Evolution.

Change is tough.

But it can also be good for the heart, the soul and the experience.

After 14 years at Gannett Fleming, it was time to move to a new company and role.

It was tough to make this decision. The company has been like family to me. We went to the mat when Covid came around to get users to a safe working environment and improved the very platform they worked from in less than a year, changing the culture of the work environment.

We went to battle together when a cyberattack tried to shut us down and ruin our company.

But it was the evolution from 2D to 3D design and environments that made us close. We all learned together and took our projects to the next level.

They bought me an airline ticket home when my father had a heart attack, and never asked for anything in return. They became lifelong friends and colleagues that I can’t thank enough for the experience.

They gave me the tools to help teach others how to get better at what they do.

Acquisitions are tough enough, but when you’re dealing with a group that’s learning what it takes to run an engineering firm, mistakes will be made. Employees suffer the most, as sometimes the loss of their employment – whether it was one year or 35 years – tough to take.

I’ve been through this before, when CADre Systems was acquired by Advanced Solutions. The new ownership didn’t understand what made us successful and tried to apply a commodity business model to a consulting and mentoring mindset. The management was disrespectful and uninterested in how we could help build their team, as their goal was simply to acquire our book of business. That one eventually failed as well, but leaving was one of the best decisions I had ever made. The only thing I missed was the same from GF – the friends and colleagues I had made over the years, and relationships that are still here today.

For me personally, it was changes to our roles and responsibilities that caused me to look elsewhere. It wasn’t anger, but more of a case of looking out for myself and my family. Ultimately, they have to be my priority – so when my team was disbanded, I did what any other person would do and put out the resume. I didn’t agree with the corporate leadership’s position on the changes to IT services and was put into a place with limited input, to a team I loved to work with but where the practice leadership never had a chance to understand exactly what a technology manager does.

Communication and transparency are so critical when mergers and acquisitions take place. Keeping staff in the dark is really antithesis to team building, so my only advice is to put everything on the table and be honest.

And then things began to happen.

 I spent a good bit of time learning how to apply for employment and was woefully out of practice. But if you pay attention in the quietest moments, and listen, you’ll get the guidance you need.

And I did. An old friend from my past, and someone I’ve always looked up to, told me that it was OK to look around. He was the one that taught me Revit, and it shaped my entire career. When he said that I wouldn’t have a problem finding another place to land, I continued my search for a new opportunity.

And then another old friend from the CADre days called. He has amazing energy and put on some of the best AutoCAD and Civil 3D product demonstrations I had ever seen. His delivery methods have shaped mine for years, but his undying passion for what he does helped seal the deal.

And it was others in my community that I had met that encouraged me to join them. People that I’ve respected because they had the same vision and insight. They made a role and place for me that provides the security and goals that I want to finish my career achieving.

Interestingly enough, my new employer actually helped me get my job at Gannett Fleming. I was hired to train their staff on Revit communication and system tools for a project in Phoenix, and I met a designer from Gannett Fleming that eventually recommended hiring me (as well as my old boss at ASI, who was hired as a BIM Manager at Gannett Fleming four months earlier).

So I’m moving into a role as a VDC Manager for a Water business line, to start things off. The goal is to gain an understanding of what, who and how they are working on vertical projects, and help them learn more about system-based design and workflows. I’ll get to work on a few projects that I’ve always had a keen interest in learning more about, but I’ll also be helping move them to a higher integration of BIM practices and habits.

It will carry me to retirement in a few years, in a better place than I was, with clear goals and objectives.

As I was just told a few days ago…

Welcome to the Horn.

Better hold on….evolution is coming….

Why I Am... "Autodesk University"

 Autodesk has hosted the Autodesk University event since 1993, started with the original user conference in San Francisco to the international gathering that will continue into it's 31st year October 15-17th in San Diego, CA this year. And yes, I'm working on my proposals this year, with a new slate of topics to elevate the discussion and provide advanced sessions on Revit MEP, Autodesk Docs, digital evolution and more. You can submit your own proposals beginning April 2 at this link.

I posted about this on my Linkedin site and had an a reply from a friend of mine that I have tremendous respect for his contributions to the Autodesk community. I didn't necessarily agree with the response, and was concerned about the tone on one of my posts. 

But I'm a free speech advocate, and don't believe in censoring other's views. I understand where he's coming from, as he's great at expressing his frustration with things that shouldn't be complicated. 

Instead, I wanted to answer here - in my own forum - to explain why I disagree, and provide the reasons why.

I starting teaching at the event in 2005, after attending for a couple of years. As the event grew, I got the chance to meeting such a wide variety of people, from different backgrounds, cultures and countries. AU, as it's well known inside of the design software community, has grown into an event where thousands of people - both in person and online - come together with a common objective. 

To engage.

To learn.

To participate.

To educate.

I know others don't always agree with my personal beliefs or political leanings. But this, for me personally, has been the place where we, as a community, put all of this aside for a common objective. We are engaging and meeting others to learn about their experiences, getting to know them as individuals (and not groups) because we all have the same thing in common. We use Autodesk software to design our world, communities, workplaces and homes. 

Autodesk uses this event to help project their products and vision to the community. And like all visions, they don't always work out as we expect them too. Even the event itself has had it challenges, especially in the last few years. But the fact that they have consistently engaged the community, and worked better than most vendors to leverage that relationship to improve their products, is what separates this from other events I've attended.

There is always going to be someone that has a negative experience with Autodesk (and a lot of other software vendors). My difference is that I choose to use the opportunity to engage with the developers, product managers and other resources to help resolve these issues and improve the product. I gain nothing by trashing a product, group or company personally, as it doesn't bring anyone real satisfaction. 

But I gain everything when I make the effort to help others. I learn when I listen to others at the event when they share their experiences. I grow when I choose to train myself, even if the company isn't paying for it, or if I have to make the investment to attend myself. The impact of seeing that light go off when educating a user, and hearing that excitement when an issue they've been struggling with is given light to help resolve it, is irreplaceable.

One way I witnessed this last year was in my class where the majority of users raised their hands when I asked if they are using these tools everyday. That's big change from just a few years ago, even before Covid forced us to re-think and re-imagine our very work environment. Even AU was changed, and greater emphasis on reaching out to community beyond the event, to make the resources and content more accessible to those who could not participate in person.

Like everything in life, I'm looking forward to winding down after forty-plus years in the industry and enjoying my remaining career as much as possible. I'm almost ready to stay in the background, supporting other instructors through the mentoring program and helping with the event itself as much as I can. This is an occasion that continues to provide that chance - to meet with old friends, engage in all the craziness, learn from my colleagues, to go toe to toe with exhibitors that want to sell me the "next great thing", and then to discover that hey - that really is a great new thing. 

And take advantage of this to continue to challenge Autodesk - meet with the product managers, but also meet with others to gather support for anything you're passionate about to help improve the product and event. I'm listening...and so are others.

It's what you choose to make of it - so if you're ready to step up on that stage, and be the voice for the community, then do it. You'll never regret it.

Remember...#weareau!