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School Bond Program Management: Piecing Together the Puzzle of Success

Posted on by Otak Staff

For something as inherently valuable as education, the means for updating its facilities are often less than straightforward.

The process for improving education community assets often relies on many steps over a complex timeline that involves a variety of different stakeholders. Education professionals typically maintain full schedules in keeping their schools functioning as well as possible. With so many complex and moving parts, many organizations benefit from partnering with a bond program manager with the technical expertise to ensure a bond management process runs smoothly alongside typical operations.

In this piece, we’ll examine the elements of a successful school bond program and the role of an owner’s representative, or bond program manager plays in supporting the client.

Read on or skip ahead:

What is a School Bond Program?

A school bond program is a form of financing for capital construction projects that many communities rely on for improving their facilities. The projects that comprise a bond program can range from new construction or facilities renovation to addressing deferred maintenance. The cost for these often exceeds typical operating budgets so additional funds are sought from voters in general elections.

Falling into the category of general obligation (GO) bonds, school bonds are generally funded by leveraging property taxes, proposed during general elections. Beyond just improving the built environment for students, teachers, and the community – or in supporting the longevity of an asset – to pass bonds school districts must be thoughtful and strategic about the needs and interests of their community and appeal to those voters.

Bonds may focus on life, fire, safety, and ADA concerns. Some will also address more targeted goals like seismic improvements, pedagogy, or curriculum advancements such as career-technical education facilities. At their heart, bond programs and their passage are an expression of public trust by taxpayers. 

Use of bond funds is also subject to financial management and procurement requirements established by state and local municipalities. In many states, additional grants and “match” funding are also available to help taxpayer dollars go farther to support education.

Serving as owner's rep and bond program manager
[See the Project] Reynolds School District Bond Program

How are Bond Programs Unique?

No two school bond programs are the same. Some bonds may be focused on one or a few projects, while others may touch every school within the district’s portfolio. Depending on the size and complexity, a bond may be conceived with multiple projects, budgets, and project teams. It may involve multi-phasing to prepare interim facilities and swing spaces ahead of final projects.

To account for this variety and unanticipated conditions that can arise during construction, successful program management requires experience in facilities, design, educational paradigms, administration, all phases of construction project management, managing multiple levels of stakeholders, team leadership, and community relations.

How are Bond Programs Similar?

With unique goals and requirements, each school bond program will require processes tailored to their specifications. However, there are a number of key elements that are common denominators with any successful program.

A priority for any school bond program is maximizing the impact of locally approved funding by preserving as much money as possible for the projects themselves.

Part of this effort may involve minimizing overhead, but it’s important to consider the big picture as the greatest savings are found in efficiencies throughout the process. For example, a 1–3% upfront investment in pre-planning work can result in much lower costs over the full lifecycle of the project. This is one area where a program manager can have the most value.

In pre-planning, a school district may have identified immediate and long-range needs, but determining the best solutions to meet district needs can be guided and facilitated by the program manager.

Aerial view of Nustucca Valley Campus
[See the Project] Nestucca Valley School District Bond Program

Planning and Front-End Alignment

A crucial step for any school bond program is often one of the first. In selecting a project – and even prior to it – extensive planning begins with the identification of long-range district goals. This process can include focused due diligence such as facility assessments and enrollment forecasting needs (over at least 10 years), and eventually lead to project selection itself. Without these steps, projects may be compromised by short-sightedness or even subject to future rework if they are not considered in the context of a larger plan.

According to a study by Autodesk, poor schedule management is cited by 68% of project trades as the main cause of decline in worker productivity. Experience in construction management and front-end planning of a bond’s budget, scope, and timeframe components can help design the best execution strategy that maximizes approved funding impact. With this breadth of experience and knowledge, a bond program manager will be able to provide cost projections and cost-benefit analyses for potential project scenarios, and advising as such when a District is determining whether to renovate and upgrade existing facilities or initiate new construction.

In this stage of the school bond program, standardizing processes also provides the opportunity to bring together key project players and establish consensus in planning. Clear expectations for input and decision making need to be established to secure trust with these stakeholders so they can constructively engage in the design/construction process. From public engagement stakeholders and consultants to bond counsel and legal representation, coordination between the complete team early on can be an essential step in collecting necessary information to help inform project scope.

Role of a Bond Manager

An experienced bond manager understands this entire process and the subtle nuances that can affect the outcome of a yes or no vote. From tailoring polling questions and voting strategies around an election, to how the bond itself is worded, there are variety of aspects that impact its outcome. Competing agendas and politics are invariably part of the overall equation and an experienced bond manager can help guide the district through the entire pre-bond process.

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Stakeholder and Oversight Engagement

While establishing internal planning for anticipated projects is essential, they will not move forward without determining what the tax base will support. Knowing what taxpayers in the district can afford and what they value or view as necessary is key. To answer these questions, studies and polling can help tailor the dollar amount and scope of work before being put out for a vote. In-person meetings where community groups are represented can be essential engagement tools to connect with potential community champions and identify any initial dissenting opinions. Educating the public about bond goals and outcomes to garner support is also an essential investment.

After the bond’s passage, the real work begins to engage the many stakeholders invested in the success of a project including students/teachers/school-based staff, district personnel, and the partners/community members that may also use the facilities.

With a high level of scrutiny on expenditure of bond funds, districts should consider establishing an external oversight committee to observe the process. Typically comprised of interested community members, a bond manager will support the selection and engagement of the oversight committee to identify potential expertise that may be useful for supporting the bond and preparing reporting and presentations for their review across the bond’s duration.

At the end of the day, voters will want to know why a bond is needed: does it provide the best solution; what will it cost; can they afford it; and how will life continue in the meantime? To answers these questions and gain taxpayer support, a bond campaign will need to be outlined and implemented.

Role of a Bond Manager

A bond manager will be able to guide the district in all decisions and lend technical expertise and construction industry experience to guide the program’s delivery. They can help bridge gaps in personnel capacity and knowledge to bring bond promises to fruition.

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Strong Execution – Project Delivery, Documentation and Reporting

At the core of any successful school bond program is execution and delivery. While that may seem obvious, the path to effectively managing these steps is often anything but. Research of construction planning efficiency and delivery times by Wrike found that project planners typically have only a 58% accuracy rate when predicting delivery dates. These inconsistencies can have major impacts on staff, operations, and even student safety. In keeping complex school bond processes on track, documentation and reporting is key.

From start to finish, workflows and protocols are essential to facilitating review, approvals, and overall decision making. From augmenting project management resources at the outset of a project to setting consistent system specifications for maintenance following project completion, the establishment of strong document control and management systems helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks. The ability to quickly reference and produce consistent records also streamlines what can be complex legal processes.

