SPRING | 2017
Insights PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
we build civilization
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
WELCOME 2017 LJA is a unique place. We are home to 650 people in 22 offices - and growing - providing nearly 100 different services and solutions for every client across the globe. We have a strong presence in the southern United States, but did you also know we have designed infrastructure with construction costs of over $1 Billion in the Middle East? Yes, LJA is global.
We take our talent and resources wherever and whenever they are needed. 2016 saw a lot of firsts. We won the Trifecta Award for the first time from Zweig Group which is given to firms that rank as a Hot Firm, a Best Firm to Work For, and receive Marketing Excellence awards. Achieving these accolades has allowed us to springboard off an extremely successful 2016, and position us for the year ahead. We will be growing our service offerings and geographic reach even farther, unveiling our new website, welcoming new staff, observing the kickoff of major projects, and celebrating our 45th Anniversary. “Grow or die” is our motto, and we’ve started 2017 stronger than ever.
Clearly, there has never been a better time to be at LJA Engineering. Our 45th Anniversary celebrates you, the employees and clients of LJA. Without you, we would not be who we are or where we are. Thank you for your support and years of trust. We look forward to the next milestone, building civilization, and creating better lives for staff, clients, and communities.
Calvin Ladner, PE President and CEO LJA Engineering
“The main ingredient of our success that has fueled our growth stems from the great employees and clients of LJA. Thank you!� - Calvin Ladner, PE, President and CEO
Spring Creek Greenway Hike and Bike Trail 2017
CONTENTS | Headliners
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
RAIL SERVICES
01 The Future of Infrastructure
14 Expanding Services to Florida
The 2017 goals are laid out by Director of Public Infrastructure, Jeff Collins, PE, PMP, EVP.
02 Lake Anahuac East Levee
Allen Sims, PE discusses how his project will impact this community for years to come.
07 Grand Parkway Comes Around
LJA provided planning and design for four of the direct connectors.
A key new hire and a new office in Florida provide opportunities for growth.
ENERGY 16 Start of a Growing Economy
Atmos Energy reaches out to our energy and surveying team for laser scanning and 3D modeling.
SURVEYING
COMMUNITY REACH
08 Surveying Technology
18 Women of Transportation
ENVIRONMENTAL
LJA EVERYDAY
12 Stormwater Quality Coalitions
20 SAME Young Engineer of the Year
Jeremy Russell, RPLS describes how we are integrating new surveying technology at every opportunity.
We manage eight of the nine stormwater coalitions in Texas. Find out how we can help your MS4.
Through years of support and advocacy, LJA helps TAG highlight the Women of Transportation in Houston.
One of our Flood Control and Drainage division employees wins the SAME award.
LUKE is your community assistant LUKE assists management companies, cities, or HOAs in handling requests and choosing the correct staff to help; all while communicating directly with the public, residents, or tenants.
AVAILABLE FOR THE
iPhone
AVAILABLE FOR
Android
A modern approach to 311
There’s a problem:
The public:
Operations:
Water leaks
Opens the app
Knows where to go & what to expect
Potholes & streetlights
Describes the problem
Creates a work order
Signage
Takes a photo
Resolves the issue
Safety items, etc.
Sends it to operations
Generates a report
getluke311.com
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE | Sector Highlight
THE FUTURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE The LJA Public Infrastructure sector provides engineering,
Over 73% of Texas voters recently passed constitutional
surveying, and construction management services primarily
amendments to increase funding for state highways and
to cities, counties, state agencies, and other government
water projects, and many of our local government clients
organizations to ensure that the infrastructure will safely
have also passed similar financing programs.
and adequately support our communities, now and as they expand in the future. Project types routinely include highway widenings, bridges and interchanges, water and wastewater systems, flood control improvements, and construction management/inspection. Each project we undertake is a major investment of public funds and can impact mobility, connect people, provide
LJA has certainly done our part to build, repair, maintain, and assess the roadways, highways, and bridges traversing our great state. For 45 years, LJA has worked with our public clients to deliver successful and safe projects to keep Texas moving forward while protecting our great quality of life.
economic stability, and fuel growth. Whether it be the roads and bridges that keep us moving, ensuring safe water resources for our neighborhoods, or analyzing, planning, and designing systems that you may never see, keeping water, traffic, and people on the go is our priority. The common theme is that governing entities must maintain stride with population growth and provide the foundational groundwork that residents expect and businesses require in order to fuel economic development. LJA is ready to serve our clients because we are located within the fastest growing regions of Texas. With several offices in the Texas Triangle (the area bounded by Houston, Austin/San Antonio, and Dallas), we expect to support infrastructure development for many years to come. This region alone is projected to add 6 million people by 2030. In addition, our recent expansion into Corpus Christi allows LJA to provide signature services along the entire coastline and deep into south Texas. With growth comes infrastructure needs. Governments must provide new infrastructure as populations increase, but they need to maintain and operate their existing systems. Adequate funding remains a growing concern.
