GBA Podcast

12 Days of GBA – Day 10: GBA NewsLog Summary Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Discover why GBA's NewsLog is your essential biweekly connection to the geoprofessional industry. Ryan and Tiffany break down what makes each edition valuable—from member news ("the tea") covering acquisitions and leade...

12 Days of GBA – Day 11: GBA Committees Summary Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. Discover why GBA committees are the essential lifeblood of the association in this engaging episode featuring clips from committee leaders across the organization. Ryan and Tiffany explore how committees bring member...

12 Days of GBA – Day 12: Case Histories Summary Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. This debut episode features case histories—one of GBA's most popular offerings. They randomly selected 13 case histories (bonus!), used AI to generate summaries, and shared highlights covering topics from environment...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #65 - Treat a Big Deal Like a Big Deal Summary The city retained the Member Firm only for periodic bay-water-sampling services for its “showcase” brownfields project. Different out-of-town firms performed the Geo and Env services. A construction-contract specification made the Member Firm the city’s environmental inspector radically altering what the Member F...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #75 - OSHA Violations—The Risk of Sharing Equipment Summary Member Firm is responsible for observing the construction of drilled shafts for an extension of a shopping center project. The OSHA inspector cited several violations at the jobsite. The Member Firm arranged a hearing with their attorney and reduced the fines. A good attorney can really be your “12th...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #116 - Went Fishing...Caught a Whale Summary A GBA-member firm was hired to evaluate and design the repair of a sheet pile dock at a food processing plant. The owner was pleased with the design but did not have the capital to construct the full repairs and tasked the engineer with devising a temporary solution. In the early morning hours on the first day of m...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #82 - Practice, In Small Claims Court, Makes Perfect? Think About It Summary A GBA member firm conducted a Phase I and Phase II study for the developer AND later did work directly for a former tenant of the same site. After things got even more complicated, the member firm decided to try small claims court for a resolution (where they had already been for at...

GeoHeroes - Ryan White About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Ryan White , PE, GE, F.ASCE, principal geotechnical engineer at Apex , chair of the GBA Multimedia Delivery Committee, and GeoHeroes podcast producer, from accidentally discovering geotechnical engineering through misunderstandings about what different engineers actually do, to losing his job in the 2008 crisis, Ryan...

GeoHeroes - Guy Marcozzi About This Episode In this episode Ryan White , PE, GE, F.ASCE, turns the tables in this interview of GeoHeroes host Guy Marcozzi , PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, former GBA president, who shares his journey from suburban Delaware kid to geotechnical engineering CEO. Guy reveals the surprising truth behind most successful careers: there was no grand plan. From collecting payments...

GeoHeroes - Joel Carson About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Joel Carson , Executive Director of the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) about his inspiring journey from driller's helper to industry leader. Joel shares how childhood relocations with his Bechtel engineer father—including walking through BART tunnels under construction—shaped his resilience and adaptabil...

GeoHeroes - Steve Wendland About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Steve Wendland , PE, PG, BC.GE of Bedrock GeoConsult about his journey from dirt-eating toddler to geotechnical expert perfectly embodies the phrase "you are what you eat." Raised in a blue-collar Kansas City family, Steve transformed childhood fascination with soil into a 40-year engineering career spanning inte...

GeoHeroes - Dan Schaefer About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Dan Schaefer , PE, Vice President of Operations at Froehling & Robertson, Inc. who shares his remarkable 35-year journey that started as a construction-obsessed kid reading "Mike Mulligan and The Steam Shovel." Schaefer discusses how early mentorship shaped his career, his evolution from a demanding manager to...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #110 - Suspiciously variable test results? Take a closer look... the sooner the better Summary The public-school district (the “District”) retained the Member Firm to perform geotechnical-engineering studies for several buildings at two sites. The Member Firm’s geotechnical reports both contained identical recommendations for “select” fill to be used in const...

GeoHeroes - Rich Johnson About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Rich Johnson , PG, CEG, CHG, former CEO of BSK Associates about his unconventional journey from competitive swimmer to geoprofessional leader. Johnson discusses his accidental discovery of geology, rise through the ranks by embracing every challenge, and transformation of a founder-driven firm into a systematized b...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #107 - Engage Human Resources Professionals Early On! Summary An employee who suffers from anxiety and panic disorder performs poorly and misses several days of work. Despite receiving compassion and getting several counseling sessions from the supervisor, the firm terminates her employment. In return, she sues them with alleged violations of the Family and M...

GeoHeroes - Matt Moler About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Matt Moler , PE, Vice President and a Region Director for S&ME and former GBA president. Matt shares his unexpected journey from golf course superintendent aspirations to geotechnical leadership, revealing how early construction work with his father shaped his approach to efficiency and strategic thinking. Discov...

GeoHeroes - Ken Johnston About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Ken Johnston , F.GBA, retired CAO of GZA and former GBA president, who shares his remarkable journey from shoeshine boy to industry leader. Despite his success, Ken humbly calls himself "just a lucky guy who had the opportunity." In this candid conversation, he reveals how outworking the competition, building lasti...

GeoHeroes - Tom and Grace Blackburn About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Tom Blackburn , PE, GE, F.GBA, F.ASCE, F.ACEC and Grace Blackburn founders of Blackburn Consulting) . Their remarkable journey began when they met volunteering at Special Olympics in Dallas, leading to a 26-year partnership in both marriage and business. After Tom was unexpectedly terminated from his pre...

GeoHeroes - Leo Titus About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Leo J. Titus, Jr. , PE, F.GBA, COO of Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) , about resilience, leadership, and giving back to the geotechnical community. Leo shares his remarkable journey from a teenager working at a racetrack to leading a 2,800-person engineering firm, while navigating profound personal challenges i...

GeoHeroes - Jesse Kropelnicki About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Jesse Kropelnicki , PE, about his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to leading a 1,900-person engineering firm. After starting in civil engineering, he built a successful triathlon coaching business, working with 30+ professional IRONMAN champions before returning to engineering in 2018. Under his lead...

A Look Into the Crystal Ball Workshop The geoprofessional industry is at a crossroads. With a shrinking workforce, increasing retirements, and fewer students entering geoscience and engineering fields, firms are struggling to meet rising service demands. At the same time, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming industries worldwide, presenting a generational opportunity for ge...

GeoHeroes - Rick Heckel About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Rick Heckel , PE, D.GE, Chief Engineer at TTL, Inc. who shares his remarkable 40+ year journey. Rick "stumbled" into geotechnical engineering, building his career through persistence rather than natural talent, and navigating roles from branch manager to CEO to solo practitioner. Learn about his groundbreaking initi...

GeoHeroes - David Lourie About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews David Lourie , PE, D.GE, F.GBA , CEO of Lourie Consultants where he discusses his journey in the geoprofession. Early interests in building and the space program led him to engineering. An ankle injury shifted his path from mechanical engineering and Navy ROTC to civil engineering. A soils class ignited his passion...

GeoHeroes - Saiid Behboodi About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Saiid Behboodi , PE, GE, F.GBA, Principal / Geotechnical Engineer at PBS Engineering and Environmental an Apex Company . Saiid's path was shaped by his cultural background and personal journey. His parents instilled a strong philosophy emphasizing education and being an "A student in society," which influenced hi...

GeoHeroes - Laura Register About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Laura Register , P.E., F.GBA, the National Director for Strategic Business Sectors at Terracon . Laura shares insights into her professional journey, starting with her childhood and early influences, including her father's engineering and entrepreneurial spirit. She recounts her experiences as a woman in a male-d...