WGI Unleashed

WGI
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Business
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A podcast about the people, the projects, and the culture of WGI. We sit down with our team members to see what they do on a daily basis to chase their passions and help our clients become successful.

  1. Sep 23

    Robby Vogel, Director of Structural Engineering

    In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, hosts Dan and Katie head over to our Austin office to sit down with Robby Vogel, PE, Director of Structural Engineering in our Buildings group! Robby has been selling since he was 13. Back then he'd call customers at his dad's mechanic shop to tell them their car was ready, then offer to detail it if they could wait a few more hours. The pitch has gotten bigger since, and so have the stakes, but one pattern has held for his whole career. Almost every door he walked through opened because he knew somebody, or somebody knew his mom.  Seguin, Texas: Home of the Fighting Matadors  Robby grew up in Seguin, a small town between San Antonio and Austin that sits on the Guadalupe River and takes its name from Texas Revolution hero Juan Seguín. In a town where everybody knew everybody, he couldn't get away with much, although he jokes that going to school with the district attorney's daughter and the judge's sons certainly didn't hurt. The building bug showed up early in Legos, Lincoln Logs, and a lot of sketching. It grew in high school, where he took three drafting classes from a retired architect, and on visits to his mom's office, where he watched the engineers at a tractor-products company trade their drafting boards for AutoCAD. By his own account, the cool factor had him hooked. Architecture was the original plan, but the University of Texas's architecture school turned him down. A friend's dad, an architect himself, had already suggested engineering, since Robby was tutoring his daughter in math at the time. Robby had listed architectural engineering as his fallback, and he got into a program he'll tell you was ranked number one in the world at the time. As Plan Bs go, it worked out pretty well.... The Long Road to Structural  Austin didn't have many big firms offering internships back then, and the firms in Dallas and Houston were barely paying interns, so Robby spent his summers bartending and working at a pharmacy. None of it taught him engineering, but it did teach him how to read people and how to give someone the benefit of the doubt on a bad day, and he considers that part of the job now. His first job out of school was with a general contractor in Dallas. On his first day there, he mentioned to the CEO that he'd done a little research and learned that the CEO's wife and Robby's mom had gone to school together in Seguin. The CEO went and called his wife on the spot. The GC side taught Robby how buildings actually go together. Eventually, though, an engineer his mom worked with asked him why he'd gone to school in the first place. The honest answer was that he wanted to be a professional engineer, so he went job hunting with no design experience and made one firm a pitch. They could hire him now and mentor him their way, or they could pay a lot more for him later, once he'd figured it out somewhere else. The firm took the deal, and even with the pay cut, Robby was soon designing roughly two Home Depots a week. When the market crashed in 2008, Robby was laid off a week before his wedding. A connection from his bartending days led him to Page Southerland Page in Dallas, where he worked on federal and healthcare projects. He wanted to lead a team, though, so when a friend recruited him to run structural at a smaller education-focused firm in Plano, he took it. He spent the next decade there designing everything bond dollars could buy, from classroom additions to stadiums and natatoriums, and the firm eventually became part of Stantec.  A Well-Timed Phone Call What Robby wanted next was real ownership, a seat where he could help shape where a company was headed. On the very day he decided to start looking, WGI's Talent Acquisition Specialist called him about a market leader role in Dallas. He told her he couldn't make that work from Austin and asked her to let him know if a director position ever opened up, and a week later she was calling back. One of his first conversations was with Shad, the Buildings director at the time, and the two quickly realized that Robby is living Shad's life about ten years behind. They're both UT architectural engineering grads who married UT communications grads, and both are raising two daughters. The only thing missing, Robby says, is that he never played football. The Work: Revit, Responsibility, and a Little Spark  When Shad pitched the role, he described an experienced structural team that did great work and just needed a spark, and Robby has treated that as his job description ever since. He's responsible for the team's financial health and growth. Sales run through him, and so does holding the team accountable, himself included. A few months after he started, someone on the civil team asked him what exactly he did. Robby explained that structural decisions ultimately land on him, and the reply was, "Oh, so you're somebody important." He'd rather you didn't put it that way. He still gets into Revit and runs calcs himself, which occasionally gets him in trouble, because, as he puts it, "I will never ask anybody to do something I won't do myself." He's also the one who brought WGI's first education projects to Texas. When Dave and Greg recognized that during a company town hall, his daughters happened to be listening at home and turned to ask him, "Did they just say your name?" Life Outside the Office  With two daughters, ages 11 and 9, who dance and swim competitively, Robby calls himself a professional fan, the kind who supports from the stands and leaves the coaching to someone else. He also keeps a whiskey collection that has become more of a trophy case than a bar. His brother-in-law knows the house rule: any bottle on the countertop is fair game. Robby knows exactly which bottle he's leaving out when he hears the brother-in-law is coming over. His hidden talent is getting stains out of clothes. He handles all the laundry at home, by his own account because he's good at it. That streak goes back to his car-detailing days, when he spent summers washing his mom's coworkers' cars in the driveway for about $100 a day.... Tune In Robby closed the episode with an open invitation. Anyone questioning whether they picked the right path into engineering or architecture should reach out, because he's been there and would love to talk it through. It's a fitting offer from someone whose own career was shaped by the people who picked up the phone for him. Stick around for two truths and a lie, too, where Dan and Katie's losing streak continues. Tune into this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform, and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops – You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Robby Vogel, Director of Structural Engineering

