Getting to know Stan Hanson Stan is a Senior Civil Engineer in our Sioux Falls, SD, office where he provides services for municipal, commercial site design, residential development, and municipal reconstruction projects. Originally from Sherwood, ND (just a half mile from Saskatchewan!), Stan grew up on a cattle ranch before moving to Bismarck for college. He then attended North Dakota State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Stan began his career at the North Dakota Department of Water Resources in 1990, then shifted to be the City Engineer for the City of Albany, MN in 1997. Wanting to return to his home state, Stan joined the HEI team in 2013. In his free time, Stan enjoys giving back through various volunteering opportunities with his church and Laundry with Love as well as officiating high school football and basketball. He also has three adult children, Mikaela, Matt, and Juliana.
Q&A What is a lesson you’ve learned from your career journey thus far? Communication is a big part of working with others, understanding the client, making sure you know what they want and need on a project. Do you have an interesting or memorable story (while working on a project or with our team) that would be fun to share with our readers? A couple of team members and I met with a client lead to resolve an issue on a project in Moorhead. After discussing the problem, the lead asked everyone except me to leave. We all thought I was going to get chewed out. Instead, he wanted to know if I could get registered in the State of Oregon. I said yes I can, and that led to two development projects in Oregon.
Stan with his three children: (L-R) Mikaela, Matt, and Juliana.
Any fun facts or skills about yourself? The last time I had a haircut was the summer I turned 12. You’re not misreading that! What is your favorite season and why? Fall—it’s football season!
Catching some walleye for dinner at Lake Bemidji, MN.
Stan, ready to hit a home run (or catch one) at Wrigley Field.
What professional advice would you like to pass along to others? Bring some humor to the project/client and don’t get lost in the technical weeds. What fuels your passion for your career? Building Communities-I like driving by projects that I was involved in and knowing that I made a positive impact through collaboration and partnerships.
Stan (left) posing with a bison made out of plants in Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Fort Worth, TX! houstoneng.com
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