In honor of Engineers Week, Lynda Herrig, P.E., LEED AP, chatted with SMPS HQ. Lynda is a professional engineer and holds the position of associate partner, director of business development at Newcomb & Boyd. Lynda discusses why she became an engineer, her role in business development, and what engineers should consider when working with marketers and business developers.

You’re an engineer doing business development full time? Can you tell us briefly how you decided to make the transition to focus on BD?

I was asked to take on the business development role by the leadership at my company who wanted to try using a person with a technical background in that position.

How does being an engineer help you in your BD role at your engineering firm?

Engineering studies teach you how to solve problems in a methodical and oftentimes iterative way. You have to organize knowns and unknowns and work a plan to arrive at some solution. In our business development work, we are continuously iterating—revising and trying again and getting closer to our goals.

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

The most unromantic reason ever: there was a recession and the only jobs available were in engineering and most of those were in mechanical engineering. I wanted a job.

How did your engineering degree impact your ability to be successful at business development?

There were so many times in my engineering studies that I could not see a way to solve a problem, but I learned to trust the process and to be patient with trying out steps and failing and trying other steps. That kind of thinking informs the development of our strategic goals as well as our tactical initiatives.

What education or professional development, if any, helped in your current role?

There was an SMPS course called BD for Technical Professionals: A Seller-Doer Workshop that I took early on. That was hugely helpful in giving me a vocabulary and framework. The leadership in my company also hired an A/E/C marketing firm to provide coaching for me. That was when I learned I wasn’t supposed to sit at my desk and look at my computer. Networking with my peers from SMPS has been the other way I have learned. They’ve showed me the ropes over and over.

What skills are important if you have a technical background/degree and want to get into marketing or business development?

You have to learn the vocabulary. SMPS is very good at teaching the framework, even just understanding what business development is and how it’s different from marketing but goes together with it. Those of us with technical backgrounds understand the rhythm of a project and how to plan a schedule and meet it with the right deliverables. It’s important to learn how all that translates in the BD world. Just watching my industry peers who are really good at what they do is one of the best ways to learn.

Having strong working relationships is crucial. What’s one thing you’d like marketers and business developers to consider when working with engineers on a project?

Most of the engineers I know care deeply about their work and love to talk about the details of their projects. There are great stories in those details; you just have to listen.

And what should engineers consider when working with marketers and business developers?

Remember to share the background. I always love to learn why a project was built. Was it for cancer research or to make it easy on families with sick children to see all their doctors? Was it a place for returning soldiers to rest and recuperate before going home?

This year’s Engineers Week’s theme is Creating the Future? When you hear that term, what does it mean to you?

Our company is celebrating 100 years this year, and in putting together a brief firm history, I was struck by how many times the leaders saw a need and learned to meet those challenges. There was some innovation in nearly every decade, while navigating through economic ups and downs. In the built environment, we are developing a path to decarbonization as we shape the future.

In what ways do engineers make a difference in society?

Remember that scene in Apollo 13 when the engineers had to make the square filter fit the round hole by using the items on the lunar and command modules? If they didn’t make it work, the astronauts would perish from too much carbon dioxide. Engineers take what is available and put it to the best use, meeting needs and transforming lives.

Learn more about Engineers Week, taking place this year from February 19–25. Discover downloadable resources and how this year’s theme, Create the Future, can help inspire and impact future generations.

There’s an ongoing need for business leaders, libraries, community centers, and other organizations to partner with schools and expand the resources available to students. Business leaders can step in and fill this need, supporting both students and educators in a shared goal to grow tomorrow’s workforce. Programs founded on relationships connect students with their possible futures. It puts students in our work environments and supports their long-term mentorship connections.

A great way to bridge the gap created by the remote world is through online learning and mentoring. The virtual format expands the opportunity and accessibility of developing one-on-one mentoring relationships with students. Any organization can offer a mentoring experience with programs like Zoom or Google Meet.

Maryland educators are building and improving the STEM ecosystem by including businesses, libraries, higher education, and government agencies to help students get engaged in STEM opportunities and exposed to different STEM careers and content.

Supporting students is easier than you think.

