Staff Spotlight: Doug Terrill’s 10th Anniversary!

Designer

Wow, congratulations on 10 years with Civiltec Engineering! Doug Terrill, EIT has assisted Civiltec on over 293+ projects during the past ten years with Civiltec Engineering. He has also served as the head of our conflict review department for the past few years. His detail orientation and design skillset have assisted Civiltec in assuring quality project deliverables and maintaining project deadlines and client relationships. 

What did you do before joining Civiltec? (Work/School) 

Before joining Civiltec, I worked in other facets of civil engineering with other consulting firms since 2002.  

What made you decide to pursue engineering? 

At the end of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the sciences but was not sure exactly what area of focus I wanted to study.  It wasn’t until my sophomore year in college that I eventually decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Is there a particular specialty that you lean more towards? (Water, wastewater, drainage, transportation, etc.)

If I had to pick a particular area of civil engineering that interests me most, it is water network engineering.

What are some of your daily responsibilities? 

Currently, I design high-pressure gas improvements for a confidential client of ours and I lead the Conflict Reviews team.  I get to use my skills in Civil3D to lay out miles of high-pressure gas pipelines and prepare plans for the design.  As the leader of the Conflict Reviews team, I guide the review process and provide QAQC for reviews completed by the team.

What is a task you look forward to daily?

One thing I look forward to in my daily grind is getting settled in on a project and just getting to work uninterrupted.

What has been a favorite project or highlight of your 10 years at Civiltec? 

For me, the most rewarding work I got to participate in the design and construction admin of was the Schultz Fire Flood Mitigation in Flagstaff, AZ.  I feel a sense of pride that I got to help protect the lives and homes of the local residents.

If you could give one nugget of advice to incoming Civiltecians starting on the job what would it be? 

I have learned many new skills and have gained knowledge and experience over the past 10 years working at Civiltec.  Civiltec fosters an environment where you are able to learn new skill sets and add to your knowledge base.  As you go through the learning process you may notice that these newly learned skills don’t always match up with what you were hired for but they provide a broader knowledge base of civil engineering and can enhance your abilities in completing work that is in your role.

Besides work, what is a hobby or something you enjoy?

Outside Civiltec I enjoy playing volleyball.  I play in the multi-season, year-round Arizona Gay Volleyball League, an LGBTQ+ organization whose purpose is to foster local, regional, national, and international sports competition predominantly for gays, lesbians, and anyone dedicated to the promotion of the amateur athletic experience for persons of all skill level and abilities regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, creed, religion, or national origin. I play in the 4-person intermediate division on Tuesdays at Margaret T. Hance Park on top of the Deck Park Tunnel, funny enough is where the drainage project that I worked on, and coincidentally the first project I worked on at Civiltec is located!

Captain Kirk or Spock? And why? 

Neither.  Picard all the way!  As Captain Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise – a 24th-century starship with a multi-species crew – Picard regularly faces ethical and interpersonal dilemmas.  He uses his experience and his strong moral compass to solve problems peacefully and cooperatively.  His role as captain of the Enterprise extends beyond that of a typical ship’s captaincy.  He is the leader of a community, as well as a scientist, diplomat, soldier, linguist, counselor, and ultimately a father.  He wasn’t perfect, but he evolved as a leader.  Over time, he became less overbearing and showed that he could accept that he wasn’t always right and embraced infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

What is the number one thing on your bucket list right now?  

I am not one for ‘bucket lists’ or ‘New Year’s resolutions’.  I usually find fulfillment in the relationships I build with other people.  With that said it would make it easier for me to get to know more people if I spoke another language.  I have several friends who speak Spanish and I think that’s the first new language I’d like to try learning.

Thanks again for 10 years of amazing engineering services Doug!

Read Doug Terrill’s previous article here.