Halff Transportation Expert Matt Craig’s 40 Years of Impact Gets the Stetson Hat Award

Halff President and CEO Jessica Baker Daily (right) presented the Stetson Award to Matt Craig as part of the firm’s Employee Awards program in April 2026.

A highly respected name has been added to the ledger of Halff history. Deputy Practice Leader Matt Craig over Halff’s transportation practice was recently honored with the 2026 Dr. Albert H. Halff Stetson Award.

The award, presented by Halff President and CEO Jessica Baker Daily, recognizes an employee who consistently lives out founder Dr. Albert Halff’s legacy of servant leadership. Dr. Halff, known for wearing his iconic Stetson hats, inspired the signature award.

Matt has undoubtedly established his own legacy through his 40-year run at Halff: a passionate proponent of women engineers and minority business owners, he’s helped the next generation of engineers launch their careers and take on significant projects.

Matt has also been a force in Engineers without Borders for almost 20 years. His services includes multiple trips to support infrastructure development in Bolivia.

In addition to his global and generational influence, Matt’s regional impact runs deep. He’s been on the board of the Greater Dallas Planning Council since 2021 and has served on the executive committee of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce since 2013.

His professional fingerprints are on key regional projects including the Oak Farms Transportation Corridor Study, a significant initiative led by the City of Dallas and North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Since Matt launched his career with Halff in 1983, he’s played a part in helping the firm expand from approximately 100 employees to more than 1,400 today. He has established himself as a seasoned and empowering mentor and a true example of the Halff S.E.R.V.E.S. culture, which champions solidarity, excellence, relationships, vision, empowerment and sharing.

“When I think of Servant Leadership, I think of Matt Craig,” Halff President and CEO Jessica Baker Daily said. “We created the Stetson Award to celebrate people who emulate our servant leadership culture. Through Matt’s decades of service both here at Halff and in our industry and communities, he has continued to go above and beyond in his level of service.”

History of the Hat

Halff created the Stetson Award to honor employees who reflect the people-first spirit of firm founder Dr. Halff. It recognizes someone who cares deeply about others, invests in the growth of individuals and makes a difference in our communities. The award also pays tribute to the legendary Stetson hat Dr. Halff often wore.

Previous Stetson Award Winners include: 

(2025) Senior Project Advisor Eric Ratzman
(2023) Former Executive Vice President Russell Killen
(2022) Director of Benefits Susie Nevitt

A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY

Halff sits at No. 10 nationally in the companies with 1,000 to 2,499 employees in the 2025 Top Workplaces USA award rankings presented by Energage. Halff has been recognized as a Top Workplace in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando, Oklahoma, San Antonio and Tampa. We have also been recognized as a Top Workplace in Austin and Dallas 11 times each since 2015, nine times in Houston since 2016, four times in San Antonio, and twice in Jacksonville, Orlando, Oklahoma and Tampa.

Cumulatively, Halff has been recognized as a Top Workplace 51 times.

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