When it comes to capital improvement projects, managing public contracts within a school bond requires an understanding of public procurement laws as they pertain to architectural design, engineering, construction, and consulting contracts. Contracts in the public sector are more complicated than the private sector and tend to have higher levels of scrutiny and oversight—every expenditure requires public justification. Ultimately, strong documentation and reporting in the school bond process prepares stakeholders throughout project delivery to help ensure staff needs are met and the safety of students is prioritized.

Role of a Bond Manager

A bond manager can help augment district staff efforts with deep knowledge of the way documentation and reporting tools are applied to projects of all shapes and sizes. As a go-between for the Owner with the architect, contractor, and other stakeholders, communication of important details are streamlined while keeping everyone on the same page.

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Setting Transition, Turnover and Community Use Expectations

While it’s easy to get swept away in the planning, engagement, and execution of school facility improvements, it’s important to remember that while the project itself is underway, life goes on. An important factor that is often, but should not be, overlooked is how people and programs are transitioned. This is because, as all educators are aware: the kids come back.

“We have seen projects come to completion, the owner moves in, and then it takes another 18 months before they know how to operate the building.”

– Henry Alaman, Otak Senior VP

Eighteen months is not atypical in a complex new facility where the existing facilities employees are not familiar with the new technology, systems, or equipment. To ensure the transition is seamless, all staff should receive the tools and training necessary to operate the building. Additionally, documents (drawings, plans, manuals, etc.) should be provided and stored electronically so they can be easily accessed.

Even the most well-established timelines and plans need to be prepared for unforeseen challenges. As a project progresses, the need to adapt is often inevitable. The ability to anticipate these challenges and quickly resolve them in the form of change management also becomes an important factor where the experience of an owner’s representative can prove invaluable.

Role of a Bond Manager

With the passage of a school bond measure, the public is placing their trust in the school district to deliver on specific outcomes. Ultimately, the bond manager is an extension of this trust and is responsible for guiding the spend-down of the approved budget and protecting the public and the school district’s interest.

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Taking a Multidisciplinary Approach to Augmenting the Bond Process

Delivering a school bond, no matter the scale, is a complex process and a program manager isn’t successful without operating in an owner’s representative capacity. The ability to coalesce diverse sets of expertise from different team members and align them with individual client goals is essential to bringing the work and the promises made to the community to fruition.

As a multi-disciplinary firm, Otak provides a unique combination of program, bond, and construction management expertise, as well as knowledge and understanding of public procurement laws governing bond spending, local industry, and market knowledge. Our firm has proudly worked with many urban and rural school districts in bond development and delivery. Check out some of that work below!

See Our School Bond Work

Sustainability In Action: See How One Bridge Engineer Puts a New Spin on Biking to Work

Posted on by OTAK Team

Sustainability is now a top priority for firms across the globe. According to a recent Mckinsey poll, a larger share of executives now say that sustainability programs make a positive contribution to their companies’ value both in the short and long term. 

Greater still, over a third of global consumers are now willing to pay more for sustainability-integrated services and products. Now more than ever, individuals are both looking for more environmentally sensitive alternatives and looking to firms to champion resilient initiatives. 

“When you’re going and inspecting pedestrian bridges, being a pedestrian just feels right.”

David Graff – Otak Bridge Engineer

Given the information, the time has never been better for people and firms to truly live their sustainable values—not only to internal stakeholders but also to external partners and communities.  

Otak is excited to highlight a Bridge Project Engineer in Colorado who is truly living those values especially on the jobsite. 

We would like to introduce you to David Graff, who biked 22.7 miles over three days through the City of Aurora for a single project—both to reduce his carbon footprint and get a leg up on his competitors in the art of pedestrian bridge inspection. 

A Sustainable Approach to Pedestrian Bridge Inspection

Who is David? 

David Graff, P.E. is a leading voice in our firm for bridge engineering in the Rocky Mountain West. Serving as project manager for bridge inspections and replacements throughout the region, his career is one of excellence at the highest standard. As a member of our structural engineering practice, David is also a certified bridge inspector for the National Highway Institute (NHI).  

He also happens to be one of Otak’s best cyclists, and calls the back roads and pedestrian areas of Colorado his backyard. A bike commuter and environmentalist through and through, David had long awaited a chance to merge his love of cycling and the love of his work—what he calls “Two of my favorite things.” It took one RFP dropping from the City of Aurora to give David that chance. 

What’s the Project? 

The City of Aurora PROS 2022 Bridge Inspections project is one uniquely fit for David and his talents. In addition to being a certified NHI bridge inspector, David has also been running inspections on pedestrian bridges for years in other cities like Vail and Aspen—a niche market in the Colorado region. He specializes in full scale inspection, or the art of inspecting every bridge within a given municipality for deficiencies, structural soundness, and overall ability to serve the community where the bridge lies. 

The problem in Aurora? A notable pedestrian bridge suffering from erosion and a washed away backfill underneath the approach lapse. David and his team were able to win an initial contract for the bridge in question, and later sold the city on inspections and service for every pedestrian bridge in Aurora.  

Thanks to perseverance and long-standing relationships in Colorado, David was tapped to lead this charge behind this renewed effort to fortify and inspect pedestrian bridges across the community.  

Map showing David Graff's bike path for bridge inspection
Mapping David’s Bridge Inspection Bike Path

Why Bike to Each Site? 

In David’s own words, “When you’re going and inspecting pedestrian bridges, being a pedestrian just feels right.” To truly experience the bridges in their full capacity, David felt that he needed to “be a pedestrian” to do his best work. Besides making the work more enjoyable, he also found that riding his bike would be more efficient from both a time and sustainability standpoint. 

Parking is limited in many of these spaces where pedestrian bridges exist, like the ones on the Highline Canal Trail and Sand Creek Park. Armed with just a bike, David was able to saddle right up to each bridge and perform a full inspection as an active user. Saving time walking between a car and the site, while also saving emissions by biking seemed immediately like a no brainer. 

What Did David Find? 

There are three categories of deficiencies that every bridge inspector looks out for on a trip to a site: 

  • Maintenance – Basic upkeep. Things like trimming trees that are growing underneath bridge, clean debris.
  • Preventative – Things that aren’t problems yet, but if not addressed could become a problem. 
  • Repair – Deficiencies that could threaten structural integrity or safety of bridge. Should be address before next inspection or immediately. 

While he’s only a third of the way through the full-scale inspection cycle, those he’s visited look to be in good shape out of the 26 he’s biked to this year. 

More Than Just Bridge Inspectors 

Of course, pedestrian bridges differ from vehicular bridges.  