Jeff Collins, PE, PMP, EVP Director of Public Infrastructure 01
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE | Public Works
Lake Anahuac East Levee
LAKE ANAHUAC EAST LEVEE by Allen Sims, PE, Vice President Hurricane Ike made landfall on
In the years following the storm,
Chambers County was granted
September 13, 2008, bringing 10 to
the Texas Department of Rural
approximately $44.5 Million from
15 foot storm surges affecting major
Affairs (TDRA) was entrusted by the
TGLO for infrastructure projects.
parts of Galveston Island, Galveston
U.S. Department of Housing and
These funds were used to complete
Bay, the Bolivar Peninsula, Houston,
Urban Development to administer
36 projects, the largest being the
and Chambers County.
the Disaster Recovery Program. In
construction of the Lake Anahuac
2012, the TDRA transferred this task
East Levee.
The storm caused $29 Billion in damage to homes, commercial businesses, schools, coastlines, and communities. Hurricane Ike tops the charts as one of the costliest storms ever to hit the United States. Damage of this magnitude takes years to assess, process, clean up, rebuild, and recover from. 02
to the Texas General Land Office (TGLO). The Disaster Recovery
LJA Engineering was contracted by
Program provided $3.1 Billion to
TGLO to provide engineering and
Texas communities for housing and
construction management services
infrastructure projects to mitigate
for most of the Chambers County
storm damages.
projects, including the levee.
The eye of Hurricane Ike passed directly over Chambers County causing significant devastation.
LJA evaluated multiple methods of repairing the extensive damage to prevent future erosion.
A new sense of security for Lake Anahuac homeowners
03
LAKE ANAHUAC EAST LEVEE CONTINUED... The resulting $7.5 Million, 5.2-mile long levee features a reinforced front slope to reduce future erosion caused by storm surge and wave action and was built to a top elevation of 8.5 feet mean sea level with a top width of 20 feet. Property owners who have historically lost two to three feet of land per year from storms and resulting erosion will reap enormous benefits from the new levee. The final design protects the 96 homes located along the project from all but two storms that have occurred over the last 120 years.
Nearly six years of preparation and construction went into the Chambers County projects in order to protect the community from future storms. We are proud of this project and the expertise we applied to mitigate future damage. LJA worked hard to help the community rebuild their lands and create the opportunity for growth. We cannot control the weather, but we can help alleviate some of the impacts that weather causes.
”There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a job that directly impacts the lives of hundreds of people.” – Allen Sims, PE, VP
04
“We were given the opportunity to save the community from erosion, so that’s what we did.” - Allen Sims, PE, VP
05
Your GIS digital assistant for all stormwater compliance needs!
Manage all compliance data Stay organized Inspections on the go Visualize your stormwater program Report your accomplishments
www.ms4web.com
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE | Transportation
GRAND PARKWAY AT HARDY ROAD by Robert Barnett, PE, Vice President LJA recently provided preliminary and design phase engineering for the direct connectors from the Hardy Toll Road to the Grand Parkway/SH 99. The Hardy Toll Road provides a third controlled access route from the north Harris County/Montgomery County area into the heart of central Houston. Allowing high speed interchange for traffic on the Grand Parkway is a key feature in linking SH 99 into Houston via the Hardy Toll Road.
LJA managed the design team, and provided planning and design for four of the direct connectors. In order to meet the planned opening scheduled for SH 99, the interchange designs were prepared on a fast-track schedule and put out for bid within only seven months in early 2015 for $34 Million. On top of a tight schedule, we realigned the north bound direct connectors to avoid potential impacts to the newly reconstructed facilities at Harris County’s Dennis Johnson Park. Additionally, great efforts were taken to avoid creating drainage issues or environmental impacts to areas in and around the construction. The ramps connect a recently widened Hardy Toll Road to a newly constructed Grand Parkway/SH 99. This project was completed in 2016.
