AUSTIN, Texas — Burns & McDonnell has named Travis Alexander the new branch manager of its Austin office. In this role, Alexander will lead the firm's continued growth in Central Texas while supporting clients across the region with integrated engineering, architecture, construction and consulting services.



Alexander succeeds Jake Merriman, who was recently appointed to a national leadership role overseeing the firm's Transmission & Distribution Group. 

Returning to the city where he earned his engineering degree at the University of Texas, Alexander brings more than 20 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure projects, including nearly 16 years with Burns & McDonnell. Most recently, he served as department manager for the firm's OnSite Energy & Power group in Fort Worth, where he led teams delivering large behind-the-meter power projects, campus utility infrastructure, district energy, and resilient power solutions for higher education, healthcare, aviation and other institutional clients.

"Coming back to Austin in this role is both professionally and personally meaningful," Alexander says. "As a Longhorn, I've always appreciated Austin's spirit of innovation and growth. I'm excited to work alongside our talented employee-owners as we continue helping our clients solve complex challenges and build the infrastructure that supports Central Texas' future."

The Austin office serves clients across multiple industries, including energy, aviation, manufacturing, environmental, water, transportation and mission critical facilities. Under Alexander's leadership, the office will continue its focus on delivering integrated solutions while expanding the presence of Burns & McDonnell throughout one of the nation's fastest-growing regions.

"There's something special about seeing a leader return to the place that helped shape his career," says Karen Bray, senior vice president and general manager in the region for Burns & McDonnell. “Travis is an experienced, collaborative leader who understands our clients' evolving needs and the opportunities ahead for Central Texas. I'm excited to see him lead our team into its next chapter."

Throughout his career, Alexander has led multidisciplinary teams delivering behind-the-meter power projects and data center designs. He has also supported clients across the higher education, healthcare, aviation and district energy sectors. His experience includes utility infrastructure, central utility plants, combined heat and power systems, thermal distribution, energy planning and campus infrastructure modernization. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas and Alabama.

Burns & McDonnell is ranked the No. 1 Power Design Firm and the No. 1 Transmission & Distribution Design Firm by Engineering News-Record (ENR). The firm was also named ENR’s 2026 Design Firm of the Year for the Texas and Louisiana region. As the firm expands, it is actively hiring to support continued growth across the region. 

About Burns & McDonnell

Working from more than 75 offices around the world, Burns & McDonnell designs and builds critical infrastructure. Our family of companies — driven by engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists — delivers projects grounded in safety and a desire to make a difference as we make our clients successful. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn more.