Vehicular bridges tend to be bigger and have traffic moving faster making deficiencies more difficult to notice in passing and potentially more hazardous. And when it comes to pedestrian bridges, there also isn’t a governing body that ensures certain standards are met, which can lead to the maintenance of pedestrian bridges being more likely to fall by the wayside. Still, in either case, it’s ultimately the same expertise and principles come into play for inspection. 

David stresses here that himself and his team are not just bridge inspectors—they’re bridge engineers, meaning that they’re capable of giving reasons why deficiencies arise and structural fixes for problems, which ultimately saves money for clients as issues are caught early on.  

Interested in learning more about a transportation approach that’s about more than just mobility? Take a closer look at our work that’s designed to create greater access in communities to healthy lifestyles and resilient economies. 

DBIA Awards 2022: The Portland Building is Recognized for Historic Reconstruction

Posted on by OTAK Team

When it comes to project delivery, few methods are as cutting-edge as the design-build delivery, but what does it mean, and how do we differentiate it from a traditional delivery?

What is the Design-Build Delivery Method?

According to the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), the design-build process is different from a traditional project delivery for a few reasons:

  • Rather than managing multiple contracts, the Owner manages only one contract with a single point of responsibility.
  • The single point of reference allows the designer and contractor work together from the beginning as a “Design Build Entity,” providing unified project recommendations to fit the Owner’s schedule and budget.
  • Any changes are addressed by the entire team rather than in siloes of the project, leading to collaborative problem-solving and innovation.

It all comes down to single-source contracting, but what’s important here is the culture of collaboration inherent in design-build. Teams truly work as a team without an adversarial relationship between subdivisions, and that means everything for successful, innovative delivery.

The Portland Building team at the DBIA Award 2022 acceptance
The Portland Building team at the DBIA Awards 2022

The DBIA has a storied history of sharing the wonders of design-build with the greater industry. Formed in 1993, it started as a handful of engineers, architects, and builders who sought to make project delivery both easier and scalable. The organization is now the authority on the design-build process, comprised of not just professionals but academics, students, and leaders from all over the country.

What’s more, they host one of the biggest industry events in the country commemorating use of the method every year.

What is the Design-Build Conference & Expo?

The Design-Build Conference & Expo happens in various locations and hosts a slew of industry professionals who come to network and learn from one another.

Projects from all over the U.S. are nominated for their historic delivery methods, and experts from across the AEC industry judge and award firms based on a variety of criteria provided by the DBIA.

“The Portland Building is by far, one of the defining projects of my career and one of the best teams I’ve worked with in my life.”

Miro Radoynovski – Portland Building Project Manager

Otak attended the annual event in Las Vegas in  November 2022, where we were up for multiple awards for our owner’s representative work on The Portland Building in our home city of Portland, OR.

What Did the Portland Building Win?

At the 2022 Design-Build Conference & Expo, the Portland Building was nominated for three DBIA awards in the category of rehabilitation, renovation and restoration. The project ultimately swept all three.

  • Best in Process – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration
  • National Award of Excellence – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration
  • National Award of Merit – Rehabilitation / Renovation / Restoration

The awards reinforced the success felt across the project team, including the city of Portland. For the DBIA, success is defined in a variety of ways and the details of the Portland Building were clearly aligned with those criteria.

Delivering an Award-Winning Project: What the DBIA Looks For

Winning projects are all evaluated on the same criteria, based on DBIA’s Design Build Done Right framework.

Projects are considered if they achieve the best value while meeting design and construction quality, cost and schedule goals. They must also demonstrate advanced and innovative application of total integrated project delivery, including design-build best practices to achieve exceptional outcomes.

Credit: DLR Group

But what is the Design Build Done Right framework?

The overview of it is that it’s a universally applicable set of best practices and principles that can aid in the delivery of any design-build project. The DBIA provides a set of guidelines, and more importantly real-world techniques, that facilitate successful projects from procuring services to execution, exemplified by the following aspects of delivery:

  • Schedule and cost performance
  • Effective processes
  • Interdisciplinary teamwork
  • Problem solving
  • Excellence in design
  • Use of technology
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Based on these elements of successful design-build, Otak is proud to say we won multiple awards the evening of the conference, which we’ll get into next.

Building a Winning Case in The Portland Building

The Portland Building project is a 15-story high-rise occupied by City of Portland bureaus. As an internationally renowned architectural example of post-Modernism designed by Michael Graves, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses a number of government departments all working in tandem to make Portland run smoothly.

Exterior view of the Portland Building
Exterior view of the Portland Building
(Photo Credit: James Ewing, JBSA)

The project addressed the building envelope issues by covering the concrete façade with a unitized curtain wall and terracotta rain screen tiles that eliminated leaking while preserving its historic status and appearance. The restored façade also greatly improved the poor natural lighting which, combined with a full interior remodel, drastically transformed the building’s working environment. Otak also organized the temporary relocation of all the city’s 1,400+ staff to ensure that the city maintained normal operations throughout the project.

However, what’s really interesting (and unique) about the project is its cutting-edge delivery method, one that takes DBIA guidelines and brings them to the next level—progressive design-build.

Progressive Design-Build Delivery of the City of Portland’s Vision

The City of Portland initiated a $195 million project to reconstruct the building, making it the city’s largest capital project.

Such an innovative method of delivery was needed to address several of the City’s objectives with construction:

  • Fix the enclosure performance problems—no more leaks and better daylighting
  • Preserve the historic integrity of the exterior—get through landmark approval process
  • Upgrade the seismic performance of the building to an appropriate standard
  • Replace building mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems
  • Remedy urban design deficiencies at the base
  • Improve the workplace and public engagement areas
  • Meet requirements for LEED Gold

What Does Progressive Design-Build Mean?

Essentially, a progressive design-build delivery method is  a form of early contractor involvement that can help reduce risk and increase collaboration among all stakeholders. It’s the way a construction project design is developed by the owner and design-builders using a step-by-step process.

The DBIA again states that progressive design-build allows the design and construction team to collaborate during the earliest stages of project development. This enables the greatest amount of engagement between the three key players in a construction contract: the owner, the designer, and the contractor. Ultimately, Otak advocated that this unique method was best for meeting the needs of the project in terms of complexity and scheduling needs.

Best Value for Dollar Spent: Collaborative Team Environment, Optimal Efficiency

The Progressive Design-Build model allowed for the right voices to be in the room to make the best decisions at the right time. From the outset, Otak successfully met the greatest challenge of the method—getting all team members to buy in to a lean design process and trust it would deliver an innovative project. The team also utilized the “SmartStart” partnering process, where we discussed and committed to an equitable allocation of risk and project progress which was key to establishing a collaborative environment.

