With a distinguished career spanning two decades, Barbara Hattemer McCrary has established herself as a cornerstone of the engineering community in Alabama and across the Southeast.
McCrary joined HHB Engineers P.C. in 2006 and was promoted to president in 2014. HHB is a prominent women-owned small business initially founded in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1983 and now headquartered in Tuscaloosa. The company specializes in the design of complex mechanical systems such as heating and cooling systems for new buildings and building renovations. McCrary’s leadership has positioned HHB as a premier firm for complex projects for large public universities, governmental infrastructure, and prominent historical landmarks.
A proud two-time graduate of The University of Alabama, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering. Her graduate research alongside Dr. Steve Kavanaugh focused on innovative lake-source geothermal systems — a specialty that earned her the prestigious Willis H. Carrier National Award in 2006 from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Under McCrary’s guidance, HHB has executed numerous high-profile projects in the region. From the multi-year and multi-phased technically challenging steam decommissioning and heating systems upgrades project at her alma mater to her work helping to restore and upgrade federally recognized churches vital to the Civil Rights Movement, McCrary’s work has enabled Alabama’s vital structures to operate with maximum efficiency and reliability. Her work at UA over the past decade includes the $110 million renovation of Bryant Denny Stadium in 2020, as well as high-tech research labs, state-of-the-art athletic facilities, academic and support spaces, and critical infrastructure upgrades across campus.
An inductee of The University of Alabama Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Fellows class of 2016, she has served as the past chair of the department’s Industrial Advisory Board and as an active board member for nearly 10 years. Her accolades include being named the 2021 Engineer of the Year by the Engineering Council of Birmingham and being recognized as Engineered Systems Magazine’s 20 Women to Watch in HVAC in 2022.
McCrary and her husband, Zac, have been married for 20 years and reside in Northport, Alabama, with their Italian Greyhound, Vito.