CONVERSATIONS
Ben Siwinski
ST. PETE
Planning Engineer/ St. Pete Visionary Ben Siwinski led the establishment of a full-service planning and engineering office for VHB in Tampa in 2016. He serves as managing director for the office as well as a senior planner. VHB, a Watertown, Mass.-based engineering, planning and design firm, is working with the City of St. Petersburg on its Integrated Sustainability Action Plan, which played a key role in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ $2.5 million award to the city to tackle climate change. VHB also is working with the city on its West Central Avenue Streetscape plan and is one of several companies involved in a redevelopment master plan for the Tropicana Field site. As managing director of the Tampa office, Siwinski leads a group of professionals to enhance the health of communities throughout the Tampa Bay area.
and state aviation organizations, locally I’m a member of the St. Pete Chamber public policy committee and the St. Pete EDC. What gets you out of bed every day? What really gets me out of bed every day is to strategically lead a group of highly dedicated professionals in planning engineering. That and a 6 am gym class every morning.
Years in St. Pete: 20 Organizations involved in? In addition to leadership positions in national
Why St. Pete? St. Pete is a big enough city to offer arts and culture opportunities, but small enough to be connected to so many people in the community. It never feels like you are too far from anyone in the community. What is one habit that you keep? Unfortunately, I wake up very early to get a jump on the day and start planning out the day’s activities before anyone is in the office or awake themselves.
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StPeteLifeMag.com
March/April 2019