Fairness and fearlessness. For decades, Lydia Reynolds-Jones has leaned on these two pillars to guide her, both professionally and personally. 

Lydia began working for the Road Services Division more than 30 years ago as a roadway design engineer. The traits that keep her engaged, energized, fulfilled, and never bored are continuous learning and problem solving. Over the years, she has led and managed various units and programs. She has served as the Road Services Division Strategic Business Operations Section Manager since 2021.

The ability to lead and inspire may be rare, but it seems to come naturally to Lydia. Even her short anecdotes are told with such passion and charisma that you might think she spent the entire night rehearsing its delivery, especially her calm, confident tone that captivates a room.

Lydia draws her own inspiration from both of her parents and older siblings. “I don’t need to look any further than within my own family – they’re all I need,” she says.  “All of the adversity they faced, they rose above, and the traits they have passed on are truly the ultimate example.”   

There are many facets that make a leader great, but Lydia has incorporated one, in particular, into every interaction throughout her career: When you hear gossip about someone, put a pin in it until you see for yourself.

She learned this lesson from one of her first mentors: a man named Buck at the Corps of Engineers in Indianapolis. Although people around her had spoken poorly of Buck’s personality, he involved her in several civil engineering projects, introduced her to different roadway design techniques and, ultimately, was nothing like the rumors that had swirled. His mentorship afforded her knowledge and experience that she might have missed had she had allowed herself to become predisposed to judgment.

Over the years of lessons learned from mentors, coworkers, friends, and family, Lydia has become an impressive mentor to countless others. Her best piece of advice is a simple one: Don’t allow fear to be your master. Fear, she says, is the one thing that can cause us to fall short of the success and fulfillment we are all capable of attaining.