  2. Aug 19

    Pablo Dominguez, Geomaticist

    In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, hosts Dan and Katie head down to our Miami office to sit down with Pablo Dominguez, a geomaticist in our Geospatial group! If you ask Pablo what he'd be doing if he weren't surveying, he'll tell you archeology without hesitating. He's stood at the Colosseum and at the pyramids in Giza, and the History Channel runs on a loop at his house, much to his wife's dismay. Spend an hour with him, and you'll start to notice that Land Surveying and Archeology are two jobs that are closer than they sound. Salt Life: Growing Up in Miami Pablo was born in Guatemala and moved to Miami at five. He draws a distinction most Floridians will recognize right away. Inland kids grow up on lakes and ponds. Miami kids grow up on boats and piers. Pablo is firmly the second kind. He and his friends would ride from the inner city out toward Miami Beach, ducking into hotel pools along the way until security ran them off. Then they'd keep going to the bridges and jump in. Swim, climb out, ride back, repeat. He remembers a version of the neighborhood that's mostly gone now. You always knew where everybody was, because every bike on the block was dumped in the same front yard.... Second-Generation Surveyor The career came from his father, a licensed surveyor with his own firm. Pablo went out to the field with him as a kid and held the other end of the chain. As Pablo tells it, his dad had just started a business, needed free labor, and there he was. Everything got written down by hand back then, page after page of field books. Then Pablo started picking up work with bigger firms and saw transits wired to data collectors, recording every measurement as the crew took it. That was the hook. He enrolled at Miami Dade College without much of a plan, but work kept getting in the way. Run the crew. Here's a promotion. Here's a raise. Eventually he let the degree go and took weekend courses in surveying and AutoCAD instead. A Year of Phone Calls WGI found him through Alvin Santiago in our Orlando office, a friend and former coworker who wouldn't stop talking about the place. Alvin put him in touch with Roberto Montecon here in Miami. WGI made an offer. Pablo said no... They kept calling. For a year. What got him in the end wasn't the pitch; it was the conversations around it, the ones where people asked about his kids and how his family was doing. He finally said yes. Almost three years later, he's still here. The Work: Drones, Crews, and Whatever Comes Up Pablo doesn't know what he'll be working on when he walks into the office each day. Geospatial is his home base. He also helps run WGI's UAV program out of Miami with Alvin, alongside Javaro Hampton, Carlos Sotolongo, and Eric Pryor. Drone work comes in from all over Florida, and the team sorts it by who's closest and who's the right fit for the site. The rest of his week goes to people. He oversees the field and office technicians, trains and mentors both, and works alongside Eduardo Asavache, who recently got licensed under Roberto's mentorship. His peers like to tell him he's a jack of many trades and a master of nothing. Pablo repeats the first half and lets the second half go.... His favorite WGI project so far took him to Puerto Rico, collecting data for project manager Randy Ortega. He'd never been to the island and pictured it flat. It is not flat... The terrain turned the flights into a real problem to solve, which is exactly why bringing back clean data felt so good. Dan and Pablo first met at WGI's management training out in Austin. What stuck with Pablo is that you never ask someone to do a job you wouldn't do yourself. Treat a crew well, and they'll stay the extra hour to finish the job. The Closest Thing to Archeology Back to the archeology, because it shows up in the work more than you'd expect. At one of the firms he worked for, crews would pull the old field books for an area before heading back out to a site. One of them stopped Pablo cold. A crew chief had gone out to survey acres of land and never finished, because the locals ran him off the property. He wrote it down, closed the book, and it sat there for decades waiting for someone to read it. The everyday version is quieter. Pablo takes a reference book out to a site, hunts for a monument someone set fifty years ago, and digs until he finds it. Proving that old work still holds is about as close to archeology as a Tuesday gets. Life Outside the Office Pablo has been married 20 years and has four kids, ages 28, 26, 15, and 13. His daughter shares his birthday. All four still live at home, which he pins on the housing market and doesn't seem too bothered by. Being a devout family man, having everyone close is the ideal circumstance. He had two miniature dachshunds for 16 years and hasn't been ready to replace them, though he thinks a rescue dog is getting close. In the meantime, a stray kitten wandered onto his porch three years ago and never left. She's a Dominguez now. A second stray recently had a kitten in his backyard, and Pablo is looking for a home for her, so consider this the announcement. Tune In Pablo brought the energy to this one. He also beat both hosts at Two Truths and a Lie, which almost never happens, and closed things out with an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression that Katie hasn't stopped talking about since. Tune into this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform, and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops – You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Pablo Dominguez, Geomaticist

