The achievements of highways and transportation ‘elder statesman’ Mike Kendrick were hailed last week, after he died of cancer, aged 63.
The success of the former president of both the Institution of Highways and Transportation and the County Surveyors’ Society in opening up the profession and building relationships across the industry were celebrated, while his infectious humour and passion were fondly remembered.
IHT chief executive Mary Lewis said ‘he became, before his time, an elder statement to the profession, and we will all miss him’. Former CSS colleague, David Hutchinson, speaking at Kendrick’s funeral last week, said he was ‘a natural, born leader’.
While Kendrick could easily have become a chief executive after serving as director of planning and transportation at Northamptonshire County Council from 1984 to 1998, Hutchinson said he instead ‘stayed with his roots’ by joining the new Integrated Transport Planning consultancy as director.
The ITP said in a statement that the company, launched in 1998 as the UK’s first integrated transport consultancy, ‘would not be where we are without him’.
Kendrick started his career in 1959 as an engineering learner with Wolverhampton County Borough, and rose quickly through the ranks of Dudley, Herefordshire and then Nottinghamshire councils, where he held posts as head of road safety, transport policy and head of waste management respectively.
He moved to Northamptonshire County Council as county surveyor in 1984, then became director of planning and transportation until his retirement from the authority in 1998, during which time he was made an OBE for his services to road safety and local government.
Since then, Kendrick remained heavily involved in the industry, as the main architect of the highways maintenance code of practice and leader of its subsequent revision, ‘a role in which many readers of Surveyor will have come across Mike’s leadership,’ said CSS colleague Mike Bordiss.
He continued to work for the IHT, leading the development of vocational qualifications, and routes to chartered and incorporated engineer.
Kendrick was credited with transforming the culture of the IHT by building relationships with other groups and making the profession more inclusive. He was also a familiar face at industry conferences, and had been due to chair a session at the Surveyor Cold Comfort event in September.
Hutchinson led the tributes at his funeral last week, recalled how Kendrick had laughed off his loss of hair after treatment, and how, just two months ago at the CSS annual presidential dinner, he had danced ‘like a whirling dervish, full of life’.