A note from our CEO | Celebrating 24 years of WSB

October 4, 2019 marks WSB’s 24th year of business. Every year on our firm’s anniversary, I reflect on WSB’s journey. Recently, I was in New York City at a conference and was reminiscing on the past 24 years and thinking about the future. While in New York, I saw the musical Hamilton again and began to understand why I’m drawn to it. One of the early songs in Hamilton is called “My Shot.” Alexander Hamilton sings about his place in history and how he is not going to throw away the opportunity that he has been given. He says that he is like his country, “young, scrappy and hungry.” That description is a good way to describe WSB founders Ron Bray, Pete Willenbring, Don Sterna and myself 24 years ago. In terms of firm age and staff, that description remains true in 2019. We have grown from seven staff in one oversized office in 1995 to more than 500 staff in 12 offices throughout four states today. Our secret sauce has always been our attitude of hunger and scrappiness – now reflected in our WSB Way values that remind us to be bold, authentic, passionate, optimistic and visionary.

As four founders on the verge of something new, we didn’t throw away our shot and we continue to work every day to provide opportunities to our staff so they can take their shot in a supportive and collaborative environment. Now 24 years later, I am more inspired by our team and have more passion and fire to be the best that we can be. Our industry is changing at a pace that we haven’t seen before, and we must be at the forefront of that change. I’m amazed when successful companies choose to relax and rest on past successes. Nothing is promised to us and without continued improvement and change, those companies will not exist in the future. From technology, productivity, sustainability to diversity, there is much more to do, and I believe that we are well-positioned to continue to lead. In recent years, we’ve been improving quality, expanding our offerings to new markets and service areas, and focusing on hiring and developing an amazing team. I am so thankful for our staff and clients who have helped build WSB and I am excited for our future successes as we begin to celebrate our 25th year in 2020.

In the musical, Hamilton’s wife says that he writes like he is running out of time. I can appreciate that feeling as we race to be our best. WSB is still a young company and there is much more ahead of us. My advice to our staff is to keep their heads up and watch for opportunities. Don’t make assumptions or preplan your career. You might miss out on something wonderful that you couldn’t have imagined. We have lived by that philosophy over the past 24 years and I know that our 25th year will be no different.

Today, we take time to celebrate the success we have had for 24 years, and after we will look to the future and move forward with passion, optimism and a bold vision to be the most authentic firm we can be. As Alexander Hamilton says, “That would be enough!”

WSB opens Denver office to expand region-wide services

Denver, Colorado – Fast-growing Minneapolis-based consulting and design firm WSB opened a new Denver office this week at 5660 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Greenwood Village. The new office will allow WSB to recruit and retain additional talent to serve clients in the Denver area. WSB, which provides engineering, planning, environmental, traffic analysis, landscape architecture, survey, and construction services for the public and private sectors, has been rapidly growing in the Denver area over the last year.

“We’ve been expanding our capabilities in the Colorado market over the past year and this new office marks our commitment to growing our services and team,” said WSB President and CEO Bret Weiss. “Clients throughout Colorado have access to the same full-service experience, advanced technology and industry-leading expertise offered through WSB.”

The Denver office is WSB’s second location in Colorado. The firm has had a dedicated Utility and Pipeline team in Westminster since earlier this year. WSB began expanding in Colorado through the acquisition of Legacy Engineering, Inc., a Denver-based land development engineering services firm. The new 3,400-square-foot office includes room for the current 11-person Denver team to expand up to 17 people.

“WSB is growing a new family here in Colorado,” said Jim Mill, principal and Denver office lead. “The new office reflects WSB’s culture and we are excited to share this with more people in this market. A brick-and-mortar location adds some permanence to our Colorado operations and is attractive both for our team members and clients.”

Headquartered in Minneapolis, WSB is the fourth-largest engineering firm in the Twin Cities. When it was founded in 1995, the company had five staff, one office and three different services areas. Today, the company offers services in more than 25 areas, employs more than 450 people and has expanded its markets beyond Minnesota with 12 offices across four different states.

Bringing back the bees

Andi Moffat, Vice President of Environmental Services, WSB

At first glance, reducing the number of bugs, moths, and bees may seem like a good idea to enable people to spend more quality time outdoors. In reality, it’s a major issue that affects everything from local habitat to the agriculture in the United States and around the world. These insects are pollinators and their travel from plant to plant helps to pollinate flowers. These flowers can be native prairie or woodland plants, apples, raspberries, cucumbers, and even hay crops for the livestock industry. So even if thriving wildlife habitat doesn’t peak your interest, being able to put food on the table should.