  3. Jul 21

    WGI Unleashed Podcast: David Gerber, Project Manager

    In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, hosts Dan and Katie are back in our Fort Lauderdale office to sit back down with David Gerber, Project Manager on our transportation team! David is a two-time guest, a "two-peat" he happily likens to Steve Martin's SNL record. Last time around, he got a little feedback for being too tight-lipped about his coworkers, so this time he came prepared to fix that, handing out shout-outs across thirteen years and five offices… From Miami to Lakeland David was born in Miami and lived there until he was about five, when Hurricane Andrew came through and cost his parents their jobs. The family moved north to Lakeland, the Central Florida town tucked between Tampa and Orlando, where he grew up. By his own account, the third-best restaurant in town back then was Publix. He was a classic-rock kid who played the drums and, at a high school too small to have a band, tried to start a drum line of his own. His path toward engineering began somewhere less obvious: a pile of Legos on the living room floor. David says he was drawn to the field partly because he assumed it would involve as little writing as possible, a theory that every report, invoice, and email since has cheerfully disproven. Two Business Cards David headed to the University of Miami in 2005, but when the tuition math stopped working, he transferred across town to Florida International University and finished his degree while working in the school's structures lab. His summers went to roadway construction, first on a bridge job down in the Keys, then on a turnpike widening up in Orlando. Here's the full-circle part. At his very first college career fair, David walked away with two business cards: one from a construction company, one from WGI. He went with the construction company. Years later, when that firm pulled out of Florida during the 2010 slowdown, he ran into Brett Fuller at a wedding and heard that Fuller's company was interviewing for a position. David wasn't sure about the role, but he thought, "Why not?". A full day of round-robin interviews with the entire West Palm Roadway group later, he finally cashed in that second business card. The Work: Interchanges, Depositions, and Five Offices David started as a project engineer back when WGI's roadway team was small enough to count the PE's on one hand. The jump to project manager came with a line he still quotes: "I will never pay you more to do less." Get the design down cold, the thinking goes, and you earn the tracking, invoicing, staff-hour estimates, and resource planning that come with running projects. He compares it to learning guitar, where nobody masters it after one song. Design, he's quick to add, is still his favorite part of the job. Over thirteen years he's worked out of five WGI offices, a run almost no one at the company can match. Right now he's wrapping up a brand-new interchange up in Orlando, laying out ramps on ground where nothing exists yet. The project comes with heavy right-of-way work and eminent domain, and property owners entitled to a real appraisal, which means David has answered for his designs under deposition. Ask him what keeps him at WGI and the answer is simple. Dump out a bowl of alphabet soup and you can spell every engineering firm in the country, all chasing the same projects for the same clients. What's different, he says, is the people. Life Outside the Office Off the clock, David is a self-described foodie who books the hard-to-get tables months in advance and plans trips around them. He married his wife, Kristen, in Jupiter this past December, then the two Floridians spent their honeymoon ice fishing over New Year's in Kennebunk, Maine, huddled in a heated tent, drinking champagne, and photographing the bucket that passed for a restroom. Napa and Chicago are next on the list. Home is a townhouse they share with Bruno, the world's most outgoing miniature dachshund, and two gray cats, including a Nebelung named Charcoal who once relocated to Austin with him. A second doxy, Gus, is on the way. As for hidden talents, David is ambidextrous, which he insists just means he's equally bad with both hands. He also does a John Madden impression that only surfaces after four beers, and in 2018 he talked a group of West Palm interns into learning to juggle, on the theory that sharper hand-eye coordination makes for better drafting. Tune In For a guy who once got flagged for being too tight-lipped, David more than made up for it this time around.... His episode runs on career advice, road-trip stories, and shout-outs to just about everyone he's worked with. Tune into this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops – You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    WGI Unleashed Podcast: David Gerber, Project Manager

