CULTURE:

Why did you pick Degenkolb from other firms to work for?
The people are what make our company a great place for me to come to work each day. I feel lucky to say that I really enjoy spending time with my coworkers and have good friends here, in both our Oakland group and other offices. I trust and respect them professionally and draw on our company-wide experience often. At the same time that we work hard, we remember to have fun.

CAREER:

Why do you stay at Degenkolb?
Degenkolb very actively supports opportunities for community involvement and for learning outside of our projects. This includes everything from our annual technical conference for all of our engineers, to in-house seminars and lunch time talks, to meetings and conferences and full day training sessions. We always have a strong presence on professional committees and a solid showing at things like Rebuilding Together, SEAONC’s annual community service event with which I’ve been involved for about eight years.

I also appreciate that our company philosophy is to make the decision making process transparent to the whole company. It is easy for anyone to ask questions, get involved, and be able to buy in to the direction that we are taking our business. Especially considering the size of our company, we have a very open environment for communication.

PASSION:

How do you stay engaged?
Everyone here has a life outside of work. I appreciate that my job allows me the flexibility to have time for the other things that are so important, whether on a given day that is being with my family, traveling for a weekend or a month, training for my next marathon, exploring the city, or just being at home at the end of the day to cook dinner and spend time with friends. It is easy to stay energized and focused at work if I feel like I’m getting the chance to enjoy myself.

ON THE JOB:

One of my favorite days of the year in our office is our holiday white elephant gift exchange and international potluck. We find any excuse we can in Oakland to eat– cookies and breakfasts and treats for any occasion you can imagine. The food on potluck day is always amazing, and the gifts are fun, but the best part is watching the mayhem begin as everyone starts to steal the presents from each other. There are always a few instigators who encourage as much stealing as possible… You know who you are!