I had the opportunity to step into a project manager position quite early in my career working on one of PCL’s first membrane bioreactor projects in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I moved around a lot managing projects remotely in Arizona, then Utah, back to Arizona and then on to California. Now I'm a project director, chasing our megawater pursuits and currently managing design on one of PCL’s largest progressive design-build projects valued at about $600 million.

I went to Purdue University and earned my degree in construction management. I always liked to build things and I grew up in Indiana, so Purdue was a natural choice for me.

I come from a family of builders: One uncle owns an electrical company, another uncle owns an excavation and foundation company, and I'm a third-generation bridge builder. Growing up I spent a lot of time on construction sites and decided that’s what I want to do for my profession. I started in transportation right out of school and worked on some really fun bridge projects, which inspired me to focus on civil construction.

Switching to water and wastewater treatment after working on transportation projects was a refreshing change for me.  It's been an eye-opening experience to see how water is managed in the western U.S. Being in the southwest, we need the ability to reuse and look at other innovative ideas on how to manage water. I’m passionate because I see the impact our work has on people’s everyday lives.

Jordan Basin in Utah was one. It was a big project for me and my professional growth. We built a 15 million gallons per day (MGD) membrane bioreactor (MBR) water reclamation facility. An incredible level of detail went into the structures. The project was surrounded by some very nice property, so extra effort went into giving it a “woodsy” feel. Generally, our buildings are plain and industrial; these were very elaborate.  It really showcased what PCL is capable of and two of the buildings received LEED Gold energy certifications as environmentally friendly buildings. 

 
The other one I would say is the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant near San Diego. This project, maybe more than any I have worked on, will have the biggest positive impact on the environment and the local community. The current facility has exceeded its designed capacity and is unable to handle the volume of wastewater coming from Mexico resulting in wastewater being diverted into the Tijuana River and into the ocean. This is causing beach closures and impacting the communities in south San Diego. We are in the process of installing temporary equipment to increase the plant capacity while design progresses. Construction of the new facilities, which will double the plant's capacity, will begin in March 2026.

What I've always enjoyed is the people I work with, and after 20 years and multiple locations I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot! But I think the most satisfying thing is when you hire people and help them to grow, and then you get to see them become a project manager or an area manager or advanced in their area of expertise. I think that's a pretty exciting aspect of the business, to know you made a positive impact on someone’s career.

My long-term goal is to continue to do what excites me, and that's teaching those around me and helping them build their careers. I’m also excited to have the opportunity to grow PCL’s large alternative delivery portfolio in California.   

I'm a member of the Design Build Institute of America, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.