  4. Jun 24

    Rachel Starck, Environmental Scientist

    In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, hosts Dan and Katie head down to our West Palm Beach corporate headquarters to sit down with Rachel Starck, Environmental Scientist! Rachel is a Florida native who grew up in Orlando with a childhood reputation for attracting wildlife, and a mother who gave her exactly the right career advice at exactly the right time. Two and a half years into her first job out of college, she's doing the work she set out to do... and loving every second of it. From Orlando to the Atlantic Coast Rachel grew up in Orlando, where both of her parents built long careers at Walt Disney World, her father in Food and Beverage and her mother in Merchandising and Park Operations. It was a fun place to grow up, but Rachel always had one thing on her mind: the beach. When it came time to choose a college, she toured nearly every university across Florida before landing on Florida Atlantic University, which checked both boxes: a smaller campus and easy access to the coast. Her initial studies focused on biology, but she soon made the switch to geoscience in her sophomore year, and the move turned out to be a natural fit. Geoscience at FAU covered earth science, climate, and environmental systems, exactly the direction she was already headed. Outside of the classroom, Rachel stayed busy. She served as president of SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology, Education, Diversity, and Stewardship), participated in student government, and spent a significant amount of her undergraduate years conducting paid research on gopher tortoises with FAU faculty.... As it turns out, this research would come in more useful than she ever expected! Finding Her Way to WGI Midway through her senior year, with COVID-era online classes freeing up her schedule, Rachel began sourcing and applying for jobs to see what may stick. Through these efforts, a director on WGI's environmental team soon found her profile and reached out. Upon learning that Rachel was already available and working remotely, he invited her to start as an intern in February rather than wait for summer. She graduated from FAU, transitioned to full-time, and the rest is history as she now closes in on two and a half years with WGI. The Work: Puzzles, Permits, and Smoothies Environmental science at WGI covers more ground than most people expect. Rachel's day-to-day spans protected species surveys (including gopher tortoises and burrowing owls), wetland and mangrove permitting for roadway projects, tree surveys ahead of development, and contamination work on sites being redeveloped from prior agricultural or commercial use. For example, when a former golf course or farm is being converted to residential use, Rachel's team assesses soil and groundwater for pesticide contamination, develops a remediation approach, and works to bring the site up to residential standards. She describes it as a puzzle, figuring out what's wrong with a site and then solving it. But that's not all. Beyond her day-to-day, Rachel is also a registered FWC Gopher Tortoise Agent, or as Dan put it on the episode, Agent Starck. Life Outside the Office Beyond the office, Rachel is most comfortable outdoors. She paddleboards, hikes, swims, and logs long walks regularly, including a recent appearance at WGI's West Palm Beach Corporate Run 5K. At home, she shares her space with Kiwi, a calico cat who has zero interest in being taken on walks. In reflecting on what she would do if she weren't an environmental scientist, Rachel shares that she would probably be captaining a sailboat somewhere across an ocean. And while she doesn't sail just yet, plans are certainly in motion. Tune In Rachel's story is a great reminder that sometimes the clearest path is the one you find early. She set out to work in environmental science, found a team that trusted her to run with projects independently, and landed somewhere she's genuinely glad to be, but don't take our word for it.... Tune into this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops – You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Rachel Starck, Environmental Scientist

