Conrad Woodard, ECC Future Leader

Up until a few months ago, I had a pretty active work and personal life balance. I was managing offshore assets and leading corporate initiatives for a global engineering consulting firm going on 5 years now. I’ve also been managing 2 sons, 2 dogs, and Continue reading →

By Justin Borchardt, Future Leader

“Excuse me, waiter?  I ordered this burger with onions.”  The waiter apologized, “I’m sorry sir.  I thought you wanted no tomatoes and no onions.  I will bring some onions out shortly.”  Thinking back, I remembered specifically ordering my burger, “I’ll have the hamburger, all the way except no tomatoes and um, onions.”  Where was the problem? Continue reading →

By Gary Berman, ECC Board Member

Imagine my disappointment after 35 years in engineering and construction to learn that there is still only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.  Imagine also believing that all those devices we did not have in the 1970’s would be saving me time so that I could do more in a day (or enjoy more time off).  I am convinced that, on certain occasions, Continue reading →

By: Peter W. van der Schans, Future Leader Alumnus

The ECC’s Future Leader program is much talked about… but why? Can you attest to the benefits of this program? As a Future Leader Alumnus, I can. In recent years, the feedback from participants in the ECC’s Future Leaders program has been overwhelmingly positive. My experience was in line with that – I had a fantastic Continue reading →

By Mike McAtee, ECC Board Member

As we begin our careers in the corporate world, we are immediately confronted with a number of unanticipated dilemmas: The theories of academia versus the realities of business; the daunting realization that being a top student doesn’t compare to the applied experience of a seasoned practitioner; and the need to fit into a company’s culture Continue reading →

By J. D. Slaughter, ECC Board Member

It has long been established that excellence in safety performance for any given project is the responsibility of everyone associated with that project.  We talk about taking personal responsibility for our actions, taking responsibility for watching over our immediate co-workers, taking the time to look over the project and identify areas of concern, following proper procedures, using the right tool for the job, etc.  We also talk about stop work authority, which is empowering every employee to stop any action perceived to be unsafe. Continue reading →

By Michael Padilla, ECC Future Leader

What is it about something new or different that derails our momentum?

Even though we know transition is a necessary course of action and can lead to bigger and better things, we still have a tendency to hesitate before making that leap outside of our comfort zone.  I’m currently working my way through a transition from one very cozy and familiar position to a position of little experience.  There are other alternatives, but few so polarizing, forcing me to consider the risks and rewards. Continue reading →

By Shannon Johnson, ECC Future Leader

Network. That can be a scary word, no matter which way you use it. A network of buildings downtown is connected through a tunnel system that I constantly get lost in. Ask me to put together a computer network, and you’ll see a very confused and frightened face. However, the one way it can be used that I see a lot of confused faces is as a verb. To network, means to cultivate people who can be helpful. In other words, build relationships. Continue reading →