07
Innovation through advanced technology 08
SURVEYING
BIG PROJECTS, HIGH EXPECTATIONS by Jeremy D. Russell, RPLS, Vice President Our Survey team recently traveled to
provided our clients with accurate
central Texas to perform a topographic
representations of the surface area.
survey on a 240-acre facility. Through utilization of advanced Unmanned
3D Laser Ground Surface Scanning
Aircraft Systems (UAS), we were able
was also performed at locations
to collect data on the expansive project
identified by the client. These areas
within days.
were processed and delivered in both 3D Point Cloud and LFM formats for
We began the project by establishing
the design team. This project was
control and setting ground control
performed in the field, and all the data
points for the aerial flight. Our field
was delivered within a quick 14-day
crews then collected approximately
turnaround.
30-percent coverage to ground truth all flight data. Once these two data
Our expertise in these technologies
sets were processed and combined,
gave the client overlapping data that
Digital Surface Models and Digital
can be used in a variety of softwares
Terrain Models were created for
for project design and planning.
delivery to the design team. By using Orthomosaic Photogrammetry, we 09
SURVEYING
NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK by Heather Sides, RPLS, West Houston Survey Manager connections to city services. Next
something in me that I didn’t yet see
summer, I was again contracted to the
and started me on my way to getting
city, but this time I was running level
my SIT (Surveyor in Training).
loops and setting benchmarks. We did
Heather and her dad, Larry, December 2015
Who inspired you to become a surveyor? Many times in my career, I’ve had people ask why I got into surveying.
bluetops, and I could “see” the plans in
Then, along came Rocky, as tough
my head. I recognized when something
a surveyor as they come. If you
was incorrect, and communicated
asked for an example of how to do
directly with city engineers when curb
something, he would bark “There’s
cuts were not going to work for the
a thousand examples over there in
wheelchair ramps.
the filing cabinets. Figure it out.” And,
This was the beginning of my love of surveying, mathematics, geometry, and mapping of the world. But, I was GOING to be an engineer.
I always say that people are either born into the profession, or they
After graduating, I applied for an
fall into it. Kids will play “teacher,”
engineering job and got it. I learned
“doctor,” “police,” or “robber,” but never
about concrete tilt-wall construction
“surveyor” - unless their parents are
in six weeks, and I hated it. I applied
surveyors. I fell into it. My story is
to another company and was told I
probably unique because I’m female,
was not a good fit for engineering,
but I’ll bet that most surveyors can see
but they had an opening in the
parts of their stories in mine.
surveying group. I needed a job and I knew surveying. Little did I know that
I went to college to get a degree in
decision would open up a whole new
Architecture and ended up getting a
world for me!
degree in Architectural Engineering. When I decided I wanted to be an
The first woman I met in construction
engineer, my father, who was a
instantly became a role model to me.
construction inspector, told me I
Stephanie was intimidating, smart,
needed to work outside and see the
very direct, six feet tall, and was
real world. I already had my head full of
known as the “boss lady.” She did
textbooks and theories, now I needed
not take anything from anyone, but
blisters and callouses.
she was, and is, a caring, wonderful friend. She showed me the office
That summer I worked at the company
side of surveying: the history, the
where my dad worked, going door
art of boundary, and the balance of
to door inspecting sump pumps and 10
budgeting and production. She saw
I did. I also passed my RPLS exam. Soon after, Rocky had a heart attack and came back to work more patient, kind, and soft-spoken. I believe Rocky realized that people were more important than the job in front of us. I had the education, experience, and knowledge to become a surveyor, but it was the in-between moments that made me a good surveyor. The biggest change came from the people who stood by me and challenged me to do more. They got me into surveying, and they are the reason I stayed.
SURVEYING
YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO TECHNICAL by Heather Sides, RPLS, West Houston Survey Manager Congratulations to our newest Certified Survey Technicians!
Our clients expect accuracy and
comprehensive certification
precision, and so do we. Quality work
sponsored by the National Society
starts at the staff level. We believe
of Professional Surveyors. It tests
in educating and certifying our
technical capabilities and general
survey technicians, increasing their
knowledge of workplace safety
knowledge base. Our clients can be
and procedures through four levels
confident in the services we provide
with an “office” or “field” track for
• William Hock, CST I
by our Registered Professional Land
technicians.