  5. May 20

    Susanna Coleman, Administrative Assistant

    In the latest episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, hosts Dan and Katie head back to South Florida to sit down with Susanna Coleman, an Administrative Assistant in WGI's Fort Lauderdale office! Susanna's story is one of curiosity, reinvention, and an unshakable love of learning. From the south side of Chicago to the shipyards of Scandinavia, Susanna has lived what she jokingly calls "several lives" — and each one has shaped the curious, people-loving teammate she is today. This is one conversation you won't want to miss. From the South Side of Chicago to South Florida Born and raised in a tight-knit, blue-collar suburb just south of Chicago, Susanna grew up as a self-described "total '80s kid." She and her sister walked to school, rode bikes around the neighborhood, and stayed out until their mom called them in. Family and culture were at the heart of it all. Her father immigrated from central Mexico in his twenties, and with both sides of her family rooted in Mexican heritage, Susanna grew up immersed in the culture, the language, and the food. Each year, the family made the epic three-day drive from Chicago to Celaya, Guanajuato — armed with coloring books, crayons, and a lasting appreciation for the great state of Texas, which never seemed to end. Even as a kid, Susanna sensed that Chicago wasn't her forever home. Standing at a bus stop in negative-degree weather, she remembers thinking, "There has to be something better." That instinct would eventually carry her south. Several Lives, One Common Thread After heading to Southern Illinois University, Susanna earned a degree in photo production technology, the technical, chemistry-driven side of photography. A professor's recommendation led to her first career with Noritsu, a company that manufactured one-hour photo lab equipment. For the next nine years, she traveled the world installing and balancing photo equipment, covering Central and South America and even outfitting brand-new cruise ships in the shipyards of Finland and Sweden. She filled two passports and visited nearly every country in Central America along the way. When the photo industry went digital, Susanna took a leap. A lifelong lover of teaching and the outdoors, she found her place at Camp Live Oak, operating out of Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale. What began as an on-site director role grew into 18 years as associate director. She did a little of everything, from canoeing and archery to art and science, and shepherded the camp through its rigorous American Camp Association accreditation every three years. Ready for a change after nearly two decades outdoors, Susanna spent three years as a clinic manager at a health and wellness practice, sharpening her operations and HR skills before realizing healthcare wasn't her long-term fit. Finding Her Place at WGI The throughline in every chapter of Susanna's career is simple: she loves to learn. "If the subject interests me, I will dive in headfirst," she says — reading, asking questions, and digging into the "why" behind everything. That same curiosity is exactly what she brought to WGI. This August will mark three years with the firm, and Susanna says she's finally fluent in the acronyms and the surprising amount of work that goes into building a road (IYKYK). No two days look the same. Susanna keeps the office running while managing events and conferences across WGI's Customer Support Manager, supporting HR initiatives, helping plan Engineers' Week, and lending a hand wherever her teammates need her. As one of WGI's busiest hosting offices, Fort Lauderdale always has something happening, and Susanna is often the person behind the scenes making sure it all runs smoothly. Life Outside the Office These days, much of Susanna's time is happily spent at the ballfield, cheering on her daughter's softball games and her son's travel baseball. When she carves out time for herself, she returns to her first love: photography. She's an active member of 52 Clicks, an Instagram community of photographers who shoot a new themed prompt each week and trade feedback. Her medium of choice is black-and-white portraiture, and she's planning a portrait series of her book club friends, complete with a small gallery opening at the end of the year! At home, she's joined by Lupita, a 12-year-old boxer mix affectionately known as "Lupita La Loca." And her hidden talent? Susanna is a gifted party host — a skill she credits to her mother. She has a knack for making everyone feel welcome, connecting guests who might never have met otherwise, and bringing the energy the moment the party starts. A Few Fun Surprises True to WGI Unleashed form, the episode is packed with games and a few great reveals. Susanna is fully confident she'd survive a zombie apocalypse (camp-director skills, a trusty sword, and all), and she nearly stumped Dan and Katie with a round of Two Truths and a Lie. Did she go to high school with a young Kanye West? You'll have to listen to hear the rest. Tune In Susanna's journey is a reminder that there's no single path to a meaningful career. Sometimes it's the curiosity to keep learning and the courage to reinvent yourself that lead you exactly where you're meant to be. Listen to this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI.  Subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Susanna Coleman, Administrative Assistant

