At Chastain-Skillman, our work is driven by a relentless commitment to innovation and accuracy. This drive is made sustainable, however, by a genuine, people-first culture that is supported by leaders with decades of experience.
To mark the third day of National Engineers Week 2021, we talked to Mr. Drew Morson, PE, CFM regarding his experiences within the industry, the advice he has for young professionals wanting to pursue engineering, and what some of his favorite projects have been over the course of his 8-year career.
A Project Engineer in our Civil Engineering group, Mr. Morson has been with our team for 5 years. Graduating with a BSCE from Virginia Tech in 2013, Mr. Morson first started his career at RASco in Woodbridge, VA working with various federal agencies.
Mr. Morson has eight years of experience working for both municipal and private sector clients in the areas of civil and environmental engineering. He has performed project management and preventative maintenance for reverse osmosis water purification systems projects, as well as water sampling for wastewater discharge permits for federal government agencies.
His project experience includes design and permitting for commercial developments, industrial developments, roadway projects, stormwater retention facilities, and recreational parks. His primary area of expertise is drainage.
Read below as we talk to Mr. Morson about his personal experiences within the industry:
Describe your typical day: What do you do as soon as you get to the office? What takes up most of your time? What is your favorite part of the workday?
My typical day starts with going over my to-do list and reviewing upcoming deadlines. Most of my days vary between mostly client interaction or working on design calculations or preparing reports/application packages. My favorite times are when I’m working through a design and finding ways to make a site work for what we need.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did you realize you wanted to become an engineer?
I had no idea what I wanted to do as a kid. It took until I was in high school and I started looking at college before I really started to think about my adult future. Engineering looked like something I would be good at. When I was a freshman in college, I chose civil engineering since it seemed to be the most interesting discipline.
What has been one of your favorite projects to work on?
The Sebring Parkway. It was the first project I really worked on in ICPR4 and one that I was involved with to a large degree from when we first started working on it all the way through construction and completion
Start developing your soft skills early. As much as technical knowledge is important to engineers, soft skills are a huge part of our success. And if along the way you decide to pursue something other than engineering, soft skills are valuable no matter what field you eventually find yourself in.
– Drew Morson, PE, CFM
What, in your opinion, is one of the most underrated skills to have as an engineer?
Soft skills in general. Basic skills such as time management and communication are ones that I don’t think are undervalued but not ones that are actively developed in school. Technical skills are a must, but good management and communication are keys to success for every project.
What is one of the most fulfilling aspects of your job as an engineer? Why have you continued to be an engineer all of these years?
Finding a way to make a project work and help our clients achieve their goals. It’s rewarding to know that I have an active role in the development and protection of the community.
What advice would you give to young people who want to pursue engneering as a career?
Start developing your soft skills early. As much as technical knowledge is important to engineers, soft skills are a huge part of our success. And if along the way you decide to pursue something other than engineering, soft skill are valuable no matter what field you eventually find yourself in.