• Brandon Holt, CST II Office
Surveyors and Certified Survey Technicians (CST).
• Michael Carpenter, CST I • Michael Doring, CST I
• Barry Hood, CST I We’re proud to announce that LJA is hosting the April CST exam. For an
• Eric Neyhart, CST III Boundary • Aaron Ostertag, CST I
Several of our employees have taken
application, visit http:\\www.nsps.
steps to further their credentials
us.com, or contact the CST Proctor,
• Jason Sorrels, CST I
through the CST Program, a
Heather Sides, at hsides@lja.com.
• Göran Svenman, CST I
11
12
ENVIRONMENTAL | MS4 Permits
STORMWATER QUALITY COALITIONS by John Concienne, CPESC, Senior Environmental Project Manager While LJA’s Environmental sector
representation, TMDL compliance,
guidance documents, contractor
offers a variety of services to our
annual report development, and
training seminars, and holding public
clients, one of our primary areas
audit representation.
meetings. Additionally, as part of
of expertise is in assisting entities
the field services our environmental
in complying with stormwater
Of the eight Stormwater Quality
team provides, LJA has mapped over
discharge permits. Most of our
Coalitions we helped develop, our
1,200 outfalls and inspected more
existing Municipal Separate Storm
team is still currently managing
than 1,000 construction sites for the
Sewer System (MS4) clients are
seven of them:
Brazoria County Stormwater Quality
covered under the TPDES General
Coalition since implementing their
Permit No. TXR040000. When this
• Brazoria County
permit was originally issued by the
• Jefferson County
Texas Commission on Environmental
• Orange County
Quality (TCEQ) on August 13, 2007,
• Hardin County
our team sought to develop a
• Fort Bend County
strategic approach for our clients that
• Montgomery County
would not only achieve a high level
• North Austin
of effectiveness and compliance, but could also be utilized by multiple
Our largest coalition is the Brazoria
entities in a common geographic
County Stormwater Quality Coalition,
area. The result was the development
which has a total of 11 entities: City
of shared stormwater management
of Lake Jackson, City of Richwood,
programs and the formation of
City of Clute, City of Freeport, City
Stormwater Quality Coalitions across
of Angleton, City of Alvin, Brazoria
the state.
County Conservation & Reclamation
SWMP in 2008.
The coalition approach has proven throughout the years to provide our clients with a range of benefits including cost savings and overall compliance with permit regulations.
District No. 3, Angleton Drainage To date, our team has helped
District, Brazoria Drainage District
form a total of eight coalitions and
No. 4, Velasco Drainage District, and
currently manages stormwater
Brazoria County. In order to educate
management programs (SWMPs)
the citizens in these communities
for more than 40 MS4s in the states
about the importance of stormwater
of Texas and Louisiana. As part
quality, the TCEQ requires that
of LJA’s role, our environmental
each regulated entity implement
scientists and technicians provide full
a public education program. The
implementation services including
program we implemented in Brazoria
the development of SWMPs,
County has consisted of numerous
public education programs, outfall
flyers/brochures, development
mapping/inspections, municipal
of a stormwater quality website,
facility inspections, construction
production of public service
site inspections, TCEQ stakeholder
announcements, development of 13
14
Expanding our expertise and reach to Jacksonville, Florida
RAIL SERVICES
WELCOME MICHAEL BELL, TEAM MANAGER by David Harris, PMP Michael G. Bell, PE is our newest Senior
design. He brings tremendous expertise
On the personal front, Mike embraces
Project Manager in LJA Rail, joining the
and client-focused solutions to the LJA
a favorite quote: Attitude is everything,
Jacksonville, Florida office in December
family of multi-disciplinary services.
pick a good one. He says, “People like
2016. Mike is a railroad veteran of over
being around and doing business with
25 years and an expert in intermodal
Mike previously worked with CSX
others who have good attitudes, and
terminal development, railroad
Intermodal Terminal Development and
good attitudes are contagious.”
engineering, and freight railroad
Environmental Affairs. While working
Michael G. Bell, PE
as director, he provided oversight
He also believes that exercise supports
of team members in all aspects of
this theory. An avid tennis player, Mike
planning, sizing, engineering, and
took up the sport 15 years ago with the
building intermodal terminals. This
encouragement of his wife. Although
unique insight allows Mike to see a
he concedes that Roger Federer could
project through both the owner’s and
beat him playing left-handed, he is
engineer’s eyes. In fact, his advice
still hopelessly addicted. Mike plays
to fellow engineers is “think like an
on a local men’s 4.5 league and won a
owner,” which has resulted in many
doubles “A” division tournament several
successful and collaborative projects
years ago with his son. Make time to
and served him well throughout his
say “hi” to Mike on the court or around
long-standing career.
the railyard!
