S. Mitchell Ball

About S. Mitchell Ball

Mitch has extensive leadership experience in Virginia\'s transportation, design and construction industry. His forte is the management of large scale, complex heavy / highway projects primarily in Northern Virginia. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) as well as a licensed Land Surveyor (LS). He also holds the DBIA, Designated Design Build Professional credential. He has held various leadership roles throughout his career and mentored numerous other engineering, surveying, and construction professionals. He has served as a formal mentor in his organization\'s Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) program. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering Technology from West Virginia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining VDOT, Mitch held leadership positions with NXL Construction Services (Richmond VA), and Moore Brothers Company, Incorporated (Verona VA), a large Virginia based heavy highway construction firm. He has been active in the Virginia transportation industry for well over 30 years and has earned a reputation for providing significant contributions to his team, and results to his organization. He has a recognized track record of expertise in the areas of design reviews, value engineering, dispute resolution, cost estimating, planning/scheduling, claims, value engineering, surveying, constructability, and bid-ability reviews. He has served on various VTCA committees throughout his career and has conducted various trainings for VDOT, consultant and contractor personnel.Specialties: • Dispute Resolution - Negotiation of Win / Win Outcomes• Construction Management (Heavy Civil / Transportation)• Value Engineering Studies & Design Reviews• CPM Schedule Development / Schedule Review• Primavera Project Management P6• Civil Engineering• Risks Assessment• Cost Estimating• Constructability Reviews• Bidability / Contract Document Reviews• Partnering Facilitation• Earthwork Analysis• Construction Claims

Experience

1. Senior Program Manager Advisor & Mentor

   CES Consulting LLC

   Feb 2026 — Present · Warrenton, VA, US

   Mitch brings more than 30 years of distinguished experience in transportation infrastructure across both the contracting and public sectors. He spent 18 years with a major Virginia heavy-highway contractor, advancing from entry-level engineer to Chief Engineer. During that time, he developed extensive expertise in construction management, estimating, scheduling, value engineering, field operations, and claims.In 2006, Mitch joined the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), where he served in several key leadership roles, including Project Controls Manager, Deputy Director for Megaprojects, and Area Construction Engineer. His work encompassed project controls, engineer’s estimates, constructability reviews, change order and dispute resolution, risk assessment, and policy development. As VDOT’s State Cost Estimation Engineer, Mitch established the Cost Estimation Office and led statewide estimating policy, technology modernization initiatives, and training programs for hundreds of VDOT, locality, and industry professionals.Mitch is widely recognized as a collaborative and respected leader who values stakeholder alignment and is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of engineering professionals.

Education

• West Virginia University Institute of Technology

  BS, Civil Engineering Technology / Surveying

  1981 — 1987