About Gary

Gary resides in northern Wake County near the Town of Wake Forest with his wife, Jessica. They have 4 adult daughters - Jenessa, Mikayla, Carson and Savannah - all students/graduates of Wake County Public Schools, that reside in Raleigh and Colorado Springs.

Hartong is President of The Wooten Company, a civil and environmental engineering firm serving the Carolinas. He began his career with Wooten as an intern in early 1998, and over more than two decades rose through the ranks — from project engineer to regional manager to executive vice president — before assuming the presidency in 2020. Under his leadership, the firm continues to deliver survey, design, funding assistance, and construction services for water, sewer, storm-water, site development, and architectural projects for both public entities and private clients.

Beyond his role at Wooten, Hartong is active in national and state-level engineering associations. He was elected in 2021 as Vice Chair of American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and in 2023 was inducted into the ACEC College of Fellows — a recognition reserved for engineers who demonstrate distinguished service, leadership, and contributions to the profession. Through those roles, he has advocated for infrastructure investment and worked to elevate the public profile of consulting engineering as a profession. Additionally, he has served in local civic capacities — for example on advisory boards within the community where his firm operates — further bridging his professional expertise with public service.

Hartong earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and later a Master’s in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University (N.C. State). His technical grounding in environmental and civil engineering — combined with decades of project experience — gives him deep expertise in water/wastewater systems, site development, infrastructure planning, and the regulatory and funding landscapes required for public works projects.

Leadership Service:

Town of Wake Forest - Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, Chair & Vice Chair (2021-2022)
Town of Wake Forest - Greenway Advisories Board (2019-2020)
American Council of Engineering Companies - Executive Committee (2021-2023)
American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina - Executive Board (2014-2020)