Val Bates, a master of design and defying the odds

The name Khafra is derived from an ancient African king—an Egyptian pharaoh credited with building the Giza Pyramid. His likeness was the inspiration for the face of the Great Sphinx.

Valentino “Val” Bates, principal partner of Khafra Engineering Consultants Inc., is a standout figure in the civil engineering field. In an industry where less than 4% of civil engineers are Black, the firm is nationally known for leading major infrastructure initiatives which include the Clean Water Program for the City of Atlanta and the Fulton County Water and Sewer Improvement Program, along with similar projects in Louisville, Nashville and Baltimore.

As co-founder of one of the nation’s largest minority-owned engineering consulting companies, Bates has earned a reputation among clients and peers for being an exceptional problem solver, delivering innovative solutions from concept to creation for municipalities around Georgia and the nation. The award-winning company is also a major contractor in construction engineering and inspection services for the Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Maryland Departments of Transportation.

As co-founder of Khafra, a top tier full-service engineering and architectural in a field where Black representation is estimated at just 4%, Bates is recognized for taking on complex infrastructure challenges and developing solutions that serve as a critical foundation for the ever-evolving infrastructures of modern communities.

Bates, who’s professional and family roots are deeply embedded in the nation’s foundation, is naturally driven by ambition and determination and inclined to lean toward the building industry.

“My family has been in the construction business for generations … When we were freed out of slavery, my great, great grandfather was a stone mason who taught my great grandfather, who taught my grandfather, who taught my dad, and my Dad began teaching me when I was three years old,” explained Bates of his Shreveport, Louisiana heritage.

The Bates family’s legacy, shaped by the post-slavery construction era and the Civil Rights Movement, reflects a history of resilience in the face of systemic barriers. After the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, white officials retaliated against Black contractors, like Bates’ father, by canceling and withholding construction contracts, driving many Black-owned firms into bankruptcy.

Undeterred, the family rebuilt in Kansas City, Missouri. There, Bates earned his Master of Science in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri, before relocating to Atlanta in 1979, at the start of historic Mayor Maynard Jackson’s administration.

“There was an impetus for businesses like mine, Herman J. Russell and [other Black entrepreneurs] to benefit from Maynard Jackson’s minority and Women’s Business Enterprise Program,” explained the seasoned civil engineer. “I just came in on a sweet spot. Atlanta was growing and municipal water and wastewater needs were growing,” said the confident practitioner, with a hint of humility. But Bates’ success is more than a matter of timing or being “in the right place at the right time.” Being in the right business at a critical time was also key to his and ultimately Khafra’s success.

As Atlanta and other Southern cities continue to experience rapid population growth from the 1980’s to the present, there has always been a glaring shortage of Black-owned engineering firms — particularly in the water sector.

In 1986 Bates partnered with professional engineers James M. Davis, Dwight H. Jones, and Daniel H. Nall to form Khafra Engineering Consultants Inc. what would become one of the most successful Black-owned engineering firms in the country.

Khafra, a comprehensive engineering and architectural firm, was primed for the challenge of building and ensuring municipal infrastructures were safe, functional, and environmentally sustainable. The company is uniquely capable and equipped to plan and manage complex large-scale infrastructure projects such as municipal water systems in heavily populated urban centers.

To date, the firm that initially struggled to secure a $50,000 bank loan has expanded its engineering and design capacity to 90 employees in seven locations. Khafra’s growth as a prime consultant in wastewater and environmental design, ultimately lead to the formation of KHAFRA Operation Services in 2004, a subsidiary for facility management contracts.

“Clean water [legislation] creates a whole new enterprise for consulting engineering firms and contractors to expand and build environmental projects for clean water and clean up the rivers. … We’re the only country in the world where you can open your mouth in the shower and drink the water,” Bates says with pride. “It’s because of all the stuff we do to make the water safe to drink,” he adds.

Building on its promise to become a major contractor for consent decree programs east of the Mississippi River, the award-winning company has secured key assignments, which include overhaul of Atlanta’s aging sewer system along with similar projects in Louisville, Baltimore and Nashville.

Bates who also served as President of Georgia Piedmont Technical College continues to immerse himself in identifying bigger and better opportunities for himself, Khafra and aspiring civil engineers. “Get into it, because you’re never going to be without a job. … We’re going to always need roads, we’re going to always need bridges, we’re going to always need water, we’re going to always need sewers. You are never going to be unemployed in civil engineering,” he advises.

Next stop for the ambitious and determined entrepreneur. “Remember … that we couldn’t get a $50,000 loan from a bank based on the 5 Cs of credit. Now I want to own a bank and primarily capitalize on banking for people of color … because I know their character,” Bates concluded.