Schedule, scope, and design intent were optimized, as the entire team was at the table making informed decisions each step of the way.

Planning sessions and project milestone dates were incorporated into scheduling from the very beginning to inspire active participation between stakeholders for effective schedule management.

Technology Utilization

Quality assurance and control was also highly collaborative, and we deployed high-tech tools like VR, Clash Detection, and Laser Scanning for building information modeling (BIM) work to improve access to facilities and streamline operations of the building post-construction.

A huge part of this effort was not only relocating all city employees into temporary office spaces, but also bringing them back when construction was completed, and the building envelope was brought up to code. Thanks to the progressive design-build method these goals were accomplished through early planning and team effort to get the job done.

Design Solutions to Historic Reconstruction Challenges

With every project comes challenges. This can be particularly true for buildings of historic relevance, for which the Portland Building is a perfect example.

The City’s vision was such that the building needed to be drastically updated while maintaining it’s iconic design elements, while enhancing the working environment. The existing concrete exterior, external glazing, the famous Portlandia sculpture, and getting the space approved as a city landmark were all hurdles that made progressive design-build the choice of the greater team.

View of Portlandia statue at the Portland Building
View of “Portlandia,” the copper sculpture at the Portland Building
(Photo Credit: James Ewing, JBSA)

Considerations were also made to maintain the internationally recognized post-Modern architecture style, and the stakes were high. The building has historic significance of “exceptional importance” on the National Register of Historic Places, which means extra care had to be taken in order to both preserve and renovate the space. The building also needed to be upgraded from a sustainability perspective, a viewpoint that has become an Otak calling card.

Sustainable and Efficient Systems

In terms of being sustainable, the Portland Building was truly brought into the modern era. The project made improvements to light fixtures allowing for greater daylighting, reducing energy costs and carbon footprints in the process.

The envelope of the building also needed to be revitalized in order to fix leaking issues in a famously rainy city. Low emitting materials were also used to compensate for the existing concrete of the structure, which we did by improving existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, among others.

The project also pursued a LEED Gold Building certification, and the team’s efforts led to the project exceeding it’s goals in achieving both WELL and LEED Platinum certification.

Public Involvement and Inclusive Project Goals

Not only did the project need to be sustainable, but it also needed to be equitable to address the needs of the city and align with its values. The vision was to both inspire and influence the public, leading to a two-fold goal— serving the public well and becoming an employer of choice to bolster talent acquisition into the space. To align with those goals, our team led visioning sessions on both the public and employee experience, ultimately transforming the building’s poorly lit, substandard interior into a truly exceptional interior experience for all.

Social and community impacts were also top of mind. A targeted community outreach effort was implemented to ensure DMWESB firms were aware of upcoming opportunities. This effort included informational meetings, open houses, trade show events, one-on-one meetings, and sourcing a local non-profit to provide consultation to DMWESB firms bidding on the project. Additionally, the project promoted design and construction career opportunities by hosting eight separate tours for high school and college students. Otak is proud to say that in the process we exceeded MWDBE goals.

The End Result

By utilizing a progressive design-build framework, inspiring both the team and the community, and delivering on early promises thanks to early planning, the result of our efforts yielded a multi-award-winning project.

Otak would like to extend a formal thank you to the DBIA for bestowing us with these accolades, which we take to heart. We’re proud we had the opportunity to play an outsized role in the successful delivery of the project, and our mission to transform the built environment while keeping the community in mind remains one of our cornerstones.

You can find out more about the complete list of DBIA award winners, and we look forward to the opportunity of highlighting our projects in the future

View the Portland Building Project Page

Native American Heritage Month: Celebrating Culture and Preservation in AEC

Posted on by Otak Staff

As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, Otak is aware that the land our practice areas often work on did not originally belong to us. Indigenous peoples across the United States and the regions we occupy existed long before the colonization of the Americas, and will continue to exist in perpetuity. 

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. Otak hopes to recognize not only the contributions of indigenous people to our current society, but also highlight our project work directly with tribes in regions where our offices exist.  

As part of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, and in an effort to show what Otak is doing to stand by it, we’d like to give recognition to a project with a client that aligns with our mission of designing with equity toward all community members regardless of background, race, ethnicity, or land origin.  

View of the Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge for Native American Heritage Month
A view of the finished Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge project

This is why we’re turning the spotlight on the Dungeness River Railroad, with our client being the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe on the Northern Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. 

Dungeness River Railroad Bridge: An Intersection of Cultural and Natural Restoration With Project Design

Inhabiting the area for more than 10,000 years, the S’Klallams possess a rich social and religious culture based on the abundant natural resources of the Northwest Coast. They moved from village to village in their traditional territory during the spring, summer, and fall for fishing and resource gathering, and settled into more permanent longhouses for the winter months. They are also craftspeople skilled in woodcarving and basket making, and they fashioned ceremonial masks, serving dishes and utensils, storage boxes from cedar, and woven mats, rope, and clothing from cedar bark. 

But what was the project, and how are we serving their community while upholding their rich culture and history?  

View of the Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge for Native American Heritage Month
View of the Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge for Native American Heritage Month
The Dungeness River Railroad Bridge Replacement project spans 585-feet and involved floodplain restoration to preserve the natural waterway

This project, titled the Dungeness River Railroad Trestle Replacement, is located on the Dungeness River at Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim, WA, and supports the Olympic Discovery Trail. The goal was to restore floodplain processes that had been constrained by the 585-foot-long railroad trestle and was accomplished by replacing the existing trestle with a river-worthy and salmon-friendly pedestrian bridge. Work included preparation of design alternatives, preliminary and final design of the preferred alternative, permitting, and preparation of a design report, technical specifications, quantities, costs, and bid documents. 

The project’s goals were achieved with the S’Klallam tribe in mind since members living on the land use the river and surrounding areas to fish and keep their heritage alive to this day. The most important part of this, however, is the role the tribe played in the decision-making process for improvements. The tribe worked with us directly to be the agents of change and helped us understand their needs, so we were best able to serve them by preserving and improving their resources. Far from being passive acceptors of our work, the tribe worked with us to achieve an award-winning project courtesy of the ACEC Washington in Engineering Excellence.  

Otak is reverent that we are able to work to preserve and improve land that the S’Klallam tribe calls home. Learn more about how our DEI initiatives are central to “Our Why,” and we’d like to thank the tribe for their trust in delivering this project. 