NEW EXPANSION, NEW RELATIONSHIPS by Mike R. Baker, PE LJA Rail was recently selected by
LJA Rail has also been selected
operating requirements for each
Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) to
by Bay Coast Railroad (BCR) to
project assignment.
provide engineering design services
provide professional services
associated with the development of
under a Systemwide Pipe and
LJA Rail’s recognition in the industry
its capacity expansion project to serve
Wire Services Contract. Patrick
is growing quickly. We now have
a major customer near Greer, South
DesMarais will manage this contract
significant work from three of the
Carolina.
by working directly with applicants
nation’s major Class I railroads. Our
throughout the permitting process.
reputation for quality is only possible
This is our first engagement with
We will support BCR by reviewing
given the years of expertise and
NS since being awarded a Master
and coordinating proposed utility
dedication of our personnel and their
Services Agreement last year. The
encroachments of their right-of-
consistent exemplary performance.
project will be managed by Michael
way and assist them in efficiently
Bell, PE.
managing safety, engineering, and 15
ENERGY
THE START OF A GROWING ECONOMY by Robert Hickman, PE, Vice President Atmos Energy, a natural gas provider,
Surveying was up first, performing
team created a new site index with
purchased a new LAPAN storage
laser scanning of all the sites and
piping drawings detailing dimensions
facility and six well pads in Clay
creating a point cloud, inclusive of a
based off of the model data.
County, Texas. The storage facility
natural ground surface. The resulting
had undergone multiple upgrades,
data included pictorial documentation
modifications, and renovations in the
with each scan. The design team then
years prior to purchase, and Atmos
extrapolated the point cloud data
found themselves with missing and
and, utilizing specialized software,
unreliable documentation of their new
developed a working model complete
acquisition.
with modeled piping indicating
In August of 2016, the company asked LJA to step in and provide laser scanning and 3D modeling for the storage facility and the well sites. Our Energy Services and Surveying sectors teamed up on this major effort. 16
The collaborative effort of the Energy Services and Surveying teams has produced a fully functioning, 3D model of the storage facility site and the well pads.
fittings, valves, structural supports,
The working model is supplemented
and cable tray runs.
by both the piping drawings and point cloud data with photographs for
The team used the scant historical
reference.
information provided by the client to verify the actual sizes of the piping. In
The completed information has
order to allow for anticipated facility
been disseminated to Atmos’
expansion in the future, the design
engineering and operations staff, with
overwhelmingly positive feedback. Based upon comparisons with other firms accomplishing similar projects concurrent with ours, Atmos’ staff noted LJA was the most responsive and accurate and produced the highest caliber of work. With our stellar performance on this project speaking volumes, Atmos has asked us for proposals on five new projects with a total value of nearly $500K.
17
COMMUNITY REACH | Organizations
THE WOMEN OF TRANSPORTATION by Karina Moreno, External Communications Manager This year LJA was grateful to be a part
of METRO. Drawing from their
TAG Houston is a local advocacy
of a new program by Transportation
unique experiences in infrastructure,
group for all modes of transportation
Advocacy Group (TAG) Houston, the
the secrets of their success, and
and infrastructure. TAG’s mission is
Houston Contractors Association,
the future of their agencies, they
to obtain adequate funding for the
and BayTran which highlighted the
held an intimate and very inspiring
region’s mobility needs at the state
Women of Transportation in the
conversation with other women and
and federal levels and to secure the
Houston area.
men in the industry.
authority to fund local improvements.
Building our future is no small feat,
“Hearing these fearless female leaders share their messages of strength, collaboration and perseverance left attendees inspired and enlightened - the future of our region’s connectivity is in good hands.”
LJA is a proud member and advocate
which is why these three strong leaders were asked to join in the discussion. The honorable panel included Chairman Janiece Longoria of the Port of Houston, Union Pacific’s VP of Public Affairs Brenda Mainwaring, and Chair Carrin Patman 18
of TAG with LJA EVP, Jeff Collins, as the vice chair. It is through this relationship that LJA has had the opportunity to volunteer and assist with the coordination of events in
- Andrea French, Executive Director,
Houston. We look forward to the
TAG Houston
organization’s continued successes.
