Turning Plans into Places: A CEI Podcast
Turning Plans into Places is a podcast by CEI Engineering Associates, where we explore the people, projects, and perspectives shaping the future of civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and site development across the United States.
In each episode, we dive into the real-world challenges and creative solutions behind the work we do, whether it's retail, fueling and convenience store development, outdoor recreation, municipal transportation, or sports facility engineering. Our expert guests break down the details, share industry insights, and highlight how CEI's integrated approach delivers smarter, more resilient places.
But this podcast is more than just technical talk. We also shine a spotlight on CEI's company culture—the people behind the plans. From entry-level stories to leadership journeys, remote work experiences to mentorship moments, we'll explore what makes CEI a dynamic, connected team that values innovation, collaboration, and community.
Whether you're a client, industry partner, future employee, or just curious about the infrastructure that supports everyday life, this podcast is your invitation to go behind the scenes with CEI.
Subscribe and follow as we turn plans into places, one conversation at a time.
Turning Plans into Places: A CEI Podcast
Ep. 3 - Trained, Tested, Trusted
What does it really take to grow from an entry-level position to leadership? In this candid conversation with Nick Degan, CAD Manager at CEI Engineering, we uncover the surprisingly human elements that fuel professional development in the design and engineering world.
Nick's story begins with a leap of faith – transitioning from mechanical engineering to civil design without prior experience. "I came in knowing nothing about civil engineering," he admits, reflecting on his 14-year journey through every design position at CEI. What transformed an uncertain beginner into a confident leader wasn't just technical prowess, but the culture of support he encountered from day one.
The conversation reveals unexpected insights about professional growth. While Nick has created extensive technical training materials, he identifies CEI's "Building Relationship Versatility" program as his most valuable resource. "It really teaches you how to talk to people," he explains, noting how understanding communication styles transformed his interactions with clients and colleagues alike. His practical advice cuts through typical career platitudes: "Your boss is not waking up thinking about how they can get you a promotion. You have to advocate for yourself."
Perhaps most compelling is Nick's story about a former CAD manager who drove an hour on a Saturday to fix his computer in just minutes – a simple act that profoundly shaped Nick's leadership philosophy years later. It's a powerful reminder that workplace culture isn't built through policies but through individual moments of genuine support.
Whether you're just starting your career or looking to advance to leadership, this episode offers honest insights about what really matters: being open to learning, actively seeking mentorship, advocating for yourself, and ultimately, paying forward the support you receive. Ready to transform your professional journey? Listen now and discover how to create your own path to success.
So hello and welcome to today's podcast Plans to Places with CEI Engineering and Associates where we explore all aspects of design and development. I'm Debbie Jones. I'll be your host today. Today we're focusing on the people behind the designs and how they got their start. I have invited a special co-host with me today at Kristen Swell. She is the HR manager for CEI and so great to have you here, kristen.
Speaker 2:Thanks, debbie, I'm glad to be here today.
Speaker 1:Kristen, I asked you to bring a few guests from CEI who started in an entry level position and have moved on into to leadership level impact. So I'm excited today to hear their journeys, their inspiration and maybe some advice that they have for the newcomers that are heading up behind them. So, Kristen, tell me who you brought with you today.
Speaker 2:Yes, I am very excited I have invited Nick Deegan, our CAD manager, to join us today. He has been with CEI for 14 years and he currently leads our training initiatives for CEI. Excited to have you here.
Speaker 3:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:All right. So tell us how you got started at CEI 14 years ago. Tell us what it was like. Tell us your role. Tell us your story about how you got here.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I came in knowing nothing about civil engineering, civil 3D, none of the software. I knew AutoCAD, and I had a mechanical background. I was looking for a change in career and I looked for architecture in civil. Cei is the one that called. But once I got here I realized that civil is really what I wanted to do and I started as a CAD tech, which is our entry position, and I've worked through every design position there is, into project management portions and now I'm the CAD manager.
Speaker 2:That's incredible. So walk us through what the steps looked like at CEI, with the support you're learning in development, working through design, ultimately landing this managerial role.
Speaker 3:Um, but we have. Even before me. See, I had a huge training focus and the previous trainer at the time I came in and I got a week full of training, just like I continue to give to our new staff, um, so that really set me straight and from that on I always had somebody to talk to for any of my questions, always had a support system and I felt like there was always somebody willing to ask. You know, ask a question and they would sit and give me the time to answer it.