View the Dungeness River Project Page

How Equity Intersects with Sustainability in Design

Posted on by Otak Staff

Unquestionably, the reality of climate change is on the world’s doorstep. More severe storm events, widespread drought, and higher-than-average temperatures are just some of the impacts we are currently experiencing. As designers and engineers, it must be in our DNA to design using principles of resiliency, which can be defined as “the capacity of a system to deal with change and continue to develop.”1 It is also a responsibility to ensure that these solutions are equitable.

What is an Equitable Project?

Climate change has the largest burden on communities that are the most vulnerable, including physical, social, and economic risk factors. Otak believes in taking a truly integrated approach to our design and sees the value in aligning with the unique needs of all stakeholders to create memorable places for future generations.

Otak is also invested in the concept, as climate and community activist Majora Carter says, that “No one should have to leave their community to live in a better one.”

That investment includes identifying and learning from community experts, whose lived experiences can inform our design. Engaged communities, where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered, are vital to creating a thriving society.  Our internal investments in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion bolster our staff with skills that can carry over to our project work.  

What Does Equitable Design Mean at Otak?

From work with the National Park Service (NPS) where LEED silver is standard in their design, to the Portland Building where Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWBE) utilization exceeds expectation, our projects take shape with these values in mind in a variety of ways.

Particularly within the AEC industry, as the field becomes more gender-balanced and places an emphasis on sustainable elements such as daylighting, energy performance, and water use, the results quickly become tangible.

“Maintaining accessibility through universal design is a must for equitable experiences in project development… Implementing these strategies can be easy from the start, because we share common values with a client and can work towards a common goal.”

Aryn Phillips, architecture team designer

Equitable design is an essential component of environmental justice. For too long, sustainability and the design that accompanies it have placed heavy burdens on our most vulnerable populations. Poor communities, people of color, the disabled community, the elderly, and other populations have been harmed by a lack of progress in sustainability. Worse yet, our infrastructure often reflects past racist, classist, and ableist policy decisions. A look at current environmental and health crises in Mississippi, Detroit, and New York City exhibit the need to think about the intersections of design, policy, and justice.

History tells us that these communities were made vulnerable through intentional and targeted policies that benefited a few and burdened many. For example, the current crisis in Jackson, MS can be traced to white resistance to school integration in the 1970s. The choice to open segregated academies and the flight to outlying areas resulted in segregated communities, shrank the tax base, and crippled any investment in crumbling infrastructure.

Equitable design that is intentionally focused on outcomes for these and other vulnerable populations reflects an understanding of justice and how we can design and deliver projects that are transformative by design. Environmental justice necessarily centers communities and the expertise that resides there.

It is our job to translate that expertise into design that centers the needs of vulnerable populations.

References and resources:

  1. Resiliency definition: SRC+Applying+Resilience+final.pdf (stockholmresilience.org)
  2. FEMA: Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience (fema.gov)
  3. Majora Cater Group: Majoracartergroup.com

Otak’s Millicent Williams Wins DJC Women of Vision Award

Posted on by Otak Staff

As our industry becomes more dynamic and multi-faceted, the need has never been greater for those who shape the built environment to have unique perspectives and approaches to their work. It’s imperative for firms to not only recruit talent from a variety of backgrounds, but also to honor those who are recognized for their visionary qualities in the field.

This is the case for Millicent Williams, our Regional Director for our Oregon and Southwest Washington Public Sector practice, who we are proud to say has been recognized as a DJC Oregon’s Woman of Vision award for 2022.

The Meaning Behind the Honor

The accolade spurns multiple thoughts and feelings for Millicent, both tangible and intangible. What stuck out to her from the outset was the nature of the win—being recognized for inspiring others in the field. She says this comes with a sense of extreme legitimacy, “The things I say and do give women, especially women of color the belief they can work comfortably in and offer leadership in a largely male-dominated industry.”

There are real-world applications for this award as well. To her, it gives a relatable face to the work we do and reinforces that construction is not a man’s job, that infrastructure work in particular is not less sophisticated, and that a non-traditional background isn’t a deterrent to leadership in the field. In fact, she credits her traditional business education as her greatest asset, and knows she can make an impact with her perspective and existing knowledge about “the business of being in business.”

Learning the Ropes

When asked about formative ideas that helped guide her toward this achievement, she pointed directly to a textbook that she used while an undergrad at Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry called The Ropes to Skip and The Ropes to Know: a definitive work detailing what Millicent now calls her specialty—organizational systems and development. It instilled in her early on that successful enterprise is about people and navigating both the social and cultural aspects that go into getting any job done. It inspired her to get out of her own way, embrace assertiveness, work hard every day, be teachable, and uplift others in order to achieve desired outcomes. This is especially true for transportation and infrastructure, which she saw as a way to use her skills to influence the built environment in ways she previously thought had been impossible.

Things started to click as she got further and went higher in her career, “When I began to see cities function well as a result of my efforts, I got to then see the direct impact I could have on the industry. You can, in fact, do something about it if you see something that isn’t right, and people don’t always think they have that power.”

Contending with Perceptions and Realities

To Millicent, it’s clear as day that this industry is male-dominated, and even clearer that few people of color are able to achieve the same things with the resources they have access to. However, she credits her tenacious work-ethic and awareness of her transferable skills for elevating her to where she is today, “I was the type of person that shows up every day, that puts their head down and works, and most importantly generate quality results because of that work. That gave me access to opportunities.”

“People want to see themselves in the people they look up to, and this platform creates energy that allows people in the industry to see that”

Millicent Williams

In practice, she also rejects the idea that transportation and infrastructure is as simple as a bus arriving on time. She explains, “The finance and engineering departments for transit agencies are just as crucial to a bus being on schedule as the driver. I’m not often out in the field on projects, but my understanding of the whole system and how each piece works in tandem  is what’s important.”

She uses this in-depth understanding to inspire others, to get people to fully see where they are and how they’re contributing, or even when they’re not contributing by being short-sighted, “That in and of itself can be transformative, and can change the way that people see not just infrastructure but government operations in general.”

Doing Generational Work

Millicent reflects that she has worked in the public sector for the majority of her career and that her roles were often assigned because of how she “showed up,” but notes that true passion for her work formed when she got into infrastructure, which led her to leadership roles within organizations like the Portland Bureau of Transportation. She explains, “I saw an opportunity to make impactful decisions in people’s lives and that infrastructure is generational work, meaning my actions could have an impact 100 years later.”

A prime example of this is her current work with the states of both Oregon and Washington on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, the bridge in question being the connection between the two via the I-5 highway.