COMMUNITY REACH | Professional Memberships
TFMA DAY AT THE CAPITOL by John Grounds, III, PhD, PE, CFM, D.WRE, Director of Water Resources As a response to the Memorial
•
High-resolution land-surface
Day Flood of 2015 that devastated
data sensors (LiDAR) for
Wimberley, and the Memorial and Tax
improved flood plain and flood
Day Floods of 2016, Governor Abbott
level prediction
has requested $12.5 Million for the
•
State flood plan
Texas Water Development Board for: As the Past-President of the Texas •
Intelligent networked flood
Floodplain Management Association
gages
and a current member of the TFMA
•
Flood data at TexasFlood.org
Board of Directors, I participated
•
Weather stations and
in TFMA Day at the Capitol. We
soil moisture monitoring
personally sat down with several
(TexMesonet.org)
state senators, representatives, and
Grants for early flood warning
their staffs to promote the governor’s
systems and local flood
plan and to educate the legislators on
mitigation planning
floodplain management.
•
We found it equally important to stress the roles that education, science, and engineering play in reducing the loss of life and property damage resulting from floods. We hope our efforts will continue to raise awareness about flooding, and we hope positive change at the state level will occur.
19
LJA EVERYDAY
SAME Young Engineer of the Year LJA offers congratulations to Tommi Jo Scott, PE, CFM in our Flood Control and Drainage division. Her hard work and years of unwavering service earned her the 2017 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Young Engineer of the Year award. SAME works to recognize achievements of individuals or organizations in both the public and private sectors in the A/E/C industry. Tommi was nominated by an SAME committee. “I was one of those kids who knew what they were going to be when they grew up, a civil engineer. I went to Texas A&M for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and entered the workforce putting my best foot forward. Luckily, I have had great mentors and coworkers who make constant learning a priority. My parents and LJA team have helped show me what it means to be a good engineer,” stated Tommi Jo upon winning the award.
Spring Economic Forecast Featuring Dr. Mark G. Dotzour Each year LJA offers our clients invaluable insight into the local, national, and global economies from local experts. This year’s Spring Economic Forecast with Dr. Mark Dotzour proved to be another popular event. Reaching crowd capacity, LJA hosted several elected officials, major land developers and builders, financial advisors, and local legal counsel whose practices are affected by the state of the economy. Dr. Dotzour’s presentation was an upbeat and lively conversation covering the residential and commercial real estate markets, interest rates, inflation, and job growth. His outlook included a widespread span across the globe, focusing internationally on Europe, China, Japan, and the Middle East and their impacts on the U.S. Economy. Locally, his presentation on rising U.S. home prices as an indication of a “new bull market” for single-family housing was especially inspiring for most of our audience. Other key points conveyed a strong and energetic economy, a rebounding oil and gas industry, and a stronger U.S. dollar. 20
Engineers Week 2017 Jeff Cannon, PE, VP What inspired you to become an engineer? My inspiration to become an engineer was the culmination of the efforts of several individuals and groups of people. My advancement into this profession is a small chapter in the very long novel known as the American Dream. It started with two parents wanting a better life for their son. I was raised in a blue collar home with both parents working hard to earn a living. They wanted me to have an easier life than theirs and saw opportunities the engineering profession provided. From the beginning, they encouraged me toward this profession. Fortunately, I developed the skills in math and science required for a career in engineering. Soon, I had teachers investing in my life as well as family, friends, and others in the community who offered guidance and encouragement. Advice from people you respect is a powerful thing. I graduated from Texas A&M University with a civil engineering degree and became a licensed engineer, fulfilling my parent’s hopes. I owe them, my teachers, and my friends who encouraged me on this career path a huge debt of gratitude. I appreciate all of them.
LJA Turns Up the STEAM LJA Cares teamed up with Briarmeadow Charter School for the third year to present STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Night. STEAM is the brainchild of LJA’s John Grounds, who started engaging the minds of children at T.H. Rogers Elementary School over ten years ago. Now, John and LJA have brought this night of learning to Briarmeadow with our employee volunteers presenting on topics including chemistry, electricity, gravity, kinetic energy, the electromagnetic spectrum, and more!
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER #LJAEveryday 21
LJA.com