Principal at Barrier Island Engineering

B.S, Civil Engineering, 2011

What role do you play in the entrepreneurial ecosystem?

My business partner (2013 grad) and I formed the idea of our business as a different approach to civil engineering design within the site development industry, which is an industry that doesn’t have the best reputation for stewardship of our natural environments. The land development industry carries a reputation of maximizing profits and land use area, clear cutting every tree, and paving every square foot. Our goal with Barrier Island Engineering is to shift the mindset in development towards low impact development site design techniques and stormwater management as a site feature or enhancement rather than an eyesore. Our goal is responsible stewardship of the properties entrusted to us as designers and ensure preservation of our natural resources such that our future generations can enjoy the outdoors the same way we have.

What are some of your best memories of your time at Clemson?

All things outdoors in and around Clemson. Time spent on the lake with friends and some camping trips trout fishing on the Chattooga River stand out amongst the rest. I always found that a fly rod and afternoon spent on the river was the mental reset I didn’t know I needed.

Athletic events are always near the top, and I enjoyed baseball the most. I was here for the last of the platforms behind the left field wall before the outfield grandstands were built. We would head out there weekday afternoons just to watch batting practice.

I spent one summer in Clemson making up a class and getting ahead on another. That summer semester was my most memorable, forcing me to branch out from my regular friend groups. I met and spent time with many people that summer that I never would have otherwise during a regular fall or spring semester.

What were the key inflection points in your career after you left Clemson?

Graduating in 2011, the job market in my industry was still very tough and just starting to rebound. I accepted the best offer I could find and moved to Baton Rouge to start work.

The most important milestone as a civil engineer was obtaining my PE license. I always had the goal to start my own firm, and passing the PE exam and obtaining my license was the first tangible and necessary step towards making that goal reality.

Before starting Barrier Island Engineering, I worked as a project manager for an engineering firm that went through a change in leadership during my tenure there. There was a stark contrast in leadership style between the outgoing and incoming Presidents. Quiet observation in the shift of the team morale during through that transition was formative for my approach to leadership of Barrier Island Engineering. During that same time period, I had the opportunity to assist in opening a branch office for the firm. That opportunity was the feet-to-the-fire exposure that I needed to learn all the components of an engineering business beyond the actual design. Contracts, invoicing, AR, team management, client management, business development…you name it. I’m thankful for those employers who gave me the opportunity to learn critical business operations that I would later come to realize were more important than the design work itself.

What are your personal and professional dreams?

Personally, to be a present dad and husband for my family. To create the flexibility in my career to ensure I can make the ritual Friday family lunch at Mac’s and attend the afternoon sporting events. My career is important to our family’s livelihood, but I never want to miss events due to work and cause resentment towards being an engineer or business owner.

Professionally, I want to be involved in projects that provide a lasting benefit for the community. Design and implement projects that strengthen community and improve residents’ quality of life. Thankfully, I’ve had the opportunity to design some projects already in my career that fulfill that dream. One particular waterfront park project stands out. I always make a point to drive by when I’m in the area and spend a few minutes people watching…the Town’s dock, park benches, and swings are never empty. I want to continue to align my career and our firm’s resume to become synonymous with community and quality of life enhancing projects.

What would you recommend students do to maximize their remaining time at Clemson?

My recommendation is to make sure that you build soft skills and relationships while still in school. Maximize the number of people you can meet, organizations you can explore, and events you can attend. Making the Presidents List 8 straight semesters may be impressive for getting that first job out of school, but nobody will ask about or remember that achievement after a few years in the workforce. The relationships that you build last your entire career.

What else should we know about you?

I’m originally from Florida and chose against attending UF due to them wanting me to bridge in the summer before my freshman year. Little did I know then, that choosing to attend Clemson would truly shape my entire life. My years at Clemson gave me my closest lifelong friends, lead to meeting my wife through them, our kids, my career path, meeting my now business partner, starting the business we run, and ultimately moving back to Clemson to raise our kids here. It’s living proof that choosing to attend Clemson is the most formative, life altering decision I made, in the best way possible.