As the lead facilitator for the most high-profile stakeholders on the project, her job of making sure everyone is on the same page is incredibly gratifying for two reasons. For one, she’s playing a direct role in the upgrade of a hundred-year-old bridge where everything needs to be taken into consideration, both in logistics and in politics. She gets to employ her skill in navigating those two spaces from explaining the technical aspects like budget, to the political intersections between the states and their goals. Second, it’s an opportunity to exude leadership under pressure, and to further her goal of creating generational wealth through infrastructure, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime project that incorporates different disciplines and backgrounds of all types. I get to bring the totality of my skills to bear in delivering the results everyone wants, everyone needs out of the project.”

The Ceremony and the Future

Millicent is greatly looking forward to the award ceremony taking place on October 26th in Portland, where she sees incredible value. To her, it’s a tremendous networking opportunity where new partnerships can be forged, and new thought leaders can emerge. The opportunity to recognize women from numerous other firms who will also be acknowledged will help “open eyes and open doors” to future generations, especially those of color, that they too can make an impact with a nontraditional background that can in fact be a strength and a point of pride. The “vision” aspect of this award is especially important here because it allows people of influence, power, and ability to help everyone see value, “The night itself serves the whole industry because it’s a chance not only to make space, but create a meaningful space where all are respected for their work.”

When asked why she thinks it’s important to highlight and recognize women’s stories, she pointed again to giving people the ability to see, “People want to see themselves in the people they look up to, and this platform creates energy that allows people in the industry to see that contributions can be made by those who don’t look like them in terms of gender.”

She wants to see more women in leadership and empower other women to see that success in this industry is possible. Without that, “It’s hard to see for yourself if you don’t see yourself.”

A Closing Message

Millicent puts two words to other women who are looking to break into the Transportation and Infrastructure industry—“Why not? Just because something isn’t in your background doesn’t mean it can’t be in your foreground, so even if you feel like you don’t tick all the boxes, apply yourself anyway—because why not?”

Otak is lucky to have a visionary like Millicent on our team. We look forward to reporting on more of her achievements, and extend our warmest congratulations to her and the other women being honored with this award. You can view the rest of the honorees courtesy of the DJC Oregon here.

Visitor Use Management: Guidelines for an Effective Framework

Posted on by OTAK Team

With great success generating interest in natural landscapes have come great challenges in preserving them.

An iconic steward of American history and culture, the National Park Service (NPS) is an organization with deep roots in maintaining our nation’s natural spaces and historical and cultural heritage. We have, among others, the efforts of Stephen T. Mather – the first Director of NPS in 1916 – to thank for building public and political support for national parks. His vision is one of trailblazing and appreciation for sublime natural landscapes. In fact, upon his death, a gold plaque was placed in every national park in the U.S., inscribed with “There will never come an end to the good he has done.” The practice of visitor use management (VUM) now carries on that tradition of doing good with our natural landscapes and historic places.

The Rise of Visitor Use

In the early years of the National Park Service, the challenge for Mather and others was to attract visitors to the national parks to build a constituency and the support needed to sustain them. Early campaigns to promote the national parks included development of grand hotels in crown jewel parks, like the Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park and Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park. Travel to the national parks by railroad was promoted as a thrilling adventure to explore the west. In the 1950’s, an effort referred to as “Mission 66” focused on building facilities and services to promote visitor use and recreation.

These efforts, coupled with the development of the interstate system, growing environmental awareness in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and increasing leisure time and wealth among Americans resulted in extraordinary growth in visitation to the National Park System. As the NPS celebrated its centennial in 2016, there were more than 300 million recreation visits to the National Park System that year.

Read along or skip ahead:

Arches National Park – Visitor Use Study

Credit: National Park Service, South East Utah Group and Steve Bumgardner

Visitor Use Today: Success Fueling Challenges

In recent years, the trend of rising visitation to national parks has reached unprecedented levels, with several parks recording historic levels of monthly and annual visitation. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the outdoors representing a space for safe recreation, was a key factor in driving current trends and levels of visitation.

The rise in popularity of national parks is, without question, a story of great success. The millions of visitors to the National Park System have opportunities for profound experiences that can positively impact them for a lifetime. Yet, increasing amounts and types of visitor use in our national parks can present challenges too. For example, during busy periods in some parks, lines of traffic may form at park entrances, visitors may have difficulty finding parking, and crowding may occur in visitor centers, on trails, and at attractions.

We work with our clients to help them address these opportunities and challenges through the practice of visitor use management. In Mathers’ spirit, we seek to understand how people interact with a park’s significant resources in a meaningful way to develop a deeper appreciation of and sense of stewardship for America’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

In this piece, we take a deep dive into the practice of visitor use management and explain how it provides a framework for our work with our clients.

What Does Visitor Use Management Mean?

Visitor use management is the proactive and adaptive practice of identifying strategies and actions to accommodate visitor use while protecting park resources as well as the quality and character of visitor experiences.

Not only is visitor use management relevant to our work, it’s also relevant to anyone who may visit a national park or related protected area. It’s the art of articulating desired conditions for park resources and visitors’ experiences and evaluating on-the-ground practices to learn and adapt over time.

A Dual-Mission Land Use Mandate

Visitor use management is a balancing act. Professionals in this sphere need to be mindful of their goals — providing opportunities for people to enjoy these sites and understanding how that affects park resources, park operations, and the experiences of other visitors. Effective visitor use management incorporates environmental ethics and education, ultimately encouraging visitors to become stewards of national parks and everything they represent.

All things considered, the goal is ultimately to strike a proper balance between the opportunities and challenges presented by national parks. The visitor use management framework is designed to provide a systematic basis for helping address these challenges.

Graphic showing process of visitor use management framework implementation

Why Use A Visitor Use Management Framework?

Developed by the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (IVUMC), the IVUMC Framework provides a systematic, transparent, and legally defensible method for putting visitor use management principles into practice.

The framework has deep historical roots in how visitor use of national parks, national forests and similar public land recreation areas have been monitored and adaptively managed. The framework represents the latest iteration of a long-standing commitment to indicator-based, adaptive visitor use management.

Elements of a Visitor Use Management Framework

Together, the elements of the visitor use management framework are grounded in thinking about and developing statements of desired conditions while establishing indicators that can be monitored in the process of meeting those conditions.

The visitor use management framework provides a guide for navigating the process of defining those elements and there are some key concepts incorporated into the framework:

Establishing Desired Conditions

Desired conditions represent an important part of the foundation for addressing visitor use management in parks. Desired conditions are narrative statements that describe the ideal quality, character, and conditions of park resources to be protected while considering visitor experiences that enhance public use and enjoyment.

It is the responsibility and privilege of the National Park Service to specify desired conditions for national park resources and visitor experiences.

Identifying Indicators

Indicators are measurable proxies for desired conditions that can be monitored to track changes in park resources and visitors’ experiences associated with recreation use. For example, the number of encounters with other groups per hour while hiking is an indicator related to the quality and character of visitors’ experiences.

