Unleashed With Big Red Dog Engineering

Welcome back to another captivating episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast! In episode 81, we had the privilege of sitting down with Todd Polk, Director of Federal/Water Management Business Development, from our West Palm Beach corporate office. From growing up in Cincinnati, OH, to serving in the US Army and ultimately bringing his expertise to WGI, it's safe to say that Todd's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Finding Purpose Through Service Although eventually answering the call to service, Todd's initial path to the military was far from straightforward. After attending the University of Kentucky on a swimming scholarship and majoring in communications, Todd found himself uncertain of his career path and future. However, after further immersing himself in the ROTC program, Todd found his calling as he swore into the US Army in 1999 and ultimately found his passion as a combat engineer. Rising to Challenges Throughout his military career, Todd faced numerous challenges, from injuries during tr

Welcome back to another episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast! Today, we're diving deep into the remarkable journey of Edgar Segovia, a seasoned Civil Engineering Project Manager hailing from the vast landscapes of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Buckle up as we unravel the unique story of Edgar's life, from humble beginnings to becoming a mentor and leader at WGI. Edgar's roots trace back to the heart of nowhere – the rural landscapes of the Rio Grande Valley. Growing up in challenging circumstances, Edgar's determination and resilience shone through. Our protagonist's educational journey led him to UT Pan American, now known as UT Rio Grande Valley, where he pursued a degree in mechanical engineering. Edgar's insight into the world of engineering echoes his belief that you don't fully understand it until you immerse yourself in the field. The story takes an adventurous turn as Edgar found his first job opportunity in Civil Engineering in Laredo, Texas, where he lived with his best friend for two years. It wa

Welcome back to another captivating episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast! In this installment, we had the privilege of sitting down with Juan Enriquez, a seasoned project surveyor from our Geospatial Team in Austin, TX. Juan's journey in the world of survey drafting began at a remarkably young age, and his passion for the profession is both inspiring and infectious. Juan's story unfolds in the charming town of Reynosa, Mexico, where he was exposed to the world of surveying through an educational initiative requiring students to practice a trade while in grade school, leading to Juan's interest in the world of engineering being piqued at age 11. This early exposure ignited Juan's interest in drawing, drafting, and the intricate world of land survey work. After relocating to San Marco, Texas, Juan pursued his education at a trade school, eventually earning his GED (even though he already had his high school diploma!). He continued his academic journey at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, graduating wit

In the highly-anticipated 76th episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we had the distinct pleasure of engaging in conversation with Jeff Brophy, WGI's accomplished Vice President of PLACE. With an impressive resume that includes over 20 years of experience, an esteemed license, and an education abroad, we could not have been any more excited to feature Jeff on the latest episode of WGI Unleashed. During our compelling conversation, we uncovered that Jeff is actually the second guest of WGI Unleashed, hailing from the picturesque environment of Southern Ontario, Canada. It was in this region that he proudly earned his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the esteemed University of Guelph. Following his graduation, Jeff embarked on a journey that took him from the eastern expanse of Southern Ontario to the western beauty of British Columbia, traversing the American north and taking in the scenery of the surrounding areas. Recognizing the financial challenges of this venture and spurred by some 'words of encou

On the 75th episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Cheryl Callender, a Studio Manager on WGI's Landscape Architecture team in sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL! Cheryl boasts over 25 years of professional experience, 7 of which she has spent with us here at WGI. In speaking with Cheryl, we learned that she was born and raised in the Central American country of Panama, where she is proud to have obtained her Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from the University of Panama. Post-graduation, Cheryl spent the first seven years of her career as a licensed architect in Panama before being offered the opportunity to relocate to the United States to further her education via a Master's program. It was then that she decided to make the jump from architecture to landscape architecture by obtaining her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Florida A&M University. Cheryl shared what drew her into the architecture industry as well as what she loves most about the field, h

On the 74th episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we head down to our corporate office in West Palm Beach, FL, to chat with Keegan Larson, our VP, Transportation Operations Manager. Keegan began his professional career with WGI in our Transportation Engineering Division and is steadily approaching his 20-year anniversary with our firm. Tune in as we learn about Keegan's original roots in the Pacific Northwest, spending the first several years of his childhood in Seattle, WA. However, with his father working as a consulting engineer on large-scale transportation projects, Keegan found himself relocating around the nation as he grew up, spending time in New Jersey as well as Tallahassee and Orlando, Florida. With a passion for engineering, like his father, and a yearning for a true "college town" experience, Keegan packed his bags and headed to Purdue University in Indiana, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Be sure to listen

