steve faced one of the most challenging infrastructure crises in the state’s history. Flooding and storm damage left communities across east Tennessee and western North Carolina disconnected, with dozens of highways and bridges impassable. Under his direction, TDOT teams worked around the clock to restore critical mobility:
- 47 routes reopened in the immediate aftermath
- Interstate 26 was fully restored, reconnecting regional and interstate travel
- Coordinated multiagency response, ensuring public safety while accelerating recovery
Steve’s career has been defined by public service and community impact. He shared, “These are my people. These are the people that you serve in these communities… I would have never left in the midst of that.” For more than 34 years at TDOT, Steve built a reputation for coordinating resources, leading teams through complex challenges, and restoring critical infrastructure in times of need.
Today, Steve brings this same dedication and expertise to his role as Area Lead for Tennessee and Kentucky at Lochner, where he is guiding our growth and ensuring excellence in project delivery across the region. His experience reminds us that infrastructure is not only about building roads and bridges—it is about restoring connections and enabling long-term resilience for the betterment of communities.
Read the full University of Tennessee feature here: CEE Alum Led TDOT Through Hurricane Helene Recovery
Image courtesy of Shawn Poynter, Tickle College of Engineering.