Between the loss of habitat, use of pesticides, insect disease, and crops designed to kill insects, pollinators are declining. While this may seem like a daunting national challenge to try and tackle, but steps are being taken to bring the message to communities and to take a very local approach– all the way down to individual yards.

At the local level, the State of Minnesota has provided the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) funding to develop the “Lawns to Legumes” program that focuses on planting residential lawns with native vegetation and pollinator-friendly plants. The goal of this pilot program is to offer cost-share, technical assistance, and planting guides to eligible Minnesota residents to install pollinator-friendly native plantings in their yard.

While individual homeowners can get involved with BWSR, there will also be a call for local partners to create demonstration neighborhoods. Eligible applicants will include cities, counties, and watershed districts. The idea is that by turning the urban lawn desert into small pockets of pollinator friendly gardens, it will have an overall positive impact for these important species.

Learn more about the program or, if you are interested in responding to the RFP that is expected to be released in December, please contact Andi Moffatt at amoffatt@wsbeng.com 763-287-7196.

Andi is a Vice President with more than 23 years of experience leading people and projects that include planning, environmental, energy, highway, natural resources, construction and development. She oversees our Environmental services and approaches her work with passion and positivity.

Q&A – Lee Gustafson

Lee Gustafson is our Vice President of Municipal Services. Lee oversees the growth and management of the municipal market. He is a respected municipal engineer and a great example of what it means to be committed to our clients. Recently, a member of our marketing team spoke with Lee to gain his insight on client relations and the future of our firm.

Q: You’ve been with WSB for four years now. What about WSB keeps you coming through the door every day?

What keeps me coming through the door is what got me here in the first place. I had options and chose to come to WSB because of the culture and the ability to be creative and innovative. I’ve been told by my peers that I’m not a typical engineer and I think that’s true. I like to push boundaries and be inspired. At WSB, I’m able to blend my passions and come up with cool solutions. I use the word ‘cool’ a lot because I’m not sure how else to describe it. I feel energized when I walk through the door and it’s one of the reasons I’m still here.

Q: You spent 20 years working as the City Engineer for Minnetonka. How is your role at WSB different?

It’s similar and different in many ways, but that’s what I like most about it. It’s similar in the way that I get to work on some challenging and exciting projects, but it’s different because I get to work throughout the state of Minnesota. At this point later in my career, I need excitement and want to be kept on my toes. My role strikes a nice balance between all of it.

Q: Where do you see the engineering industry heading? What do you think will be different in 10 years?

Wherever it’s heading, I’ll be looking at it from a seat on my boat! But seriously, technology is going to, and is already, change everything. Someday in the future, I envision that we will be able to drive a corridor with some type of device and by the time we return to the office, we’ll have everything digitally downloaded and ready to start designing. I don’t think we’ll depend on paper plans as much and I think that we’ll really rely on 3D technology. Access to information from anywhere is going to become increasingly important. I love change, but it can be scary to some. Change creates tremendous opportunities and I’m excited to see a younger generation of engineers embrace what’s next.

“We work together to understand our clients’ needs and mentor our new staff to set them up for success in the same way.”

Q: What has made the most impact on you throughout your career?

Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky to have been deeply involved in professional organizations. These organizations have provided benefits to both me and my employers. My employers have supported my involvement and I’ve been given the opportunity to participate at a high level both regionally and nationally. The relationships and knowledge I’ve gained from these experiences has been invaluable.

Q: We’ve made a lot of changes in the past year – how do you think that is setting us up for success?

The changes that are occurring within WSB sets us up for continued success and growth. This growth will extend to the services we provide for our clients, the tools we use, and the teams we can form. Growing our staff will give us access to new ideas and a diversity of thoughts and applications. As we grow, we can carry our brand of customer service with us wherever we go.

Q: Our culture is important at WSB. What gives it that special something?

Our ability to be creative and the encouragement our staff gets to be bold really drives our culture. WSB needs all types of people to be successful. We need people who understand the ins and outs of traditional design and engineering, and we need people who understand how to take the traditional way and push us one step further. These people can understand and implement strategies and continue to push boundaries. One thing remains constant: we all rally around our clients. We work together to understand our clients’ needs and mentor our new staff to set them up for success in the same way.

Q: We really value our strong client relationships. How do you hope we can maintain these as we continue to grow?

