James Pangburn, PE, a seasoned transportation engineer with over 22 years of experience, has recently joined our team. In this Q&A, James reflects on the best advice he’s received, the challenges of working in the field, and the accomplishments that have made his career so rewarding. With a passion for public service and a deep understanding of infrastructure’s impact, James offers invaluable insights for both new engineers and those seeking to advance in the industry.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
My old boss once said, “It's not hard to be a good guy in this industry.” What he meant is that you do the right thing, you serve your clients well, fix your mistakes, and you should be successful. I always remember we are in a client service-based industry. I want to be a good person, a good engineer, and do the right thing.
What is the best piece of advice you would give somebody who's just starting out in their career?
I've said this many times to younger engineers- don’t get caught up in comparisons of yourself to others. You have a certain set of skills, you are good at certain things and other people are good at certain things. No one is good at everything. You have to trust yourself and work hard. Avoid comparisons to others and focus on doing a good job, because comparison is the death of joy. It can make you mad because someone else got the project that you wanted or the promotion you thought you deserved. It can put you in a bad space. But, if you focus on what you can control and do the best you can, typically it works out. You're going to grow and you're going to be given the opportunities that you earn.
What is your favorite part of your job? What keeps you coming back every day?
I got into this industry because of the opportunity to do public projects you see forever. You do a project and when it's done, it's there forever. You can show it off to your friends and family. You get a sense of public good. As a transportation engineer, you're responsible for the safety, multimodal use of a transportation facility. It gives me a sense of pride to know that in the end, I'm a public servant. As a private consultant, I get the excitement of a fast-paced environment. I work with really talented people who have different skill sets, whether it be marketing, financial, or sub-consultants. I have pride knowing, we make the world a safer and better place to move around.
What do you think is the most challenging part of being a transportation engineer?
Managing the expectations of clients. You go into a project, do a proposal, scope it, and try to plan all that is needed- how long it's going to take and the level of effort that it's going to need. But nine times out of 10, that will change. There are always things that come up, like scope creep and new stakeholders that might steer the project differently. In the end, you want to try to deliver the project on schedule and on budget like you planned. Often it doesn't go to plan, you need to effectively communicate with your client. You need to get ahead of changes so that they're not blindsided and understand why you need an amendment or a schedule push. If you do this well, you build trust between yourself and the client. If you don't, they won't want you to come back. It comes down to effective communication and managing expectations.
When did you know that transportation was the right path?
When I was a kid, I was living in Oakland when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Bay Area, and the Bay Bridge collapsed. Even closer to home was the collapse of the I-880 Nimitz Freeway. It was about a mile section where all the column supports snapped. A lot of people were injured and killed. My dad was a nurse at the Children's Hospital in Oakland and he was there treating kids. I wondered how that could happen and why. I realized how important all those infrastructures are. These big freeways are vitally important to getting around. That got me into the world of civil engineering. As a kid seeing firsthand the site after the collapse I realized this is something that I wanted to do to help prevent that from happening again.
What has been the most meaningful accomplishment in your career so far?
I have a lot of pride in providing engineering support after the Camp Fire. During that time, I did the best I could to support the town in its recovery efforts, including, getting funding for research and development projects, rehabilitation projects, and sewer projects. As small as it might have been, I am proud to have been able to have had the opportunity to see their continued recovery and turn back into a vibrant community.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