In 2020 at KCW, we launched the KCW Girls STEM Program, devoted to enabling connections for girls with leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs working in STEM fields. We teamed with public school systems to provide panel events with established women in STEM, $1,500 scholarships and paid internships, and a mentoring match program. This year, 75 Maryland high school students will participate in virtual events and panel discussions with women working in engineering, energy, architecture, and infrastructure.

The impact of programs like this multiplies, as many of the scholarship winners have returned for additional internships, joined our team full-time, and created videos to guide other students along their journey. How can you support future engineers in your area? Contact STEM educators or career counselors at your local schools, offer to set up an event, and use your network of STEM leaders to connect students with the wisdom and empowerment they need to take the next step.

A sentiment from our first program that continues to serve as a motto for us today is: You can’t be what you can’t see. As engineers and business leaders, we have a responsibility to show our youth what’s possible for their futures and provide them with the resources and tools to help them achieve it.

Article written by Kim Groves, P.E., president & CEO, KCW Engineering Technologies, Inc.

For Engineers Week 2023, SMPS also sat down with Hailey Klebe, events & communications manager for KCW Engineering Technologies. Hear what Hailey has to say about this year’s Engineers Week and what’s it like to work for an engineering firm.

Learn more about Engineers Week, taking place this year from February 19–25. Discover downloadable resources and how this year’s theme, Create the Future, can help inspire and impact future generations.

In honor of Engineers Week, Hailey Klebe, events & communications manager for KCW Engineering Technologies, recently sat down for a virtual chat with SMPS. Hailey discussed the theme of this year’s week, what it’s like to work for an engineering firm, and how engineers make a difference.

This year’s Engineers Week’s theme is Creating the Future? When you hear that term, what does it mean to you?

For me, it sparks the word opportunity.  In my role, I have the pleasure of coordinating the KCW Girls STEM Panel event each year. This panel builds lasting connections between high school students and women in STEM, allowing students to envision who they could one day become.

This theme also reminds me of the daily decisions we make every day that shape and create our futures. Though we are not in control of most things, we have the power to curate a life that we love and a career we are fulfilled in.

In a couple of sentences, can you describe the type of work your firm does?

As a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE-Certified) firm with 40 years of experience, KCW provides civil engineering and land surveying services that contribute to the revitalization of communities and infrastructure in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area, as well as electrical utility design that powers our nation’s capital and surrounding counties.

In what ways do engineers make a difference in society?

In my six-plus years in the A/E/C industries, I’ve seen the remarkable ways that engineers change the world. Engineers, surveyors, construction teams and so many others are literally shaping the world around them. Engineers are visionaries and problem solvers who create affordable housing, ADA accessibility, historical restoration, reliable utilities, and renewable power sources, in the communities we call home.

If a person has a non-technical degree, what skills are important if you want to work for an engineering firm?

Curiosity – A willingness and desire to learn the ins and outs of the industry will take you far in your career. Seek new knowledge, always.

Open-mindedness – It doesn’t take long to love the engineering industry. When you see the tangible impact your team members are making each day, it makes you proud to be the one who gets to tell the story.

Adaptability – The ability to quickly adjust to the niche needs of each department, discipline, or proposal format will allow you to better serve your team and find success in your role.

Having strong working relationships is crucial. What’s one thing you’d like engineers to consider when working with marketers and business developers?

Send us your pictures! I’m grateful to many of the engineers, designers, surveyors, and confined-space entry team members who share pictures from their job sites, ribbon cuttings, and groundbreakings. Pictures are always handy – brochures, job ads, project spotlights, capabilities statements, you name it – we need ‘em.

What do you like about working for an engineering firm? Has it, in any way, changed the way you look at the world?

The engineering industry has taught me so much and has most definitely opened my eyes to the world in a different way. I can’t see a crane, traffic control setup, or survey tripod without thinking about our impactful projects here at KCW.

Engineering and surveying are rich in history and are living and breathing industries. Hospitals, highways, stadiums, and schools are constantly being reimagined, revitalized, or redeveloped. Projects from 30 years ago may come to the forefront and allow you the opportunity to recreate something you designed years ago.

To learn more about the firm and gain an engineer’s point of view, read an article by Kim Groves, P.E., president & CEO of KCW Engineering Technologies, Inc.