Good indicators are those that can be easily and reliably measured, are related to and representative of desired conditions, and are responsive to visitor use management actions. In cases where managing use according to numeric user capacities is needed, indicators must also be directly related to the amounts and types of recreation use.

Types of Indicators

Social indicators, such as hiking encounters, the number of people at one time at boat ramps, and similar, tend to be directly related to changes in the types and amounts of recreation use and provide a reliable basis for managing recreation use according to numeric user capacities, where necessary.

In contrast, natural resource-related indicators generally do not have direct and reliably quantifiable relationships to recreation use levels except in extreme low use situations (e.g., trail-less/cross country zones, foot trails with less than 50 to 250 hikers per year). Nonetheless, resource-related indicators should be monitored, and adaptive resource management actions should be taken to protect park resources from impacts.

Managing the characteristics of visitor use (e.g., to concentrate use on established trail treads, road surfaces, and other established recreation resources and facilities, to promote low-impact use behaviors and patterns, etc.) is the most effective method for limiting or reducing recreation use impacts to natural resource-related indicators.

Setting Thresholds and Triggers

Thresholds in visitor use management are the minimally acceptable conditions of indicators to maintain desired conditions. Thresholds should be precise, time-bounded, and outcomes of recreation use rather than types or amounts of recreation use themselves.

Like thresholds, triggers are quantifiable conditions of indicators; they represent points at which adaptive management actions are needed to ensure the conditions of indicators do not cross thresholds. In other words, triggers are designed to support proactive visitor use management to protect park resources and visitors’ experiences from adverse impact, while allowing for recreation use and public enjoyment.

Estimating Numeric User Capacities

When they are necessary, numeric user capacities are estimated based on quantifiable relationships between the types and amounts of recreation use and the conditions of use-related indicators. The best available data are used to estimate the maximum amount of recreation use that can be accommodated without crossing thresholds for user capacity indicators.

For example, trail counter data could be correlated with observations from encounter patrols to estimate the maximum number of people who can hike in a river corridor without crossing a threshold for the number of encounters hikers have with other groups per hour or day. Numeric user capacities are not always needed or applicable.

Developing Visitor Use Management Strategies

Within the IVUMF, visitor use management strategies and actions are developed to achieve desired conditions.

Visitor use management strategies and actions are generally categorized as indirect techniques designed to achieve desired conditions without directly regulating visitors’ choices and behaviors, or direct techniques that may be required when indirect techniques are not enough.

Infographic of indirect visitor use management strategies
Indirect techniques aim to influence or modify behavior
Infographic of direct visitor use management strategies
Direct techniques regulate behavior

Long-Term Monitoring and Adaptive Management

A systematic monitoring program provides the structure to measure indicators and assess their conditions in relation to triggers and thresholds on a recurring basis. Monitoring results provide the basis to determine if actions are needed to adapt management of recreation use to protect natural, cultural, and historical resources from adverse impacts.

Visitor Use Management Use Cases

While still fairly new in practice (the IVUMC was founded in 2011) applications of the visitor use management framework have quickly become prevalent in the National Park System as well as other public land recreation areas.

Visitor Use Management in National Parks

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park provides unique and important recreation opportunities to regional, national, and international visitors. In 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) reported just over four million recreation visits to the park, marking an increase of over 50% in the past decade. This surge in visitation created a number of visitor use management challenges in the park.

View of crowded parking from Acadia Visitor Use Study
View of crowding in Acadia National Park, prior to implementing the IVUMF

Visitor Use Management in National Forests

United States Forest Service: Wild and Scenic Rivers Visitor Use Management

The United States Forest Services is responsible for managing Wild and Scenic Rivers on lands within their jurisdiction. Part of this responsibility includes fulfilling the visitor use management and visitor capacity mandate of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968).

View of studies at park conduced for USFS
Image from USFS visitor use study

Visitor Use Management in Local, County and State Parks

Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS)

Over the years, the Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) system in Colorado experienced rapid growth in visitation numbers. Various issues were addressed by applying visitor use management principles to develop an access management strategy for popular sites in the JCOS system.

View of parking congestion in Jefferson County Open Space
Parking image from Jefferson County Open Space study

Don Hanson’s Retirement: A Lasting Legacy in Landscape, Planning and Design

Posted on by OTAK Team

Community impact, quality design, and a lasting legacy—all of these are phrases that describe the work of Don Hanson, senior advisor of our planning and landscape architecture division, who has announced his well-deserved retirement. It’s a bittersweet day at Otak, however, we are taking this opportunity to reflect on and commend Don’s work throughout his illustrious career.

A Certified Expert

For the past 37 years at Otak, Don has become a lauded expert in residential, mixed-use commercial, and industrial development work. He also has extensive project experience with public parks/recreation, open space, and streetscape improvements. Greater still, Don served as chairman of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission and was a member of the commission for 10 years, setting development and land use policies for the entire Portland Metro Area.

To say Don’s career has been impactful would be an understatement.  Though it’s hard to pick just one of the many projects he’s worked on, we’re zooming in on a few key projects that highlight Don’s legacy both at Otak and in our greater community:

The Project Breakdown

Center Commons—Portland, OR

  • Don’s Role: Serving as the Principal Planner, this project involved the preparation of a master plan and highly detailed site design, as well as a land use approval process coupled with public involvement.
  • Project Highlights
    • This work is regarded by TriMet, the Portland Development Commission, and the neighborhood as a model for transit-oriented development and in-fill development in Portland’s station area districts.
    • The project includes 314 units of housing at both market and affordable rates, housing for seniors, as well as for-sale townhomes. Retail space, a daycare center, and management offices are also provided.
    • The focal point for Center Commons is a “woonerf” space that congregates cars, pedestrians, a playground, a bosque of trees, parking, drop-off zones, and generous sidewalks that provide shortcuts to transit. The development is located adjacent to the 60th and Glisan station of the MAX LRT line.
Aerial view of Columbia Knoll

Columbia Knoll—Portland, OR

  • Don’s Role: As the Principal Planner/Landscape Architect for this project, Columbia Knoll is a mixed-income redevelopment project located on the ten-acre historic Shriners Hospital site in northeast Portland.
  • Project Highlights
    • The redevelopment includes affordable senior independent and congregate housing, as well as affordable family housing, a day-care facility, a community center, and market rate-for-sale townhomes.
    • The 334 housing units are configured in two, three, and four-story structures that are carefully sited to preserve mature existing trees and the historic Shriners front lawn on Sandy Boulevard.
    • The project required detailed coordination with the state Housing Office, the Portland Development Commission, the Historic Landmarks Commission, and an extensive public outreach program with five neighborhood associations. We also worked closely with the NE coalition of neighborhoods throughout the process.
Aerial View of Villebois streetscape

Villebois—Wilsonville, OR

  • Don’s Role: Serving as both Principal and Master Planner, this project is in the countryside west of Wilsonville.
  • Project Highlights
    • Villebois is a spectacular 480-acre site where residential neighborhoods include forests, open spaces, ponds, walking trails, and magnificent vistas. Working in close coordination with the master planner and the City of Wilsonville, Don oversaw the design of a cohesive street and site network that encompasses 135 acres of single-family residences, parks, and open spaces, while preserving the natural features of the site.
    • Individual projects within Villebois include residential subdivision developments, engineering of public roads and private alleys, utility infrastructure design, water quality and detention ponds, and enhancement and creation of wetlands. Final design elements include greenways, trails, neighborhood and regional parks, a future community swim center, and entry monuments.