On the latest episode of the WGI Unleashed podcast, we get to know Mark Topping, a Geospatial Technology Specialist III based out of our Huntsville, AL office. Mark, a member of the WGI Geospatial division, joined our team a little over a year ago as part of WGI's acquisition of The Atlantic Group, LLC. In this unique episode, Mark gave us the privilege of being WGI Unleashed's first international guest, as we discovered that he resides in Canada for the majority of the year when not traveling for work. Getting to know Mark throughout our conversation, he expressed what it was like to grow up in the second-largest country in the world, just outside of the dynamic metropolis of Toronto, and also shared some of the geographical and cultural likenesses and differences between living in Canada versus the United States. Referring to himself as your "stereotypical Canadian," he jokingly shared that he was born with hockey skates on and grew up participating in all of the winter sports that the country had to offer

For our latest episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we got to chat with Ashley Orr, a Mobility Engineer in our Arlington, VA, office. Ashley is a part of our Mobility division, where she is focused on proposing creative-but-feasible solutions to improve mobility methods and promote growth while also preserving and enhancing the unique character of communities. Ashley grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania, deep in the heart of Amish country, where she enjoyed a slower, more peaceful pace of life. She reflects fondly on her time spent outdoors hiking and visiting national parks with her family. We listened intently while she talked about her time at Penn State University, where we were shocked to learn that she had originally enrolled in the NROTC program with plans to join the Navy and major in Aerospace Engineering with the hope of fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. She discovered very quickly that while she enjoyed what she was learning, studying something more tangible that she could a

On the latest episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jacob Gonzalez, WGI's VP of Client Solutions, based out of our Houston, TX, office. Jacob joined the WGI team over five years ago and has passionately dedicated his time to helping leverage WGI's multi-discipline platform in order to provide our partners and clients with integrated solutions and maximum value. In our sit down, we had the opportunity to discuss many details surrounding Jacob's personal & professional life, such as what it was like growing up as a fourth-generation Texan and 1st generation "Houstonian," where he was born, raised and still resides with his family to this day. Jacob also explained how he was introduced to the AEC industry at a young age, spending his summers surveying in the sweltering Texas sun with his father and grandfather, who are both professional surveyors. In this episode, we discovered how Jacob remained in Houston to attend college, initially starting his post-secondary educa

In the latest episode of the Unleashed Podcast, we got to know Ayse Heckel, an Innovation Engineer from our Dallas, TX, office. Ayse has only been with WGI for just over a year and has already made an impact by helping streamline processes and implement new technologies to help improve efficiency. Ayse talked to us about growing up as one of three sisters in a family who moved around a lot, jumping from Connecticut to Indiana and ultimately Texas, where she decided to put down roots. We discussed the cultural differences between the regions she has lived in and even tested out some of the local sayings and accents on each other. We learned that Ayse is a "triple threat," having attended Texas Tech University for her undergrad, where she double majored, receiving bachelor's degrees in Civil Engineering AND Architecture. And if that wasn't enough, she then went on to MIT and obtained her Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering. We discussed the invaluable instruction and mentorship she received during

On this episode of Unleashed, we chatted with Erica Guertin, an Urban Planner in our Arlington, VA office. Erica has been an essential member of our Urban + Community Planning team for over three years, and recently packed up and made the trek from West Palm Beach, FL to Washington D.C., to assist with the opening of one of our newest offices. We discovered that Erica is a native Floridian having grown up in the Boynton Beach neighborhood of Southern Florida. She stayed close to home for college, attending Florida Atlantic University, where she graduated with a Bachelor degree in Urban Design. Thanks to a nudge from one of her college professors, who just so happened to previously work at WGI, Erica joined the company's internship program in her final academic year. Now, just three short years later, she is helping lead the establishment of a new office for WGI in Washington D.C., while also bolstering our Urban + Community Planning department nationwide. Originally, she started out at WGI as a designer, but

On this episode of the WGI Unleashed podcast, we had the pleasure of talking with Russell Yeager, the Director of Civil Engineering here at WGI. Russell is based out of our San Antonio, TX office but made the short drive up I-35 to Austin for a face-to-face chat with us. We learned Russell grew up in Austin, back when it was considered a "small town," and attended the University of Texas, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. We also discovered he was quite the athlete growing up, uncovering his love for baseball in grade school and swimming competitively throughout high school and college, where he also dabbled in a bit of ultimate frisbee. He walked us through some of his first jobs following graduation and told us the story of what led him to assist in establishing our San Antonio office, which he has been instrumental in leading and growing for over a decade now. Russell was eager to disclose what a typical day looks like for him as the Director of Civil Engineering, which co

