I started my engineering career in the US Navy Submarine Force. There I went through lots of schools and served on a few different submarines through my 20's. I stood various engineering watches associated with the reactor plant on the sub. It is hard to imagine a better real world engineering and leadership education as the US Nuclear Navy. After that I separated in 2008 (not a great time to get out) and ended up getting a job in the nuclear industry for Watts Bar Nuclear plant. At the time they were re-starting one of their units and they (really Bechtel) was hiring anyone with nuclear on their resume. It wasn't anything special out me. While there I actually learned what the PE license was, strangely I had never heard of it as I had a Physics degree and no one in the Navy was licensed, I mean no one. So I got licensed a year later! I started getting involved in the local engineering societies, mostly International Society of Automation (ISA). I was heavily involved and ran that chapter for probably about ten years. I eventually got a bit burned out, it is how it goes. Sadly the chapter closed, but the technical societies are struggling overall. I have also been involved in FIRST Robotics. Sometimes coaching my own team as life bandwidth allows. Also serving as a Judge at competitions. I've had a few jobs in the local area since then. Some great fits for me and some less so. Along the way I got my PMP, not in the sense to BE A project manager, but to be a better engineer. I started a "COVID business", a small business where I helped clients go off grid. It was fun and I learned a lot. But when you are trying to sell engineering services to a normal person (not another business), good luck. People have no idea what an Engineer is and is no way wants to pay an engineers' rates. Like many business, it opened up some unforeseen opportunities which was great and lucrative. I closed the business after three years. Along the way I got into a concept called Functional Safety for the process industry (IEC 61511-1) which is a niche portion of the engineering community. It was interesting learned all that stuff and this niche is one of the few codes that is truly global. I got my CFSE certification through Exida which was about as hard as my PE exam. Compared to the NEC or IEEE codes, IEC is global. With that knowledge I started my second business SIL Safe to offer functional safety services to clients around the world. And here I am.
Project Engineer — Utility Coordination, Permitting & Infrastructure Design
Answered 8 months ago
I'm Rene Reyeszumeta, a Civil Engineer with 13+ years in infrastructure. I coordinate utilities for major FDOT highway projects in Florida - basically making sure new roads don't destroy existing underground systems. Recent Breakthrough Project: The I-95 interchange at Pioneer Trail was a challenge. New interchange construction with 20+ utility systems running through the zone - water, power, internet, gas. Can't shut any of it off while building. The Innovation: Instead of the traditional "dig and hope" approach, we mapped everything in 3D before touching a shovel. Every pipe, cable, and line modeled against the new interchange design to spot conflicts early. The Big Win: Found a major fiber trunk that would've been right in our foundation path. Hitting that during construction meant $200K+ repair, six weeks delay, and 50,000 people without internet. Catching it early, we coordinated a planned relocation with the utility company. They were happy because they upgraded their system during the move. Disaster became win-win. Key Challenges: - Utility records are often decades old and wrong - Coordinating FDOT, utilities, contractors, and city officials with different priorities - Implementing new technology on a live project Solutions: - Invested in real field investigation over trusting old maps - Weekly stakeholder meetings from day one - Built digital systems everyone could actually use Lessons Learned: - Prevention beats reaction every time. $50K investigation saves $500K in emergency repairs. - Technology only works with good data and proper training. - Half of engineering is communication - getting stakeholders aligned is as technical as the design itself. Advice: Understand what's already there before designing what's going to be there. Learn to speak different languages to different stakeholders - contractors care about buildability, agencies about compliance, utilities about service continuity. The best solution isn't always the most complex - sometimes it's just doing homework others skip.
I'm an SEO Manager at Nine Peaks Media, but my story begins in the world of problem-solving, engineering curiosity has always been my compass. Recently, I worked on a project optimizing a complex logistics system for a multi-location client. Packages, schedules, and routes felt like a giant jigsaw puzzle. The challenge? Balancing efficiency without disrupting operations. I approached it with a simple mantra: small tweaks can spark big results. By integrating data-driven tracking and streamlining communication channels, I cut delivery delays significantly. It wasn't about reinventing the wheel but making each gear turn smoother. For engineers, my tip is this: don't underestimate the power of observation. Sometimes the solution hides in plain sight. Also, communicate your ideas early, collaboration often reveals gaps before they become headaches. This project reminded me that ingenuity doesn't always require grand gestures. A clever pivot, a fresh perspective, or just paying attention can make all the difference.