This is easy! Our commitment to good customer service. Having been a client of WSB for 20 years and being a client of other firms for nearly 30 years, I have a unique perspective on what good customer service is and how to form solid client relationships. We’ve cornered the market on that. Customer service is everything from how we invoice to how we partner to provide long-term strategies. It’s imperative that every staff member who comes through the door at all of our offices understand this. Every client is different, and no two clients are the same. We need to continue to inspire each other to discover creative and thoughtful solutions that look beyond the needs of today to the opportunities of tomorrow.

“We’ve dedicated ourselves to the value of strong relationships and I think it shows in every project and every connection. ”

Q: What are you most looking forward to this year?

Going to Hawaii! But-work-related, rolling out all our new IT applications both internally and externally. I think our clients will be amazed at some of the applications we’re developing and how it can assist them in their day-to-day operations. We’re taking technology to the next level with our IT, GIS and Visualization service offerings. It’s a really exciting time and I’m glad we’re at the forefront of this.

Q: What do you wish you could tell our clients about working with us?

I wish I could tell every client that we believe in partnerships. We’re not promising there won’t ever be a bump in a road and we’re not perfect, but as a firm, we’re committed to working with our clients to smooth out those bumps and work together to solve infrastructure challenges. We’ve dedicated ourselves to the value of strong relationships and I think it shows in every project and every connection.

Q: We talk a lot about the future here. It’s unknown and it’s exciting. What do you think that says about WSB?

Throughout my career, the next five years into the future has always brought something new. New trends, tools, technologies and more importantly – ways to do our jobs better. The future that I’ve seen and the future that I believe is coming allows us to take our projects to the next level. Demonstrating our projects and why they are or will be successful in an easy to understand manner will become increasingly important to the public and decision makers. I think we’re well-prepared and I can’t wait for what’s next.

WSB announces new Vice President of Transportation

Jody Martinson joins WSB from Minnesota Department of Transportation

Local engineering firm WSB today announced that Jody Martinson has joined the organization as the new Vice President of Transportation. As the former assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)’s operations division, Martinson joins the firm with more than two decades of experience working in transportation engineering and project management.

“We are incredibly lucky to be able to call Jody a member of the WSB team,” said WSB President and CEO Bret Weiss. “Her depth of experience and incredible record at MnDOT will serve as an asset to our organization and to our clients.”
Martinson will lead WSB’s transportation efforts, a position previously held by Jon Chiglo who was recently promoted as the firm’s chief operating officer.

“Jody is a true leader and innovator in the world of transportation, and I know she will support our staff and clients as we grow our portfolio in new and exciting ways,” said Chiglo.

Martinson spent 25 years at MnDOT, starting as an engineer. In her time as assistant commissioner, she was responsible for managing overall operations including transportation program development and delivery, maintenance, legislative and policy development, strategic and business planning, and organizational change management. She also served as co-chair of the Guidestar Board of Directors and was a member of MnDOT’s Executive Inclusion Council and Advisory Council for Tribal Transportation.

“WSB is a valuable partner helping clients accomplish extraordinary, cutting-edge work in transportation. I look forward to hitting the ground running as the new vice president of this team,” said Martinson.

Downtown Afton Revitalization awarded 2019 Project of the Year

WSB was recently selected as a 2019 Small Cities/Rural Communities Projects of the Year recipient for the Downtown Afton Revitalization by the American Public Works Association’s (APWA). The revitalization project was featured in the Historical Restoration/Preservation award category. The award recognizes excellence in project management, administration, and coordination of public works projects. Winners are selected based on six project categories.

The APWA is a nonprofit organization that provides support to public works personnel through educational and networking opportunities. The Public Works Project of the Year winners will be recognized at the 2019 APWA Public Works Expo in September.

See the complete list of winners in this month’s issue of the APWA Reporter.

WSB announces vice president promotions

July 1, 2019

Environmental services, corporate development and technology divisions get new leadership

Minneapolis, Minn. – Local engineering firm WSB today announced the promotions of Andi Moffatt, Brian Bourassa and John Mackiewicz to vice president positions in the environmental services, corporate development and technology divisions, respectively. In their new roles, Moffatt, Bourassa and Mackiewicz will be responsible for their divisions’ revenue targets and new business goals; growing markets and service areas; and improving the use of technology solutions – all while focusing on attracting and retaining talented staff.

“I am incredibly excited about the expanded roles and responsibilities that all three of these leaders are taking on at WSB,” said Bret Weiss, WSB president and CEO. “Andi, Brian and John have made impressive impacts to our firm’s success, and I am thrilled that they will continue to help drive our results as we grow our business.”

