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How HDR is Transferring Knowledge and Developing Careers Through TaLON
Jeff Zahller on site during commissioning of a new membrane water treatment plan.
H
DR is an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm that works on projects, including federalrelated projects, related to transportation, water supply, drinking water, clean water, electrical solid waste, and industrial development. In a sense, what HDR sells is knowledge, and that being the case, knowledge transfer within the company is critical. One program that HDR has established to further this goal is the Technical and Leadership Optimization Network (TaLON), which sets up one-on-one mentoring relationships between senior and midlevel professionals. In this interview, HDR Vice President Amy Dammarell explains the background of TaLON, and two TaLON participants, John Koch and Jeff Zahller, tell us about their experiences. Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about your backgrounds and how you came to be in your current positions.
22 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER | April 2021
John Koch: I’ve been with HDR for 35 years. I started when HDR was in a transition phase, and there were about 500 people in the entire water group. I started out working on the Durham advanced wastewater treatment plant facility plan and preliminary engineering report, which led into the design and construction of the facility, which is in Oregon, and finally to its startup and commissioning. With that design and field experience, coupled with additional startups, I have progressed to being a troubleshooter—that is, I help clients keep their process mechanical equipment running. The Durham expansion project was a really good learning experience: I did a lot of the design and the startup for an $80 million project. I’ve been involved in projects across the United States, doing troubleshooting and condition assessment. Before I came to HDR, I worked for an original equipment manufacturer and was its chief engineer for 8 years. I got a lot of troubleshooting experience there, especially when I was thrown into doing a startup for a phenol removal facility at Warner Robins Air Force Base my first month on the job. At that time, I knew municipalwaterleader.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF HDR.
Amy Dammarell: I have a background in wildlife biology and civil engineering and started with HDR about 23 years ago. I love multidisciplinary projects and finding a way to develop infrastructure in the most environmentally mindful way while finding solutions that offer multiple benefits.
My role at HDR has also included talent management and leadership development.
