Our HR Director, Karmell, has been at PACE for 17 years. She has seen the A/E/C industry evolve and has adapted to all the changes in recruitment. Here is what she had to say during her interview:
What is the biggest change in the industry in the last 30 years?
“One of the biggest changes in the industry has been the number of engineers entering the workplace. As the employment market changes, it has become harder and harder to find engineers. We are competing for talent in other industries. We are challenged to attract engineers to the industry as a whole. Firms have to work extra hard to not only attract but also retain the staff they do have. As the new generations come into the workplace, engineering firms need to work hard to modernize and keep up with changing technology.”
What is your fondest memory at PACE in the last 30 years or since you’ve been here?
“I am not sure I can pick just one memory. But I will choose our annual Employee Appreciation Party. This is an event where the company can thank employees for all their hard work. It makes me extremely happy to see the recognition of staff that has grown up at PACE or those that work extremely hard. PACE has amazing people, which is what I love most about the firm.”
Most proud accomplishment in the past 30 years?
“I am not sure I can pick something that I am most proud of, but I always say that “PACE always has the best interest at heart.” We have evolved over the years, and growth and change don’t come without mistakes. But we are not afraid to say when we make a mistake and fix it. PACE is a company that truly wants to do what is best for the clients and our staff.”
Where do you see PACE going in the next 30 years?
“In the next 30 years, I imagine we would continue to grow – in both the size and diversity. From my perspective, I expect us to continue to evolve with the market demands, including technology, design standards, and employee culture. In many ways, engineering is “old school,” but keeping up with new technologies and creative engineering allows us to attract and retain the best staff.
I am extremely honored to be a part of the PACE team. I, like many others, feel like I have grown up with this team. After 17 years here, I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I strive to do my job better every day and hope that I help make a difference at PACE.”
PACE’s 30th anniversary is a few days away, and to relive a few of those memories, we interviewed our Executive Vice President, Ken Nilsen! Here is what he had to say:
What is the biggest change in the industry in the last 30 years?
“In my mind the biggest change in our industry has been the explosion of technology in doing our daily work and how we interact with each other. When I first started in the industry, we had to reserve time to dial into the University of Washington’s mainframe computer for high-powered calculations, and now all that can be done on my phone. One thing that hasn’t changed is our goal to provide exceptional service to our clients as we partner with them to help make them successful.”
What is your fondest memory at PACE in the last 30 years or since you’ve been here?
“I think it is the interaction with people, employees, and clients as we have worked together to help make our society better through infrastructure, development and environmental restoration.”
Most proud accomplishment in the past 30 years?
“I am most proud of the culture we have created at PACE where people of like mind have come together to serve our clients and, in the process, they really like each other. I have often heard we work hard and then play hard together.”
Where do you see PACE going in the next 30 years?
“I see PACE building on our 30-years of history in serving our public and private clients as the “go to” multidisciplinary engineering, survey, and planning firm in the northwest. Projects and work sectors may evolve but our mission of serving our clients will remain. At PACE, we are “Optimizers,” and that mindset in serving our clients will remain our cornerstone.”