GBA Podcast

GBA Case History Series – Case History #55 - Clients looking for the lowest cost have high expectations! Summary An auto parts manufacturer hires a GBA member-firm to develop remediation recommendations for the contaminated area where underground storage tanks leaked. The client did not accept the recommendations of the consultant and pressed for a quicker alternative. When the contaminant was dis...

GeoHeroes - Vic Donald About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Vic Donald Vic Donald , a seasoned geotechnical engineer with over 46 years of experience. Vic shares his journey from the Deep South to becoming an engineer with a passion for geotechnical innovation. He discusses his educational background at LSU, early career experiences, and the formative influence of mentors. Th...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #50 - You can do the right thing, but it can still go wrong! Summary An environmental consultant performed a remedial investigation and feasibility study for a state water commission on a Superfund site. When the approval process and project start date gets delayed, the new project manager makes modifications on the proposals and procedures but fails to obtai...

GeoHeroes - Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Carrie (Foulk) Rodriguez , Geotechnical Group Leader at BSK Associates, who shares her inspiring journey from a youth spent moving around the U.S. to becoming a leading figure in the geotechnical industry. Carrie discusses her early life, education, and varied career path, highlighting the pivotal momen...

GeoHeroes - Jay Martin About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Jay Martin , retired Senior Vice President at WSP, to discuss his long and varied career in geotechnical engineering. Jay shares his personal background, moving from Louisville to Nashville, and his path through various roles and mentorships within the field. They explore the cultural adjustments, the evolution of th...

GeoHeroes - Kent Bannister About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Kent Bannister president and CEO of TREK Geotechnical. The discussion traces Bannister's life, starting with his childhood in Winnipeg and his early work experiences, such as his memorable stint at McDonald's and a job at the Royal Bank of Canada. The conversation explores his academic journey, leading to his car...

GeoHeroes - Teresa Peterson About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Teresa Peterson , a vice president at Gannett Fleming TranSystems and incoming president of GBA. The conversation traces Peterson's career path, highlighting her academic journey at the University of Pennsylvania, her early interests in environmental engineering, and her subsequent career progression into projec...

GeoHeroes - Kurt Fraese About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Kurt Fraese , exploring Fraese's career journey, from his childhood interests to his leadership roles at various firms, including his time as CEO of GeoEngineers. His experiences highlight the importance of adaptability, preparedness, and a long-term vision. Fraese also discusses the future of the geoprofession, emp...

GeoHeroes - Stewart Osgood About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Stewart Osgood , the former president and CEO of Dowl . Osgood recounts his career journey, starting from his upbringing on a Vermont dairy farm to his unexpected path into engineering and his eventual leadership of a significantly grown company. He discusses his approach to retirement and leadership, emphasizing...

GeoHeroes - Ed Alizadeh About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Ed Alizadeh , a Director at UES and former CEO of Geotechnology, Inc. The conversation covers his career journey, from his upbringing with engineer parents to his leadership roles in prominent firms and the eventual sale of Geotechnology. Alizadeh discusses the challenges and rewards of his profession, including nav...

GeoHeroes - Elizabeth Clarke About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Elizabeth Clarke , CEO of Structures Group, who recounts her non-traditional career path. Starting with a childhood in a close-knit Italian-Portuguese family, she shares her varied early interests and experiences, including a stint on Star Search and time as a police dispatcher. Clarke details her unexpected tr...

GeoHeroes - Charlie Head About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Charlie Head , a co-founder of the geo-environmental firm Sanborn Head & Associates. The conversation covers his career journey, including his educational background, professional experiences, and the challenges and rewards of building a successful company. Head also discusses his current semi-retired status, f...

GeoHeroes - Mark Kramer About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Mark Kramer , a successful geotechnical engineer and CEO of SME. The conversation explores Kramer's career path, including his childhood experiences and educational background, highlighting the influence of his father and a pivotal college professor. He discusses the challenges and rewards of the geotechnical engine...

Management Best Practices - Professional Goal Setting About This Episode In the second episode of the Management Best Practices series Craig Hill interviews Marcus Dudley, a program manager at Kleinfeld. They discuss effective goal-setting strategies for managers and employees. Dudley emphasizes the importance of "stretch goals" that push individuals outside their comfort zones, promoting growth....

Leadership Lounge - Inspiring Leaders to Bring Out the Best in Their Teams About This Episode Tiffany and Ryan interview Val Ries, founder of Executive Muse, which offers individual and group coaching and training programs focused on leadership development and author of the book "Chief Inspiration Officer." She emphasizes the importance of communication, acknowledging and validating, and understan...

Leadership Lounge - Building the People and the Teams that Build Your Projects About This Episode In this episode, we interview with Sydney Jacques, a business coach who specializes in leadership and team development, particularly within the engineering and construction industries. Jacques discusses her career journey, her coaching philosophy, and several frameworks she uses to improve team commun...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #114 - Geophysics Provides the Confidence to Build Summary In this episode, we explore how Siemens Associates turned an “unbuildable” site into a construction-ready plot using advanced geophysical exploration. Initially, a school’s building plan hit a roadblock when a non-GBA member firm’s study flagged variable surface conditions and air-filled voids, render...

Leadership Lounge - How to Communicate Like a Hostage Negotiator About This Episode In this episode, we learn from a master negotiator about how to communicate more effectively through building cultures founded on emotional communication, active listening, and relationship-based negotiations. It doesn't matter if you are left-brain dominant, you can learn the right-brained skills necessary to beco...

Management Best Practices - How to Have Tough Conversations About This Episode If tough conversations have the power to bring about positive change, why are they often associated with feelings of discomfort? Join GBA’s Jennifer Sanborn and Leadership Development Coach Jen Bell as they explore how to facilitate better one-on-one discussions. “Our aversion to difficult conversations comes from the i...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #93 - $150M Near Miss Summary The GBA-Member Firm’s CEO and the developer’s CEO had worked together successfully on numerous projects for more than 15 years, establishing a friendship based on mutual respect and trust. This project was the developer’s most ambitious to date, by virtue of its size, local prominence, and complexity. Among other things, the proj...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #109 - We Were Hacked Summary Member Firm with multiple offices became the victim of foreign hacking enterprise. It started when an employee of the firm innocently opened an email from an unsuspected contact and clicked on a link allowing the hackers to access the Member Firm’s management systems. Unbeknownst to anyone, the infiltrators spent months learning...

GBA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Series – Episode #3 – Allies in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summary In this episode of the DEI series, we will be discussing allies in diversity, equity, and inclusions. Allies can be essential to drive systemic improvements to workplace policies, practices, and culture. But what does it mean to be an ally? How can allies impact the recruitment process? Wh...

GBA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Series – Episode #2 – Understanding Your Workforce Summary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a term often used in the workplace, but its meaning is often not well understood. People often mistakenly think that, with the creation of a diverse workplace, inclusion will automatically follow. Yet, inclusion should exist in tandem; it’s the climate where div...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #105 - Friends don't sue Friends….Most of the Time Summary A GBA member-Firm was hired to perform a geotechnical engineering study of the project site and provide a written report describing its subsurface conditions. This same fir provided construction materials engineering and testing (CoMET) during site development and construction of a mechanically stabil...

GBA Case History Series – Case History #86 - Dream Home or Nightmare instead? Summary GBA has published over 100 case histories based on real-life events that have happened to geoprofessional firms. This episode in the series explores Case History #86 where the GBA member firm conducted a geotechnical engineering study and performed COMET services during earthwork for a builder on a single family...