Involvement and Affiliations

Not only has Don’s skill set had an indelible impact on Otak’s project work, his involvement and community affiliations outside of work set him apart as a luminary in the field and his extensive resume reflects that. Some of the groups Don was a part of, and even led, include:

  • Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, Past Chair and Former Member
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI)
  • Former Development Review Advisory Committee: City of Portland
  • Former Citizen Advisory Committee Member reviewing the Title 34 Land Development Ordinance: Portland, Oregon
  • Former Stakeholder Advisory Group Member for Vision 2000: Portland, Oregon
  • Committee Member reviewing the Urban Renewal Districts Status: Portland, Oregon
  • Former Downtown Design Review Board Member: Vancouver, WA

Passing the Torch

With a dedicated planning & landscape architecture team now led by staff like our own David Sacamano, Business Unit Leader for our Oregon and Southwest Washington Planning and Landscape Architecture team, Otak will continue to deliver on dynamic projects in Don’s spirit and bring not only our whole selves, but also our expertise to projects in the future. It’s a practice that Don ensured was integral to Otak’s success, and it will continue to be so in our future operations.

Take a closer look at how we celebrated Don’s legacy as an Otakian in this digital booklet and join us in bidding a fond farewell to Don as he begins this well-deserved new chapter.

Thank you, Don—you’ve made Otak a better place.

Take a quick peek at Don’s career below:

Staff Spotlight: Adreanna Broussard’s Path of Identity, Disruption and Pushing Boundaries in Professional Engineering

Posted on by OTAK Team

Otak takes pride in highlighting new members of our team who remind us of our core values. Meet Adreanna Broussard, project controls analyst with TWG, and the subject of today’s staff spotlight.

Craving Disruption

Adreanna Broussard knew from an early point in her career she wanted to play an active role in the built environment. A voracious learner, she had early dreams of getting into architectural engineering, however the University of Texas at San Antonio, her alma mater, did not offer that degree. Faced with uncertainty about her next steps, she leaned on her family for guidance.

“I craved the disruption that civil [engineering] provides. It’s a comfortability with being uncomfortable that has made me a better professional and better able tackle challenges within a constantly changing industry.”

Adreanna Broussard

With her father an electrical engineer and her mother a nurse, the values of hard work and determination saw her take an interest in civil engineering. Adreanna identified the value of the field as part of the same world, where she could make an impact on how communities are built and experienced. She was drawn to the dynamic factors of the profession. In her words, “I craved the disruption that civil [engineering] provides. It’s a comfortability with being uncomfortable that has made me a better professional and better able tackle challenges within a constantly changing industry.”

What is a Professional Engineer (PE)?

A PE, or Professional Engineer certification, signifies that one is recognized by the state as an owner of their work and an expert in the field. Adreanna says a PE opens the doors of the engineering world, enabling those who earn it to work independently, as a consultant, or as an integral member of different firms helping guide projects along. Upon gaining the certification, she will be able to officially sign and stamp official documents as the PIC, and further elevate her aspirations of becoming a luminary in the industry.

Applied Learning

Adreanna credits her hands-on work in civil engineering after completing her degree for making her the well-rounded professional she is today. With an understanding of how projects work on the ground level, she’s able to make quick decisions and see the big picture. As a current project controls analyst, she’s responsible for scheduling, monitoring cost, and managing a wide scope of factors that come with reporting on a project’s lifecycle. However, like a true Otakian, she seeks to continuously improve and grow her skillset. She’s currently doing this by studying for her PE exam, with plans to take the test in November.

Practicing Preparation

When asked about her approach to preparing for the exam, Adreanna emphasizes while studying is important, it goes deeper than textbooks, and she draws on her experience from the totality of her career. She’s seen firsthand and worked with the people who bring design plans to life, and her early opportunities allowed her to wear many different hats, gaining experience with every aspect of the design-build process from paperwork to planning.

Like her, the test is practical. A believer in the power of education and like a true engineer, she loves to learn and take things apart, understanding the science and the art behind building a structure. There’s also an ethical component to the exam, which aligns deeply with her belief in equitable placemaking and community building. Unafraid to bury herself in a practice test or book, Adreanna’s tenacity gives her confidence and motivation to keep studying, to keep working, and keep being the best she can be.

Identity and Aspiration

While looking to elevate herself within the industry, she is also mindful of the space she inhabits within it. It’s no secret the AEC industry, especially in positions of leadership, lacks a diversity and depth of perspective from female leaders as well as leaders of color. She acknowledges this reality, yet views it as an opportunity to rise to the occasion. For this, she relies on experience she’s gained outside of work as a Division I NCAA basketball referee. A similarly male-dominated world, she is well-versed in making her voice heard, her decisions final, and her respect earned not just from her identity, but her experience as a professional. Being a referee taught her how to be accountable, how to carry herself with a professional demeanor, and how to navigate complex and high-stakes situations. She says she draws on this experience almost every day. Adreanna wants to be that leader that breaks the ceiling, and knows what she brings to the table.

Adreanna’s Role Within Otak

To say Broussard’s experience is valuable would be an understatement. She knows her value, and was seeking an employer who understood it too. Dave Hawkins, principal at TWG, knew this and brought Adreanna on without hesitation. When asked about her experience since coming under the Otak umbrella, she emphasizes her appreciation for our community of people, our culture, and our network to which she now has access. Otak is proud to have someone like Broussard among our ranks, and her value, especially from us, will only grow as she grows.

When asked what she would tell potential engineers looking to advance their careers, her advice is to be patient, go at your own pace, and be aware that not all journeys are linear. Every experience is unique, and Broussard emphasizes that her journey, while different, only makes her a stronger professional and a better person.

We’re excited to see her career grow at Otak. Well done Adreanna!