Happy National Professional Engineers (PE) Day! Today we celebrate with National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) on their fifth annual Professional Engineers day. This day raises awareness about what it means to be a PE, recognizes licensed PEs, and shows appreciation for the work they do every day. We’d especially like to give a big thank you to our hardworking PEs across Pennoni!
To celebrate we asked licensed PEs throughout Pennoni to tell us what being a licensed PE means to them.
Elizabeth Norton, PE
Senior Engineer and Site Design Division Manager
Philadelphia office
When I took the PE exam, I knew that this was one of the biggest milestones in my career. The experience of preparing for the PE exam broadened my knowledge of other disciplines and provided a strong foundation for me to successfully execute multidisciplinary projects at Pennoni. Since becoming a PE, I have experienced the value this provides my clients and projects in delivering cost effective solutions to meet their needs.
Robert Beringer, PE
Staff Engineer, Site Design group
Newark, NJ office
Being a PE was always my ultimate goal in terms of career and academic performance, since I first decided to become a civil engineer. It is an accomplishment that I have an overwhelming amount of pride in, especially knowing that I have joined a well-respected profession.
Todd Stager, PE
AVP and Office Director
Mechanicsburg, PA office
I always viewed being a licensed engineer as a privilege and took an oath to put public welfare above all. As a young engineer, I was fortunate to have great mentors while participating in engineering societies where I learned the importance of licensure. With the advancement of technology happening so fast, we have to understand what it’s doing, and ensure that the end result makes sense. Now I get to pass that knowledge onto the younger engineers, so they understand that their decisions affect lives.
James Tardona, PE
MEP Division Manager
Newark, DE office
As a licensed Professional Engineer, I’m recognized as a trusted technical professional responsible for the implementation and oversight of compliant and ethical engineering practices that ensure public safety, health, and well-being. Over the past 40 years of licensure, I feel that there has been an ongoing effort by the various states’ Professional Engineering organizations to continually promote, improve, and monitor ethical compliance, technical competency, and professional behavior. These standards and level of discipline should provide everyone that has strived to earn their Professional Engineering credentials with a feeling of pride and contribution to their employers, communities, and clients that they serve.
Jennifer Laning, PE
AVP and Senior Engineer, Transportation group
Baltimore, MD office
Being a PE means quite a lot to me. As a young intern and entry level engineer, it was definitely a goal of mine and my feelings about that have not changed over time. I cannot overstate how important it is in continuing to maintain my career. A PE is an essential component of the requirements for my job as a project manager, quality reviewer, and practice leader. I take the PE Code of Ethics very seriously and appreciate the responsibility it transfers upon us to work for the good of the public.
Jeffrey McKinney, PE, ENV SP
Staff Engineer, Water/Wastewater group
Winter Haven, FL office
Being a PE is a responsibility and it’s about more than just yourself. One of my professors in college liked to quote that “A doctor can only kill one person at a time.” I like to keep that in mind because I know I sometimes get so caught up in the ‘engineering’ of a project that I forget what I’m designing can be either a positive or negative influence on an entire city or community for many years to come. This becomes especially important during construction and as a PE it’s my responsibility to ensure that our young engineers and construction inspectors also understand this.
Matthew Kensil, PE, DBIA
Operations Manager, Design-Build Division
Haddon Heights, NJ office
From the time I first began as a co-op at Pennoni, I knew becoming a Licensed Professional would be in my future. I had many great mentors early in my career who instilled the sense of pride and accomplishment that would come with achieving this goal. After weeks of preparation, I left the exam knowing I had passed and was ready to embark on the next phase of my career. It is with great pride that I maintain licensure in nine states today.