  6. Apr 22

    Kristen Nowicki, Senior Project Manager

    In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we head to Fort Lauderdale to catch up with Kristen Nowicki, Senior Project Manager on WGI's Planning team. From her early days climbing trees in Pennsylvania to helping shape communities across South Florida, Kristen's story is equal parts thoughtful, driven, and refreshingly down to earth. We also learned one very important thing right away: she could eat pineapple pizza every day for the rest of her life. That might be the boldest take we've had on the podcast yet. From Tree Hugger to Planner Kristen's path into planning was anything but linear, and it makes perfect sense when you hear her story. Growing up just outside Philadelphia, she spent a lot of time outdoors, which sparked an early interest in the environment. That passion led her to study environmental science at the University of Florida. But somewhere along the way, her perspective shifted. Instead of trying to stop development, she realized the real opportunity was in shaping it responsibly. That mindset led her back to school for a master's in urban and regional planning and into a career where she could balance growth with environmental and community needs. Finding Her Lane at WGI Since joining WGI in 2020, Kristen has expanded her role beyond traditional planning. She now works across multidisciplinary teams, manages complex projects, and plays a key role in business development. From municipal planning efforts to private development projects, her work covers a wide range of services. One standout example is a recent affordable housing project designed for seniors on fixed incomes, a meaningful contribution to a growing need in South Florida. What she enjoys most? The ability to take ownership of her career. At WGI, Kristen has found the flexibility to explore new opportunities, build relationships, and grow her impact. It's not about staying in a box. It's about stepping outside of it and making things happen. Building Connections That Matter Kristen is deeply involved in the planning community through organizations like the American Planning Association, where she has taken on leadership roles and helped organize major industry events. For her, these connections are a way to stay engaged, keep learning, and contribute to the future of the profession. Whether it's mentoring students, speaking at conferences, or collaborating with peers, she's all in. Planning for People One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is Kristen's perspective on planning itself.  Land use, zoning, and development approvals are all a part of the gig, but ultimately, it's about people. From public spaces to housing to infrastructure, every project impacts how communities live, work, and connect. Kristen approaches her work with that bigger picture in mind, always considering how decisions today will shape experiences tomorrow. Life Outside the Office When she's not managing projects or attending industry events, Kristen is making the most of everything South Florida has to offer. She's a Yelp Elite reviewer, always on the hunt for new restaurants and local spots. She enjoys checking out festivals, live music, and anything that brings people together. And in the kitchen, she's taken things to another level with homemade kombucha, hot sauce, and just about anything she can experiment with. She also keeps things growing with a small hydroponic garden, proving that once a "tree hugger," always a "tree hugger." Tune In Kristen's story is a great reminder that careers don't have to follow a straight path. With the right mindset, a willingness to adapt, and a focus on people, you can build something meaningful along the way. Listen to the full episode of WGI Unleashed to hear more about Kristen's journey, her projects, and her take on what it means to plan for the future. Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Kristen Nowicki, Senior Project Manager