Speaker 1:So, as you're working through it and now you've made this switch over from mechanical engineering to civil engineering and you're really getting into these first jobs and you see that how quickly you're moving, what what was the point that you realized that this could really be your?
Speaker 3:career path. Um, I had probably just gone through um a pretty intense workload, um trial by fire, if you will, um, but I think after after the, the end of that, the conclusion of that, if you were I kind of looked up and felt like I had found my place. I knew that if I wanted to stay here, that people were going to support me because I had been shown nothing other than support and I felt like I could put roots. And it was probably about a year in. Honestly, I just saw the support that I had and I really liked the, the people in the place, so I uh put in roots.
Speaker 1:I and this might be your comment, but I have to tell you that it is. It is really um, inspiring to me because of how, what an impact that first week of training had and how you've used that over and over and it's really created your best life for where you are now and, I think, being able to pour back into that and then seeing other people, you know what you brought to the situation. I just have to tell you I know that you moved around on a lot of teams. You got, in my opinion, there, you had a lot of exposure in a lot of different areas and it was really nice to see you step up to the plate in all of those situations, even the ones that might have been on fire.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 1:It's nice to look back on that now and just see how far. Yeah, it's been a journey back on that now and just see, see how far yeah, it's been a journey. So if you were, if we were bringing in an intern now and you're thinking about how they might get started or I guess, maybe some pointers that you would give to them, how might you describe the culture at CEI to someone that is just joining the team?
Speaker 3:From my point of view, it's always been a one of support and in my current role which I fill the CAD manager role I support all of our design staff. I manage all of the softwares and teach them how to use it and teach them all the design stuff. So I always feel like it's one of support. And I'm just one person in the web. You know, I, I'm the CAD resource, but there are dozens and dozens of other people. There's engineers and landscape architects and and survey and and there's everything. Um, and I feel like, I feel like almost. You know, I've never had a situation where someone was too busy to answer a question or too busy to give me the support that I needed.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's good. So I hear you saying you have all of these resources. What advice would you give an intern coming in? That can feel a little intimidating, I guess, maybe for an intern to come in. So how do you make the transition?
Speaker 3:As an intern, I would. The best piece of advice I'd probably give you is just to be open to the training. You know we get people that come in that feel like they know a lot and they're more or less closed off. The ones that really excel are the ones that come in and are listening. They're open ears and, in addition to that, they're Like there's plenty of support. You have to use it. So you have to speak up for yourself, you have to ask the questions. Those are the big things, and I would like to think that we're, you know, approachable enough that you can ask your questions and you don't have to worry too much.
Speaker 1:You know, one of the things that I've seen that I have really appreciated about our HR department is the way that they are working with teaching people self-advocacy. So how to have the conversation on your behalf, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And reaching out to those mentors, which you yourself have become a heavy mentor at CEI for sure, it's always use your resource, go to Nick, go to the training team and it's great. And I can tell you your name has been used a lot by me. Again, mentorship is big and you have been mentored at CEI so much and it's helped bring you up and in return, you're able to do the same thing to our staff, so it's great. What would you say to someone that is unsure about their entry level position or unsure about making that move, maybe, like you said, to a different industry? What would you say to someone that might be unsure?
Speaker 3:Oh, that one's a tough one. Unsure is one. If you decide you want to do it, bad enough, you want to try it. You've already made that step. Yeah, but to you know, if you were coming to cei again, I would, um, I would say, give it a shot. One, uh, you know, unsure, you have to get your hands dirty and see what it's like, um, but I would like to think that once you know you give it a shot.
Speaker 3:If civil is the world that you want to be in, which it was the world I wanted to be in, then this is a, you know, a good, a good place to settle in. There's lots of support and you know, you talked about mentors. I didn't get here by myself, I was mentored and but I also actively went for that. I found a mentor. I went to them with all my questions. So that is something that you know. If they're, if they're unsure and they're starting something new, that's scary. You got to get in there and get your hands dirty and and see if it is actually what you want or not. You can't, you know, if you're just questioning, you're not gonna, you're not gonna ever answer that question.
Speaker 1:Right, you can't be half in or half out.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, it's fast water. So, okay, just a couple more areas um for us to talk about. So one of the things that people come at I come up with quite a bit around your name, obviously is our cat draining um program, but also we have lots and lots of internal programs for support. So wondered if there were any of our resources that kind of stick out and that could include the ones that you've created over the last several years. So when it? What are those resources? Yeah so so I wondered if there were any of our resources that kind of stick out and that could include the ones that you've created over the last several years. So what are those resources?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I have a lot of resources that I would like to say are the best thing we have. I've, you know, anyone that's working, our CAD staff, I I have a reference manual that I've written every word of you know 200 pages, nearly videos and trainings and courses, but, honestly, the best thing that we do, in my opinion, the course is put on by the training department, but not CAD. It is a BRV, which is Building Relationship Versatility, and essentially it's a two-day training course that really teaches you how to talk to people. That's the, if you want to get down to it.
