Recognize Your Leaders

Vic Bianes, P.E.

Engineering Manager San Diego County Water Authority Member, APWA Certified Stormwater Manager Council

This seventh article in the series of Recognize Your Leaders is submitted by Vic Bianes, P.E., Engineering Manager for the San Diego County Water Authority, and the nominee is Tim Dyer, Cost Estimator with the same organization. Leadership traits for this installment include knowledge, integrity, initiative, problem solving, and dependability.

Tim is truly a public works unsung hero. He has contributed to the success of public works projects for over two decades but works modestly behind the scenes. A man of integrity, Tim is well respected by his coworkers. His vast construction knowledge and estimating prowess put him in a league of his own among his peers.

Tim frequently receives phone calls from external stakeholders, which include other public agencies, construction industry representatives and from university faculty, seeking his advice on the ever-changing bidding market and environment, local pricing trends, quotes on rates, and cost escalation and the impact it has on the construction market. Tim keeps his fingers on the pulse of the labor, material and equipment market, not only in San Diego, but throughout the world.

Tim is a self-made expert on the construction market conditions in the San Diego area. He keeps updated on current events in the world and their impacts on the local economy. For instance, Tim will tell you that the turmoil in the Middle Eastern OPEC countries, the earthquake in Japan, the Chinese government’s control on inflation and the flooding in Australia have impacted both the steel market and, of course, gasoline prices. Tim uses this knowledge of world events to determine the escalation rates for these commodities. For example, he provided our Operation & Maintenance Department with predictions for the cost of fuel, which was used in the budget process for fleet operation.

Another thing that sets Tim apart is his willingness to contribute beyond what is required by his job responsibilities. He routinely mentors and coaches staff engineers and technicians, offering suggestions to improve their designs before they are finalized. Tim explains how a contractor would approach the work in sufficient detail so the areas of concern are easily understood. This is not a job requirement of his position. However, the synergy that Tim has created when teaming with the staff yields a result much greater than the sum of the parts.

A problem solver by nature, Tim can be counted on to deliver new strategies when faced with tough situations. His strategies often result in significant project savings. The recently completed San Vicente Pumping Facilities project is a perfect example. Tim identified a serious constraint of too little work area to process rock onsite. The work limits were expanded and the project realized a $500,000 savings from this idea.

In addition, Tim’s recent estimate for the San Vicente Reservoir Interconnect Pipeline project was within 2.7% of the construction bid. Tim’s bid estimate was amazingly close when you consider the industry standard is to be within -10 to +15 percent. Tim has a proven track record of providing cost estimates more accurate than the project consultants.

This type of accuracy comes from a lot of experience and the willingness to be innovative and implement new technology. Tim exemplified these traits by helping to develop the Water Authority’s Muni-Cost Estimating Model. This model implements local cost trending information and is the basis for the cost estimates in our budgets. A number of public agencies and consultants throughout the country have contacted Tim to get a better understanding of how our model works.

In a life prior to the Water Authority, Tim was a contractor. Because of this previous experience, Tim is a

creative and effective negotiator. He has the unique ability to see the contractor’s perspective. This gives him an edge, since he knows what is motivating the contractor and can negotiate a position that addresses the contractor’s needs while fortifying the interests of the Water Authority—truly a win-win situation for all. Tim continues to follow contractors’ means and methods to keep his knowledge base current. He is consistently reviewing our construction sites and contractors’ plans to ensure he can continue to deliver an accurate viewpoint of today’s contracting community.

In addition to being an excellent cost estimator and negotiator, Tim is a valuable historian for past projects. He remembers the details, such as conduit locations, pipe lay details, and a myriad of project issues and is willing to pass his field knowledge on to others. Due to this extensive construction experience, Tim can always be relied on to provide a different perspective on how a project can be built. He is a mentor to many of his coworkers. He is always willing to help and do whatever it takes to get the job done. He wants others to learn his trade and is excited about sharing it. Tim frequently orients/trains/mentors the newest staff person. He views this as doing his part to implement succession planning at the Water Authority.

Tim’s special actions, activities, or events that affect others

Besides being a dedicated Water Authority employee, Tim is the epitome of a dedicated family man. He is also caregiver for his grandson and takes him on many “field trips” throughout the community. Tim obviously enjoys reading and is an avid user of his library card. He believes in participating in Water Authority and community events and utilizing the resources that are available.

Tim is an active member of the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE). Just recently, he wrote a news article for the organization and gave a presentation on how to provide an accurate estimate for large construction projects. Tim is a great ambassador for public works and is recognized as an expert in his field.

If you would like to recognize a leader in your organization, submit the name of the individual and a brief summary of the project you would like to recognize them for to Becky Stein at bstein@apwa.net.