Articles

President's Message - January 2022

Welcome to a new year! I am excited about the opportunities of this upcoming year and look forward to tackling the challenges that lay ahead. We plan to continue our hybrid meetings with virtual and in-person meetings with our same COVID policies in place. I encourage everyone to follow the CDC recommendations such as social distancing, limited personal contact, and vaccinations.

This month we return with a full complement of technical sessions and the return of our “Bridge” session which focuses on topics to help new graduates transition into the engineering profession.

January is ‘National Mentor’ Month which is a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the vital relationships that mold our next generation of engineers. Mentors come in many varieties. Most are older and hopefully wiser. Sometimes we learn tremendous lessons from our peers or younger people when they ask challenging questions that may go against how things have always been done.

I have had many mentors outside of my family throughout my life that have helped me get where I am today. I will mention a few now to give them thanks: Robert who gave advice on growing up while I learned how to turn a wrench and rebuild small-block Chevy engines. Maybe I can still use 18436572 for something. Sean and I were a team delivering appliances, and he literally saved my life and changed its trajectory. Paul helped me transition into a job as a delivery driver, and later he gave me the courage to quit that same job of 6 years so that I could concentrate on finishing my degree in Civil Engineering. Pictured is me during this major transition period in my life.

Shelly was the first professional Civil Engineer that I met during my undergraduate program, and she gave me guidance on what to expect in an office environment. Debbie always provides guidance with keen observations and kindness.  Carlos is always at least 1 step ahead of everyone else, and he continually challenges me to do my best. Jim taught many of my classes and was my faculty advisor. Ever the one to demonstrate the value of being a well-rounded person, he is fully dedicated to mentoring on more than just engineering.

These people and countless others have helped me along my path to where I am today. Their diversity of perspectives has been extremely valuable to both my professional and personal development in many ways. I encourage everyone to develop a diverse and inclusive mentor / mentee relationships.

Warm regards,

Ed Penton, P.E.