  7. Mar 18

    Scott Jones, Technical Geospatial Solutions Manager

    At WGI, every associate brings a unique story to the table, but few start on a remote fishing island in Alaska and end up leading cutting-edge geospatial solutions across the country. In this episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, Dan and Katie sit down with Scott Jones, Technical Solutions Manager on our Geospatial + Land Surveying team, to talk about a career path shaped by adventure, curiosity, and a willingness to solve problems in some of the most challenging environments imaginable. A Childhood Built for Adventure Scott's story begins in Petersburg, Alaska, a small fishing community where getting anywhere requires a boat or a plane and where imagination fills the gaps between long winters and remote living. His introduction to surveying came through a high school class that quickly turned into something much bigger. One of his first projects involved surveying a glacier by helicopter, an experience that sparked a lifelong interest in the field and set the tone for everything that followed. From Screenwriting Dreams to Surveying Reality Surveying wasn't always the plan. Scott originally pursued creative writing in college with the goal of becoming a screenwriter. That changed after landing an internship with the Alaska Department of Transportation, where he spent his summers traveling across the state collecting geospatial data. What started as a job quickly became a turning point. The combination of travel, technical work, and real-world impact pulled him away from writing and into a career in geomatics. Surveying at the Edge of the World Before joining WGI, Scott built his experience in environments that most people would never encounter on the job. Working in Alaska meant navigating extreme terrain, unpredictable conditions, and projects that required constant adaptation. One of the most memorable was a remote "Road to Nowhere" survey effort that pushed crews deep into the wilderness for months at a time. From coordinating helicopter access to dealing with wildlife and harsh conditions, the work demanded resilience, creativity, and a strong understanding of the field. Bringing That Experience to WGI Today, Scott applies that same mindset at WGI, where no two days look the same. As a Technical Solutions Manager, he moves between projects, helping teams identify challenges, develop workflows, and find practical solutions that keep work moving forward. His role spans aerial operations, Lidar processing, GIS support, and everything in between. What sets his approach apart is a focus on execution. Big ideas matter, but for Scott, success comes from turning those ideas into real, actionable results. Projects That Push Boundaries Scott has been involved in several standout projects during his time with WGI, including a highly coordinated Grand Canyon mapping effort that required extensive planning across multiple agencies and airspace approvals. Another favorite took him to White Sands National Park, where Lidar technology was used to help identify prehistoric sloth footprints. It's a perfect example of how WGI's work blends advanced technology with unique, real-world applications. Why WGI? For Scott, it comes down to the people. He highlighted the value of working with teams that take pride in what they do and hold themselves to a high standard. That shared mindset creates an environment where collaboration is strong and the work is meaningful. It also opens the door for growth. At WGI, associates aren't limited to one role or skill set. There are constant opportunities to expand, learn, and contribute in new ways. Life Outside the Office While his days of fishing in Alaska may be behind him, Scott hasn't lost his sense of adventure. In Huntsville, he's traded ocean waters for kayaking, discovered a passion for caving, and continues to explore the outdoors in new ways. It's a different landscape, but the same mindset that has guided his career from the beginning. Final Thoughts Scott's journey is a reminder that there's no single path to success. From creative writing aspirations to leading technical solutions at WGI, his story is built on adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to take on new challenges. And like many of the stories featured on WGI Unleashed, it reinforces what makes WGI unique—the people, the experiences, and the opportunity to be part of something bigger. Tune In If you are looking for a story that blends adventure, innovation, and real-world impact, this episode is one you will not want to miss. Listen to this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform and stay tuned for more conversations highlighting the people, projects, and culture that define WGI. Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Scott Jones, Technical Geospatial Solutions Manager

