Chris Knotts, PE, F.ASCE, BC.WRE
Director of Business Development - Louisiana
Chris joined Neel-Schaffer in 2023 and is now a Vice President with the firm, serving as the Director of Business Development – Louisiana.
In this role, Chris is responsible for managing client relations and driving business growth, catering to existing and prospective Neel-Schaffer clients across the state.
Chris brought nearly 40 years of civil engineering experience to Neel-Schaffer, including 26.5 years in various roles with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resourced. He held the position of DOTD Chief Engineering – supervising 550 employees and overseeing the agency’s Office of Engineering – for the final six years before retiring from LADOTD in October 2023.
Chris’ dedication to the engineering field and fostering client connections is evident through his service to the profession. His involvement includes an active role in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES), where he served as national President in 2020-2021.
Additionally, he was Member President for the Louisiana Engineering Society in 2019-2020 and was on the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) from 2013 through 2019.
He also served as the Louisiana Section President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2009-2010. He was a member of the Louisiana Water Resources Commission from 2013-2023 and was a member of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative from 2018-2023. And he was a member of the Comite River Diversion Canal Task Force from 2014 through 2023.
