PE
I love to learn and solve puzzles in both my personal and professional worlds. For my career, I see every building, project, and condition as a new puzzle that needs to be solved. How was the building constructed? How will the modification affect the structure? Why does this condition exist? These are the questions I strive to answer. I truly believe you cannot design a solution to any condition without understanding the structure itself.
Part of that understanding comes from talking to the people who use the building every day. It’s only through these conversations that I can learn about recurring issues or the construction and renovation history of the building. These conversations are important because they help me to understand the entire building, rather than just an isolated area.
When needing more information, I love to dive deep into the existing drawings, reports, and references of the time. Finding an exact reference to a detail is my favorite feeling. One of my greatest accomplishments was being able to direct an architect to the location of a detail on drawings I hadn’t yet fully reviewed; it took me less than 15 minutes to find what she had spent hours looking for.
As part of the puzzle, I’m constantly working to find solutions that are both effective and constructable. I work closely with contractors to understand the limitations of their work (such as a tight space preventing the use of a specific drill) and often utilize their experience to find an appropriate solution, as I recognize that people with more years of exposure have knowledge that I cannot obtain without experience. I strive to make sure all team members have an appropriate understanding of the work and the overall goal of any task. This allows me to trust that they will complete the work in a suitable manner and also provide feedback if they see a better solution. This communication is critical in having a project run smoothly.
I grew up in Vandalia, Ohio with my parents and three siblings. My dad worked in construction, so that was the main driver in my desire to be an engineer. After completing my bachelor’s degree at the University of Dayton, I continued my education at Johns Hopkins University where I earned my master’s degree while learning about archaic construction techniques. I started my career in Philadelphia but moved back to Ohio after five years. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to preserve the incredible construction in Cincinnati and the surrounding area.
My personal life often revolves around my dogs, Rocky (black lab/pit mix) and Daisy (golden retriever). I enjoy solving the puzzle of how to wear them out. When I accomplish that, I solve jigsaw puzzles and riddles while watching Friends on repeat. My weekends are typically filled with trips to my parents’ backyard in Vandalia so the dogs can play.