  8. Feb 18

    Jason Alvarez, Senior Operations Manager

    On the latest episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast, we travel to WGI's Huntsville, Alabama, office to sit down with Jason Alvarez, Senior Operations Manager for our Geospatial + Land Surveying group. In this episode, hosts Dan and Katie explore Jason's 23-year journey at WGI, from starting in the field as a rod person to leading operations in one of the firm's growing offices. His story highlights persistence, curiosity, and the impact of saying yes to opportunity. From Florida Roots to Geospatial Leadership Jason grew up in Central and South Florida, including time in Lake Wales, where he balanced football and marching band. Yes, marching band. And yes, there were kilts involved. Before surveying ever entered the picture, Jason thought he might become a computer programmer. He built computers in high school and enjoyed working with technology, but he quickly realized that sitting behind a screen all day was not for him. He wanted something that blended tech with the outdoors. Enter surveying. Through a family connection, Jason got his first exposure to the field. What began as data entry and CAD work turned into a genuine interest in geospatial technology. When an opportunity at WGI opened up, he took it and started as a rod person on a survey crew. And that is where it all began. Building a Career by Saying Yes Jason did not map out a 20-plus-year plan. Instead, he leaned into every opportunity that came his way. He asked to learn new equipment. He stepped into office production. He volunteered for projects. He even spent two years working in IT to expand his technical skill set before returning to Geospatial. If someone asked, "Can you do this?" Jason's answer was usually, "Sure." That mindset helped shape his career. Over time, field experience turned into project management. Project management turned into operational leadership. Today, he oversees geospatial operations in Huntsville, bringing both technical expertise and years of institutional knowledge to the table. Lessons from Brightline and Beyond One of Jason's most memorable projects was supporting the Brightline construction effort. Managing multiple crews operating seven days a week required coordination, adaptability, and the integration of advanced technology, including robotic total stations and monitoring systems. It was a demanding assignment, but one that pushed him to grow both technically and as a leader. Implementing new technologies, coordinating teams, and navigating the pace of construction taught him lessons that continue to shape how he leads today. Watching WGI Grow After 23 years, Jason has had a front-row seat to WGI's evolution. What started as a smaller firm focused primarily on land development has grown into a multidisciplinary powerhouse offering transportation, lidar, planning, architecture, and more. With that growth has come expanded opportunities, new technologies, and a broader range of projects. Through it all, Jason says two things have remained constant: opportunity and people. He credits WGI's collaborative culture and the willingness of associates to help one another as the biggest reasons he has stayed. Whether learning a new system, tackling a complex project, or transitioning into leadership, there has always been someone willing to share knowledge and support the team. Fun Facts and Family Time Outside of work, Jason is a self-proclaimed big kid at heart. These days, most of his free time is spent with his two-and-a-half-year-old son building Lego sets and playing with toy trains. He also shared a few memorable facts during the episode: He does not drink tea. Under any circumstances. He has never used the restroom on an airplane. Not even on a 14-hour international flight. Despite attending a Scottish-themed high school, he did not play the bagpipes. You will have to tune in to hear the full stories behind those... Tune In Jason's journey is a reminder that careers are not one-size-fits-all. Growth can happen through curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to step up when opportunity knocks. If you are looking for a story about starting at the ground level and building a career through determination and adaptability, this episode is for you. Listen to this episode of WGI Unleashed on your favorite podcast platform and stay tuned for more conversations with the people, projects, and culture that define WGI. Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

    Jason Alvarez, Senior Operations Manager
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

A podcast about the people, the projects, and the culture of WGI. We sit down with our team members to see what they do on a daily basis to chase their passions and help our clients become successful.

Information

  • Creator
    WGI
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    WGI Unleashed