Speaker 3:It helps you identify personality types and styles of communication and that is by far the best thing. That helped me in my career was able to identify, you know what a speaking style was and be able to match them. That helped me with every city I've ever spoken to and every client, and now which my clients are our staff. It's helped me infinitely. So, above all of the CAD stuff, which I am very proud of, the BRV training is honestly what I think is the most helpful as far as like long-term support.
Speaker 1:I think it's really important to provide that balanced experience, because it doesn't matter how big of a brain or how smart you are if you cannot communicate it or really be available to also hear what other people are trying to communicate back.
Speaker 3:Yes, and it might not be the words that they're using. You got to read between the lines.
Speaker 1:So I think that's's fantastic. I have to kind of complete the training out really with bringing it all together, and I think that's probably what brv does. Yes, is how you can improve your communication to be able to actually connect the dot, absolutely close the circuit and that was mechanical engineers thing, yeah, engineer's thing, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, with with that in mind, as you're like working with new recruits that are coming in, you're going to have I know you have all varieties of experience people that are darkening your doorstep coming through the onboarding process but what advice would you give someone starting at the company, kind of regardless of their experience?
Speaker 3:Yeah, um, so we touched a little bit um about what I, you know, new person starting one. You have to, you have to be open and and willing to learn. That's a big part, um, but if you're looking for, you know, career advice for you know the things that I did I can, um, just go through some of the touching points there in which I kind of boil it down to you have to advocate for yourself, you have to speak up for yourself, you have to fight for yourself. I feel like I did that, but I was also taught to do that and I was encouraged while at CEI, which is something that I really appreciate is we talk about an open door policy. I felt like that has always been true.
Speaker 3:Whenever I had an issue, I went and talked to my mentor, which they were a part of senior leadership, and I would just go walk in the door and talk to them. It wasn't a big formal thing and I felt like there were opportunities arise. You hate hearing when you were to run into a challenge. This is an opportunity, um, but I really had eyes out for you know things like that and I, you know I saw opportunities when okay, if I handle this, I can. You know I'll take on this and I'll learn this and I'll get to that next step, and I felt like that rang true always. So definitely you have to advocate for yourself. Your boss is not waking up thinking about how they can get you a promotion. No one's thinking that you have to think about it yourself. So speak up for yourself, advocate for yourself and also use your resources like you know. Use your mentor, use your CAD resources, use your engineering like. Use it all. It's there to be used, so don't let it go to waste.
Speaker 1:Nice. That's a. I think that's a fantastic way to summarize it and I think that that is really applicable advice, regardless of where people are. Nick, just in all of your experiences I know you have to have, I know you've got at least to have one really great one and no names, although I imagine that the guilty parties will recognize himself. But have you had an experience Like what's something that's funny, that kind of sticks out from all of your experience in training people?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so the funny experience is the partying question is myself I was the person being trained, so I was a designer, and this is something that I will never forget. I had a big workload. I needed to come in on the weekend to get it done. This was back when we had to come to the office. I came in on a Saturday no one's there. I opened my computer and my AutoCAD isn't working. Whatever is wrong with it, it doesn't work. I messaged the.
Speaker 3:This was back when I had to use email, before we had teams. So I emailed the, the previous CAD manager uh, you know the CAD manager at the time and uh, within 30 minutes they lived in Bentonville. I drove an hour to get here to for for my house and, uh, I was so stressed out I need to get work done 30 minutes. The CAD manager came in on his day off and fixed my computer within 10 minutes and I will never forget that and that allowed me to get my work done and I didn't have to waste an hour drive and an hour back. So I think about that all the time and I always try to provide that same. I remember when that was done for me, so I always try to remember any time someone asked for help. I'm like the last guy would have done it for me.
Speaker 1:I love that, nick. We really appreciate your time today. You've always been a person in CEI that runs to the fire, and that's just something that we just cannot get enough of in our leadership. So, thank you. Thank you very much for your time today. Yes, kristen, great pick. Thank you, nick.
Speaker 2:We really appreciate it. Keep it up.