What attracted you to this profession?
In my late childhood, “modern day” video game systems really started taking off. While the market took off, the technology wasn’t quite there and often devices/systems would fail. I found I had a real desire to take these failed systems apart and try to revive them. So I would collect broken systems and, piece by piece, disassemble and reassemble their electronics.
Later in life, this would prove to be the foundation of my passion for electrical engineering. It led me to (thankfully) change my path in college from architecture to electrical engineering. I attribute that desire to tackle a “broken system,” and/or come up with creative solutions to make a system run more efficiently, with my attraction to this profession, specifically electrical engineering.
What three words would you use to describe your job?
Collaborative—working with people, technology, and data throughout a project’s life.
Innovative—bringing new design ideas to the project to give life to a never ending list of solutions.
Detail-oriented—focusing on precision, accuracy, and workmanship.
What are the most important personality traits to have in your profession?
A clear, fresh mind every day; the ability to hit the reset button.
Never accepting complacency and always striving for innovation.
And being what I like to call a “dual-minded person,” which is the ability to think not only about the task at hand now but also how this task and its decisions will affect the future.
What’s a typical week in your job like?
No two days are the same, which is one of the best parts of my job. One day I might be in the field, observing and taking note of the underground stage in an electrical installation. The next day I might be booked solid with in-person and virtual meetings on various projects. The next might be a bit more “breathable” where there’s time to focus on the details.
What’s it like working in the Raleigh office?
The Raleigh office is a big group of true friends. We’re all eager for that next opportunity to chat with our friends, hear about the projects everyone is working on, and talk about what cool and inspiring new ideas everyone has.
What do you like most about your job?
Most enjoyable is the people I get to meet, visiting the towns we change lives in, and seeing something come to life from just mere paper.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Juggling the urgency of the needs of one person/task/project vs. another. Most people in this industry are passionate about their work and projects so when something is needed of me, it’s often very important to that person or project to get what they need. This holds true regardless of whether the needs intersect, which they often do.
What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now?
An emergency operations center and 911 call center. It has a dedicated 16 rack server room with a raised floor, multiple cable trays, several layers of backup power, and some of the most stringent electrical requirements of any project.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
If you had asked me this two years ago, I would have said fishing, being out on the water, and just being outdoors. Now-a-days my 10-month old son is the light of my life, and is who I try and spend as much of my time with as I can.
What music are you listening to right now?
“Take Me Back to Eden” by Sleep Token
What’s your favorite film?
It’s a tie between Gone in 60 Seconds and Inception.
What’s your motto or mantra?
Be sure to learn something new every day… even if that something new is something you’ll forget tomorrow.
How does your work benefit from our firm’s interdisciplinary approach to design?
Being an interdisciplinary design firm, my mantra of “always learning something new every day” is much more achievable. When sitting next to an interior designer or architect, it allows me to get a deeper understanding of the integration of electrical design and other discipline design. It becomes more than just a panelboard in the wall; it’s now looking deeper in that wall’s construction, layers, and how that integrates with the panel.
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