City of Wilmington names Susan Habina-Woolard as new Transportation Director
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The City of Wilmington has appointed Susan Habina-Woolard, P.E., as its new Department of Transportation Director, effective June 1.
Habina-Woolard brings more than 25 years of experience in engineering, transportation planning, stormwater management, and municipal leadership. She joins the city from the Town of Matthews, where she most recently served as Town Engineer, overseeing transportation infrastructure projects, multimodal initiatives, stormwater systems, and development review processes.
In her new role with the City of Wilmington, Habina-Woolard will lead the Department of Transportation, which includes traffic engineering, streets, development design review, stormwater functions, and Vision Zero safety initiatives. She will also help guide long-term transportation strategy, capital improvement planning, and infrastructure maintenance across the city.
City Manager Becky Hawke praised the appointment, citing Habina-Woolard’s experience and leadership in delivering infrastructure projects.
“Susan is an exceptional leader and exactly the right person to lead this new department,” Hawke said. “She has a unique ability to right-size projects to maximize their impact and is unwavering in her focus on delivering practical, long-term solutions for her community.”
Hawke added that Habina-Woolard’s background in coordinating transportation systems will be key as Wilmington continues to grow. “The Department of Transportation will play a critical role in how people safely and efficiently move through Wilmington every day,” she said.
Prior to her time in Matthews, Habina-Woolard held engineering and planning roles with the City of Charlotte, Town of Indian Trail, City of New Bern, and City of Kettering, Ohio.
She is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina and has received multiple recent honors, including the 2025 National Society of Professional Engineers Fellows Designation, the 2025 Distinguished Examination Service Award from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, and the 2025 Society of Women Engineers Charlotte-Metro Chapter Distinguished Engineering Service Award.
City officials said her appointment comes as Wilmington continues expanding its focus on multimodal transportation, infrastructure resilience, and long-term mobility planning.
