In July 1996, I was hired to be a project engineer in the Richmond office. Many of us had started some years before with Law Engineering, where Bryan was my boss and I shared an office with Karl for awhile. But at Law, their firm structure didn’t provide opportunities. I was looking for a greater level of responsibilities, which made me consider ECS.
What positions have you held at ECS?
I was the Roanoke Branch Manager from January 1997 – December 2007; I served as the Mid-Atlantic South Region Manager starting in 2008, and I’ve just recently been named Corporate Director of National Accounts.
What education helped your career?
Before I joined ECS, I earned my BS and MS in Civil Engineering, with a Geotechnical focus. In 2013, I obtained my Master of Business Administration, and that really changed everything. I was a ‘regional’ in my role, so the MBA provided me with a framework to build the business. Every class provided content I could apply immediately.
What was your biggest challenge along the way? How did you overcome it?
I always struggled with things not coming fast enough. I wanted instant results. I had to learn to have patience for the long game.
What has been the largest contributor to your career growth at ECS? What keeps you here?
I tell people this all the time – when new opportunities present themselves, go for it. For me, new opportunities keep presenting themselves, even now. I’ve been willing to reach beyond whatever my current job is, and I continue to challenge myself. It’s important to know – I always went there willingly – nobody had to push me out of my comfort zone. That’s enabled me to define my role and set my own goals.
Tell us about your new position as the Corporate Director of National Accounts. What’s your number one goal?
Steve laid the groundwork previously for the National Accounts program. Taking it to the next levels requires me to use the personnel and resources across the company, tying them together for a national presence. My number one goal is to get full engagement from the participants, from top to bottom, and get everyone on the same page and moving in the same direction.