The promotions come on the heels of significant growth at WSB, as well as the expansion of the executive team with the creation of chief financial officer and chief operating officer positions. As the fourth-largest engineering firm in the Twin Cities, WSB has 12 offices in four states, with its newest office opening recently in Austin, Texas.

To view the resumes and headshots of the three new vice presidents, click on the links below:

Eight WSB staff members pass Professional Engineer exam

June 27, 2019

Minneapolis, Minn. – WSB is pleased to congratulate eight team members who recently passed their Professional Engineer exam. The Principles and Practice of Engineering exam is an examination required to become a Professional Engineer in the United States. To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, have at least four years of relevant work experience and pass two intensive competency exams.

According to the Society of Women Engineers, only 13 percent of engineers in the workforce today are women. In recent years, WSB has been working on diversity and inclusion efforts both inside the company and throughout the AEC industry. Four of the eight new Professional Engineers are women.

Meet our newest Professional Engineers:

Dylan Casey, PE
Dylan Casey recently joined WSB from the Montana Department of Transportation where he worked as a civil engineering specialist. At WSB, Dylan will specialize in field and construction engineering.

Chris Bunders, PE
Chris Bunders is a lead design engineer who specializes in planning and civil engineering for transportation, transit and municipal projects in Minnesota.

Lydia Ener, PE
Lydia Ener is a municipal engineer who specializes in feasibility reports, utility design, drafting, community engagement and construction observation and has partnered with many cities throughout the Twin Cities metro.

Alex Miller, PE
Alex Miller is a municipal engineer who works closely with cities in Minnesota to help solve their infrastructure problems. Alex specializes in residential construction projects and she was recently named the Young Engineer of the Year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers in 2018.

Austin Becker, PE
Austin is a professional engineer in WSB’s Bismarck office. His experience includes transportation design for both the public and private sectors, as well as construction inspection in linear highway and municipal settings. He has worked on both large and small-scale transportation systems on both state and county roadways.

Veronica Kubicek, PE
Veronica Kubicek is a professional engineer in WSB’s Bismarck office who specializes in inspection, sign data collection, utility coordination, roadway design and plan development. Veronica takes a tech-forward approach to design work and relies on several digital design programs to bring projects to life.

Evan Schnitker, PE
Evan Schnitker is a professional engineer who specializes in the design and completion of transportation infrastructure projects. Evan’s experience extends from preliminary design through final design and construction administration.

Stephanie Hatten, PE
Stephanie Hatten is a professional engineer with experience in water resource planning and engineering including surface water plan updates, long-range planning and stormwater best management practices. Stephanie is also a Certified Floodplain Manager and assists with floodplain management and agency permitting.

WSB, Brooklyn Park & Brooklyn Center secure $150,000 grant

WSB assisted Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center in securing a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Youth at Work Competitive Grant for a combined $150,000 in funding. The funding will be used for the cities’ collaborative workforce development program BrookLynk in 2020 and 2021. Directed by Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, BrookLynk is a youth employment program dedicated to addressing the regional talent and workforce needs of the communities through a strategy that explicitly supports and invests in young people facing barriers to employment. The grant funding will assist in scaling the program to help train more youth to join the future workforce and build the talent pipeline.

WSB opens Austin office to expand engineering, design and consulting services for local clients

June 17, 2019

Austin, Texas – Fast-growing Minneapolis-based engineering firm WSB has cemented its entrance into the Austin market by opening a new office this week at 1221 S. Mopac Expressway in the Barton Hills neighborhood. WSB, which provides engineering, planning, environmental and construction services for the public and private sectors, has been active in the Austin area for the past two years.

“The Austin market has been a great fit for the culture of our company, and we’re very excited to establish a new office here so that we can continue to grow our team and expand the services available to our Austin area clients,” said WSB President and CEO Bret Weiss.

WSB entered the Austin market in 2017. In 2018, the firm acquired Austin-based Rogers Design Services (RDS), a well-respected local engineering firm. Now, WSB has six employees including the original staff from RDS and has immediate plans to increase staffing in Austin by more than 50 percent in the next year. The firm has worked with Hays County, Williamson County, the City of Cedar Park and the City of Georgetown on roadway and utility design projects as well as land-use planning.

“Like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Austin is a progressive capital city,” said Jay Kennedy, vice president of Texas Operations for WSB. “The region is growing rapidly and making smart investments in infrastructure. This is the type of environment where we can provide valuable insight and smart solutions to the challenges ahead.”