2008 40 Under 40 Honoree: Neil Brady

Neil Brady says the fastest way to achieve success is by encouraging it in others.

“To have knowledge brings success, especially in our field,” says Brady, president and engineering manager at Anderson Engineering Inc. “We accomplish this by providing (employees) with the training and mentoring needed to advance them in their personal careers while making them valuable employees of Anderson Engineering.”

When Brady joined the company in 2000, annual engineering billings were approximately $500,000. In 2007, those billings were $1.8 million, which Brady attributed partly to his ability to hire, train, manage and retain qualified staff.

“The biggest challenge is keeping the right number of employees to meet the demand (that) is there,” says Brady, who added chief operating officer to his titles this year. “The last thing you want to do is here a bunch of people and not be able to support those people.”

Brady strives to be an example to his employees by living a life modeled after his biblical beliefs and being involved in the community.

Brady was the Ozark Chapter's 2007 Young Engineer of the year. He serves as a director of the Ozark Chapter of the Society of Professional Engineers and on committees at state and local levels.

He serves extensively at his church and on the Ozark Greenways Technical Planning Committee and the School Crossing Protection Committee. He also has coached YMCA youth basketball, YMCA youth soccer, 10th Inning kids baseball and Upwards youth basketball.

“I take an active role in the civic organizations to which I belong to help their causes and activities be successful,” says Brady, noting his memberships in James River Basin Partnership, Friends of the Zoo, Wonders of Wildlife and Discovery Center.

This year, Brady looks forward to furthering his personal development by completing the mini MBA offered by the Management Development Institute at Missouri State University.

He plans to continue working toward company growth as well, through offering global information services and spreading the word about the firm’s offerings to area developers, architects and municipalities.

Double Play

Birth date: Dec. 20, 1972

Family: My wife, Tonya, (is) raising three active children. She loves to write and is a published poet who’s currently enrolled in college working toward a degree in teaching.

Tanner is in first grade, Harper is in kindergarten, and Kaitlyn attends preschool. Kaitlyn is the “princess” of the family, particularly with her brothers.

Philosophy to live/work by: Every decision I make in life, whether it is personal or work-related, is based upon outstanding morals, ethics and my faith in God.

In a fantasy world, which professional sport would you play? Baseball. I played baseball in elementary school and have always enjoyed watching live or on television. Now I get to watch my children play baseball.

Information accurate at the time of the honor.[[In-content Ad]]