6-17-2020
The class of 2020 didn’t get the traditional graduation ceremony that most of us experience. They do however have the honor of participating in what are probably some of the first ever virtual graduation ceremonies.
The Parametrix leadership team and supervisors recorded a special message for our graduates. Watch that here.
We would like to introduce you to the Parametrix Class of 2020 and congratulate them on this accomplishment. Read more about each below.
Piper Everson | Portland, OR
Oregon State University | BS, Civil Engineering
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6-16-2020
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Pride month traditions. LGBTQ Pride month is held each year in June to honor and commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which served as a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United states. In a landmark decision, just this week the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act barring sex discrimination in the workplace protects LGBTQ employees.
At Parametrix, we believe it’s important to recognize this month and celebrate the progress that has been made while also recognizing the steps we can take in becoming truly inclusive to all.
This month we’ll introduce you to several Parametrix employee-owners who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. They’ll discuss their career, personal life, as well as the challenges they’ve faced. Stay... (more)
5-14-2020
From New York to Oakland, cities across the United States are closing lanes or entire roadways in order to expand bike lanes and pedestrian environments, giving people under stay-at-home orders more space to walk and bike safely in their neighborhoods.
Salt Lake City and the Utah Department of Transportation are no exception. The agencies responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with Parametrix and other partners, the team reviewed and synthesized traffic and active transportation data to better understand the implications of the pandemic. With this information, they were able to identify roadways most suitable for temporary lane conversion based on essential business proximity, housing density, and other factors.
One of those lanes, 900 South, was opened in April as a result of this partnership. Salt Lake City had initiated other street closures on smaller roadways starting with 500 North, but... (more)
4-30-2020
Manchester Stormwater Park aerial view with Puget Sound in the background.
April is World Landscape Architecture Month. We’re celebrating landscape architects for their role in deepening the connections between people and the environment, citizens and their communities. At Parametrix, our team of landscape architects have had the privilege of working on projects that have a profound effect on the places we live, work, and visit. Read more about those meaningful projects below.
#1 - Northern Quest Resort & Casino Grand Plaza
Airway Heights, WA | Client: Kalispel Tribe of Indians
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4-28-2020
Meet one of the newest employee-owners at Parametrix, Nicole Lipe. Nicole joins our Seattle Construction Management group. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 2018 and comes to Parametrix from Manson Construction where she worked on projects in Alaska, California, and Washington.
We asked Nicole a few questions about herself and her career – get to know her by reading her responses below!
Tell us about yourself – what are your hobbies, interests? Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Seattle, moved to Colorado for boarding school, and then went to college in California. I moved back to Seattle last year and am loving being back in the PNW!
Some of my favorite pastimes are spin classes, crossword puzzles, getting outdoors whether it be walking, going to a park, etc., and spending time with f... (more)
3-30-2020
By Kami Matiatos
I first started working in the A/E/C industry in the mid-eighties when the industry was very much male-dominated. I have been inspired by the women in the industry who are master multi-taskers and have a positive, can-do attitude toward accomplishing anything. My mom was of course my first inspiration; she did it all and kept our family together and running smoothly, often by herself as my dad was a long-haul truck driver. She worked outside the home but still was extremely present for her three daughters. I am continually inspired by many of my female co-workers who can do it all—demanding careers, raising kids, volunteering at school or in the community.
Work-life balance is one of the main challenges that I’ve had to overcome as a woman in the industry. It can be difficult when you’re building your career and raising small children to juggle it all but set your priorities ... (more)
3-27-2020
By Cindy Clark
During a time when it was common for me to be the only woman in a meeting, often mistaken for the secretary, my mom served as my inspiration to succeed. She was a career woman with a master’s degree back in the 1960’s.
When she married at the “old” age of 29 years, she put it all on hold to raise seven children, volunteering at the schools, teaching Sunday school, and playing the drums in a band(!). She showed me that no matter the job you’re given, you give it your all and always strive to be the best person you can.
I’ve seen the A/E/C industry evolve by leaps and bounds over the last 25 years. Now it’s much more common to see a diverse mix of people in our industry.
This was me at co... (more)
3-25-2020
By Holli Moeini
When I began my career as a consultant, wearing a suit and tie allowed me to fit in to what was, at the time, a career largely dominated by men. I was not alone in my fashion-less choice; my female associates wore the same. Was our DNA programed to dress the part, like a man, and work harder than anyone to be noticed? Although there were women in the industry very few “sat at the table” and I often found myself the only woman in the room. It wasn’t until the mid-90’s, when I left consulting to work for a fast-growing client, that I finally had a female colleague join me at the executive table. Interestingly, she and I both wore fancy suits while the men wore khakis. Why did we do that? In order to be listened to and respected for our insights and opinions as our male counterparts were, we felt that we needed our armor.
That was a long time ago and much has changed!... (more)
3-23-2020
Craig on the site of a new baggage system at the Port of Seattle.
Craig Sweet is an engineer with our Construction Management team based out of Seattle. He has been with Parametrix for three years and graduated from California Polytechnic State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
Recently, he was selected to participate in the first-ever Construction Management Association of America Emerging Leaders Program. The participants from across the country were chosen based on a written application process.
I asked Craig about his involvement in CMAA and what he hopes to get out of the program.
How did you get involved in CMAA?
I was first introduced to CMAA by my dad. He's been in the construction management industry for almost 30 years now and... (more)
2-26-2020
Parametrix wetland scientists delineating wetlands in Mason County, WA.
The final rule for defining waters of the United States (WOTUS) was approved in January 2020. The new rule eliminates Clean Water Act protections
for the majority of the nation's wetlands and more than 18% of streams, according to the US Geological Survey’s National Hydrology Dataset.
The Navigable Waters Protection Rule, also known as the Waters of the US, or WOTUS, rule, replaces regulations that have been in place since the Reagan administration.
Last spring, I more)