TZL 1401 (web)

ON THE MOVE DEWBERRY OPENS FIRST PROJECT OFFICE IN ALASKA; WELCOMES PROJECT MANAGERS HILLARY PALMER AND ED FOGELS Dewberry , a privately held professional services firm, has announced that project managers Hillary Palmer and Ed Fogels have joined the firm. The firm has also announced the opening of its new project office in Anchorage, Alaska, out of which Palmer and Fogels are based. Palmer has 13 years of experience and previously served as the enhanced 911 addressing specialist for the Matanuska- Susitna Borough where she managed key geographic information system datasets for use in the 911 dispatch and emergency response. Palmer earned her bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Alaska-Anchorage and has worked as a GIS analyst for the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Alaska Department of Transportation where she became familiar with coastal erosion and arctic infrastructure challenges.

Palmer is a member of Urban and Regional Information Systems Association Next Generation 911 Task Force, the National Emergency Number Association, and the National States Geographic Information Council. She serves as the co-chair for the Alaska Geospatial Council’s Transportation Technical Working Group. Palmer will lead the firm’s efforts on the Alaska Coastal Mapping Coordination task order from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The firm provides planning, coordination, management, and technology research services to map the Alaska coastline. Fogels, who will be supporting Palmer and the firm in various other capacities, spent more than 30 years at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources where he led the state’s efforts to develop a more detailed basemap of the state of Alaska, including IfSAR mapping to enhance elevation data and refresh statewide imagery coverage.

“For more than a decade, Dewberry has been an integral partner in the efforts to coordinate and deliver critical geospatial data for Alaska,” says Dewberry Executive Vice President Phil Thiel. “With the hiring of these two well-respected individuals along with our new project office in Anchorage, we can now provide even more direct support for years to come.” Dewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a proven history of providing professional services to a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients. Recognized for combining unsurpassed commitment to client service with deep subject matter expertise, Dewberry is dedicated to solving clients’ most complex challenges and transforming their communities. Established in 1956, Dewberry is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, with more than 50 locations and more than 2,000 professionals nationwide.

EDDIE WADE , from page 3

6) You need control. We can get burned out when we’re trying to control everything. This is exhausting and unsustainable. Instead, learn to let go and empower others. We refer to this as encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit with our employees. Find opportunities and ways to let them take ownership – whether to pitch a new idea, explore an emerging software, or lead a project. 7) You quit. We’ve all felt the urge (and some of us have done it): We feel burned out, so we quit. And sometimes it’s the right move. But if you’re leaving a job for the wrong reason, you’re going to go from the frying pan into the fire. Instead, evaluate the situation before making the leap; it may be better to stick it out. Making a lateral move can leave you feeling further behind in your career and less motivated as you work to prove yourself yet again for little career promotion or reward. 8) You stick to your network. Think bigger. When we expand who we’re around, we expand the ideas and opinions we’re exposed to. Whether it’s getting involved with a new industry association, Chamber of Commerce, or leadership development course – expand your horizons. 9) You’re too serious. We tend to be serious as engineers, but sometimes what you need to break the burnout is to have fun. At Croy, we implement this by hosting impromptu fun days (that don’t have to break the bank), including “Thanks a Lotto for All You Do,” a day when we handed out $1 lottery scratch-offs to employees, and “Nothing Bundt Thankful for You,” when we had mini-bundt cakes delivered to the office for employees. 10) You’re unhappy. A good friend and speaker, Dr. Ken Harmon, preaches to “choose happiness.” When we’re burned out, it’s easy to only see the negatives. It takes a deliberate effort to focus on the positives. We all have our go-to way to help adjust our perspective and change our mood: Listen to your favorite song (mine is “Good Day” by Nappy Roots). Buy a latte. Call a friend. Take a small action to help turn your day – and attitude – around. EDDIE WADE , PE is an executive vice president at Croy Engineering and one of five owners. He can be reached at ewade@croyeng.com.

of burnout can often be caused by either your frustration with younger/inexperienced staff or their frustration with you (or other reasons). To avoid this, adapt a culture of and commitment to coaching. At Croy, we’re intentional about investing in our up-and-coming engineers. This includes nominating them for leadership development and/or training programs; taking time to explain the intangibles of the business, such as how to dress for a meeting; and bringing them to client and industry meetings. We’re learning that when people have a clear career path and feel invested in it, they are less likely to feel fatigued and burned out. “There is a strong likelihood it’s happening to your employees (or to you). The signs and symptoms range from decreased utilization and engagement to increased fatigue, apathy, and inaccuracy.” 4) You got off track. Even with a great plan in place, things can get off-track – goals aren’t met, team members quit, or budgets get blown. When this happens repeatedly, it’s easy to feel burned out. You need to adjust your expectations and attitude. Learn to expect the unexpected. Plan for the crisis even if it may not happen. At Croy, we believe it’s better to have a 30-minute conversation to plan for the worst-case scenario that turns out to be unnecessary than to not have the conversation and waste valuable time, resources, and money reacting to the situation if it does. 5) You listened to the drama. Office gossip and drama can derail a team faster than anything else. It can cause feelings of discouragement, frustration, fatigue, and eventually, burnout. Our advice: Ignore the (petty) noise. But also, give your employees a safe space to vent and voice their frustrations (we recommend that venting should occur “up the ladder,” not sideways).

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

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