Over the past three decades, Scottsdale has grown from a desert community into a city known for its planning and infrastructure. Alison Tymkiw, Senior Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, has played a significant role in this transformation.
Tymkiw leads the department responsible for managing mobility and capital improvement projects in Scottsdale. The department was formed last year by merging capital project management and transportation into one team, aiming to streamline operations and maintain essential city infrastructure.
Tymkiw’s career with Scottsdale began in 1998. She started as a civil engineer and moved through roles including project manager, senior project manager, and city engineer before taking on her current position.
Before joining the city government, Tymkiw worked at engineering consulting firms in Connecticut and Arizona. Reflecting on her transition to public service, she said: “When you work for a consultant, you are given one piece of the project and rarely see the project come to fruition. The quality of our projects and the infrastructure we build is part of what sets Scottsdale apart from other communities, and I was excited to have the opportunity to work on them.”
As project manager or senior project manager, Tymkiw oversaw several key projects such as Arabian Library, upgrades to Northsight Boulevard and Raintree Drive, an expansion of the Scottsdale Water Campus, waterline replacement efforts, and construction of McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center.
Her early work focused largely on water infrastructure—projects that are crucial but often go unnoticed once completed. “Water projects are gratifying to work on, but in a different way,” she said. “When they are done, they are usually underground.”
Tymkiw found more visible rewards in parks and recreation projects: “When you work on parks projects, you get to see the community use them when they’re finished,” she noted. “The McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center was particularly special because when she was in high school, one of my daughters swam there.”
Tymkiw holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Lehigh University and is a registered professional engineer in Arizona. Her experience working solely within Scottsdale gives her insight into how long-term investments like roads, libraries, water facilities, and community centers serve residents over time.
“Getting to do all your work in one city and see the impact of those projects have on the community is really gratifying,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on several things that I’m really proud of.”
Now leading an integrated department that coordinates transportation planning with capital delivery allows for better alignment between mobility needs and construction priorities as Scottsdale continues to grow.
Under Tymkiw’s leadership, values such as thoughtful planning, fiscal responsibility and long-term asset management remain central as outlined by city development approaches.
“Getting to do all your work in one city and see the impact of those projects have on the community is really gratifying,” Tymkiw reiterated.
Her efforts have contributed not only physical structures but also connections within neighborhoods—aligning with Scottsdale’s history as a place where culture blends with Western heritage (official history page), supported by parks along Indian Bend Wash (organizational chart). The city’s council-manager government structure supports these initiatives by granting authority over legislation and budgeting (official website).
Scottsdale now ranks among America’s safest cities with populations above 100,000 (official recognition page), reflecting both growth—over 202,000 residents by 2000 across nearly 185 square miles (history page)—and its commitment to quality living environments.
Tymkiw continues guiding new generations of civic projects that will shape Scottsdale’s future while building upon its legacy as “The West’s Most Western Town” (history page).