On our latest episode of the WGI Unleashed podcast, we head back to Florida to chat with Jennifer Priem, Transportation Business Development Manager, located in our Tampa, FL office. Jennifer joined WGI over 3 years ago and has quickly established herself as a changemaker, helping to create more streamlined processes and often taking on additional projects outside her role’s general scope. We learned Jennifer was born in "The Thumb" region of Michigan, where she grew up along Saginaw Bay with her twin brother. She spent her early years outdoors exploring and rescuing any and all animals she encountered. Jennifer discussed her nomadic adolescence and how her father got a job working for a prominent construction company in Philadelphia, which finally allowed her family to settle down in New Jersey. Her first job involved working in public relations for a large environmental company, but when commissioned by her sister to write a listing ad for her condo, Jennifer promptly fled the cold northeast weather for the

For our first WGI Unleashed episode of the new year, we chatted with Christian Stewart, a Geospatial Technologies Specialist, out of our West Palm Beach, FL office. Christian is an extremely talented and knowledgeable member of our robust Geospatial division with over 18 years of dedicated service at WGI! Christian gave us a glimpse into his early life in the Berkshires, NY, and revealed that the traditional college education path wasn't right for him, so after high school, he booked it down to sunny Florida. We talked about how one of his friends, who already worked at WGI, scored him a job as a rodman on a field crew focusing on land surveying. He explained that he was attracted to this work because it provided him the opportunity to be outside in nature while also allowing him to travel to different parts of the state and country. Soon after beginning his career here, he and a few others on his team decided to take advantage of WGI's tuition reimbursement program and joined a Geospatial apprenticeship prog

For our final WGI Unleashed episode of the year, we talked to Tamara Henderson, a Senior Project Engineer in our Jacksonville, FL, office. Tamara is an integral part of our Civil Engineering team and recently marked two years with WGI. Tamara talked to us about her family and growing up as a “big, awkward nerdy girl” in Prichard, Alabama, a suburb of Mobile, where we learned she graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. She took us through her journey of narrowing down what engineering field she wanted to focus on, and what ultimately led her to choose the civil engineering path. She also talked to us about her involvement in professional organizations, such as ASCE and SWE, and how networking played a pivotal role in helping her land her first job. We delved into her passion for mentoring and volunteering and discussed how she gives back to her local community by being involved in non-profits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Habitat for Humanity.

For episode 64 of the Unleashed podcast, we head back to Texas again to talk to Nina Fuentes, the Office Coordinator for our San Antonio office. Nina has been with WGI for over four years and is integral to keeping our San Antonio office running smoothly and our team members there feeling supported. We talked with Nina about what it was like growing up in Brownsville, TX, and what spurred her cross-country move to Wisconsin, where she taught us the meaning of "the lady at the well" while talking about her family. She told us the heartfelt story about how she met her now husband and how her soothing voice and some flashlight assistance on a last-minute job brought them together. We learned that Nina worked in the early childcare industry and legal field for many years before fate stepped in and helped her find WGI. Nina took us through what she does on a typical day here and explained why she loves her job and the people she works with so much. She also shared about her faith, gave us a few inspirational tips

For episode 63 of WGI Unleashed, we sat down with WGI’s Director of Mobility, Ravali Kosaraju, who joined WGI over a year ago and has significantly grown our Mobility division during her short time with the firm. Ravali explained what it was like growing up and attending grade school in India and cleared up the debate on how to correctly pronounce her name. She talked to us about the culture shock she experienced after moving from India to Canada as a teenager and what it was like to attend college in Canada, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto. She took us through the first few years of her career working in the public sector for several cities and told us why she decided to transition to the private arena and join WGI. Ravali also detailed her involvement with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and how she was recently named one of their ITE Young Leaders to Follow for 2022. We discovered she met her now husband on an online dating websit

Episode 62 of the WGI Unleashed podcast takes us back to West Palm Beach, FL, to get to know David Gerber, a Project Engineer in our Roadway (Transportation) division. David (aka Gerber to most) has been an integral part of the WGI team for over a decade and has had the unique pleasure of working out of several different WGI offices during his time here. Despite thinking we knew all of Gerber's ins and outs, we discovered during this podcast recording that we had only scratched the surface. We learned that he was born in Miami but grew up in the Lakeland area between Tampa and Orlando. Following high school graduation, he quickly booked it back to South Florida, where he first attended the University of Miami (UM) before transferring to Florida International University (FIU), where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. We listened while Gerber told us how a chance encounter at a wedding was not only how he ended up here with us at WGI but also what spurred his interest in transport