As engineer-manager of the Kent County Road Commission for 38 years beginning in 1920, hess was in large measure responsible for developing one of Michigan's best county road systems. Its operating efficiency was recognized in 1940 when the commission won first prize in national competition for management of its road program. Hess also devoted a great deal of his energy to the development of an outstanding county park system and to the preservation of the natural beauty along county roads. He was for many years a leader in county, state, and national highway affairs, serving as president of the County Road Association of Michigan, the Michigan Good Roads Federation and the County Roads Division of the American Road Builders Association.