“Oh, you’re the Lunch & Learn guy.”
That’s what Steve Lander, PE, WithersRavenel’s Director of Pavement Management, heard at a recent conference in South Carolina a few weeks ago. It’s a phrase he’s grown used to hearing, whether in passing at industry events or from colleagues around the country. What started as a simple idea during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a country-wide platform for pavement management professionals.
In July 2025, WithersRavenel and Steve will celebrate the 50th episode of the Pavement Lunch & Learn webinar series. This milestone marks more than just a number—it highlights a commitment to professional education, collaboration, and advancing the field of pavement and asset management.
None of this would be possible without all the hard work from our WithersRavenel team and the participation of our presenters. This has been a total team effort!
From Isolation to Innovation
Launched in January 2021, the Lunch & Learn series was Lander’s response to a pressing question: How can we keep industry professionals connected and informed when in-person gatherings aren’t possible? For a field like pavement management, where practitioners are constantly on the move, finding time for meaningful dialogue and learning opportunities was already a challenge. The virtual format proved to be a perfect solution.
The result was an hour-long webinar that invited public works and pavement management professionals to log in, eat lunch, and engage with fresh insights, from the latest micro surfacing technologies and AI applications to traffic safety innovations and even a lighthearted meaningful session on “Pavement Avengers.”
A Municipal Following
Over the years, the Lunch & Learn series has expanded well beyond Steve’s original expectations. Attendees regularly join from across the United States. One speaker even presented live from New Zealand at 3 a.m. local time. The series has grown into a recognized name in the municipal community, known for its technical depth and variety.
The 50th episode takes place on July 30, 2025, and features WithersRavenel’s Director of Asset Management, Malak Bahrami, exploring “Asset Management 101 — With a Focus on Bridges.” It’s a fitting topic to honor the series’ legacy: providing actionable, foundational knowledge that professionals can take back to their teams and communities.
About Steve
With 32 years of experience, Steve is a respected professional in the pavement industry. At WithersRavenel, he leads the firm’s Pavement Management Team, drawing on his background in roadway and drainage design, hands-on pavement construction experience, and vast experience in assisting municipalities manage their roadway networks. Over the course of his career, he’s completed more than 150 pavement management studies, many of which included lifecycle modeling.
For the last two decades, Steve has focused almost exclusively on pavement management, helping municipalities develop defensible plans, communicating maintenance needs to elected officials, and ultimately, improving the condition of their infrastructure. His depth of knowledge and passion for the field is what makes the Lunch & Learn series not just informative, but impactful. Having interfaced with many industry pavement experts over the years, Steve has been able to offer presenters meaningful content with very little repetition.
Looking Ahead
What started as a response to disruption has become a mainstay for pavement professionals nationwide.
So, here’s to the “Lunch & Learn guy”—and to the next 50 conversations that bring our industry closer together, one lunchtime at a time.