Michael Pessina was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers in June and two months later moved to HDR Archer's Springfield office from Olsson Associates. The St. Louis native has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Kansas. HDR Archer is a subsidiary of Omaha, Neb.-based HDR Inc.
Q: One of your primary responsibilities at HDR Archer is growing the company's local water and wastewater business. What are some factors that will help you accomplish that?
A: Part of it is continuing relationships that we've developed in this region for years, and building new ones. ... The biggest thing is that (HDR Archer has) the resources of a national company in Springfield. ... If we have a special condition come up in the area, I can find somebody within the organization that has dealt with it somewhere in the country most likely.
Q: How is the engineering industry holding up in the recession?
A: It depends on what you're working on right now. If you're specializing in private, commercial development, that's a very difficult business to be in right now. Municipal business has not been as affected. ... A lot of projects are being delayed. We're working at helping communities figure out how they can fund things, how to keep things affordable, how to do what they need to do now and how to avoid doing stuff that they can put off. ... One of the things we like to look at is how we can get a project funded, whether it's through various grant programs, leverage loan programs or other ways to keep costs as affordable as possible.
Q: How do you stay on top of environmental issues?
A: In last few years, there has been quite a bit of change on the wastewater side. One of the things that I stay personally focused on is keeping up with (the state Department of Natural Resources), participating in work groups (and building) relationships with the regulatory agencies. ... What we have to know is what are the rules now and what are the rules that we can see changing in the near term. But when we're talking about projects that may be financed over a 20-year period, we need to, to the best of our abilities, figure out what we think the rules are going to be 20 years from now so we can minimize the risk of having to change stuff.
Q: Do you think more people are paying attention to environmental issues?
A: There is more interest, and I think there's a better awareness. ... You see people who are concerned about water quality. A few years ago, a big issue was nutrient reduction in the James River watershed. You'd see all those pictures on TV of Table Rock Lake with algal blooms. Those are things that people are interested in. People in this area realize that they enjoy the water quality of our streams and lakes - that's one reason they're here. And they also realize the quality of those waterways is an economic driver for this region. There is a lot of interest in this area of the state to make sure that our waterways are in good shape.
Q: What's a challenge that is new to the Ozarks?
A: Water quantity. ... You're seeing groundwater aquifers declining due to an increase in the population of the region, just putting a higher demand on the aquifers. Aquifers are ... when you're drilling down into a well, the rock formations in the ground that contain the water that goes into the wells. ... A lot of communities around here depend on groundwater for their municipal water sources. A lot of farmers and rural people not connected to central water systems rely upon wells. ... The question is how long can this area rely on groundwater for its source and are alternate sources of water going to be needed in the future? The city of Springfield itself, though, does utilize primarily service water, to clarify that.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
