What a joy it has been to work for two great engineering firms and to see them merge into one.
In was in the mid1940s, with a degree in hand, that I began working as understudy to the administrative manager for the University of Florida (UF) in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Then an exciting opportunity with Black Laboratories, Inc. came along in 1949, and I grabbed it.
Black Laboratories was founded in 1947 by Charles A. Black and William B. Crow with the wise counsel of Charles’· father, Dr. A.P. Black, head of the Chemistry Department at UF.
At one time, four additional firms including Black, Crow and Eidsness (BC&E), Engineering Associates, Engineering Development, and an aerial photography firm all fell under the umbrella of Black Laboratories. I served as corporate secretary assistant treasurer and office manager for all five incorporated entities.
We met a young engineer named Jose Ignacio Garcia Bengochea working on a project in Cuba to develop a well field for the City of Havana. Cuba was in the early years of the Castro rule- the country was in the midst of major changes. It was then that Ignacio, his wife, and two young children boarded a ferry for the 90-mile crossing to Key West. Upon settling in the states, Ignacio obtained his doctorate tram UF and joined our staff—he was a valuable addition to our staff. Ignacio continues to serve as a dynamic authority in the field of water.
Black Laboratories had three Florida offices as well as offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Columbia, South Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; and Reston, Virginia. We were servicing clients on projects throughout the United States as well as Bahamas, Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, and Central America. And while Black’s expertise was in the water field, the time came for the firm to expand into wastewater design.
I was the Human Resource Manager for Black Laboratories Eastern District during this time and spent quite a bit of time traveling about the territory, which forced me to overcome a fear of flying. This is also the time in which I developed a love for travel that has stayed with me to this day.
In 1970, the five firms of Black Laboratories were acquired by Hercules of Wilmington, Delaware. With the advent of more federal requirements including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, etc., Hercules suggested aligning with a firm more attuned to our field and our work. We were acquainted with CH2M HILL through Dr. A.P. Black and his son Charles, and their service as National Presidents of AWWA; we knew CH2M Hill’s standards for quality work, and their values and ethics aligned similarly with our values and ethics. And both firms possessed strengths in technology as well as client location, which, when combined, would meld into one outstanding organization.
It was in 1977 that the bridge between the West and the East was consummated as we became a part of CH2M HILL. City officials and clients were invited to the Gainesville office for the celebration, which included a huge cake depicting a bridge reaching from Corvallis to Gainesville, illustrating the two firms uniting.
In the early days following our merger with CH2M HILL, we were blessed with three excellent Eastern District Managers. It was under their leadership that the transition into one firm went smoothly. First was Eastern District Manager Joe Worth, followed by Jim Poirot, and then Lyle Hassebroek.
I also had the opportunity to work with the excellent staff in the Human Resources office in Corvallis. I must credit Jim Howland, Arlen Borgen, Rudd Little, and Arleta Burton as well as many wonderful people I met along the way. I also had the privilege to work with three great HR counterparts—Willie Loud, Bob Clayton, and the late Ray McDonald.
The 38 years I worked in the engineering field were golden years. I was fortunate to have a small part in hiring many talented individuals; individuals that grew professionally and moved into leadership positions. I’m thrilled when I hear a person comment that I helped individuals in their career, or when someone remarks—”I still have the offer letter you sent me 30+ years ago.”
My career at CH2M HILL was a joy and my life these past 21 years of retirement with my husband, Jim, a Georgia Tech mechanical engineering graduate, has continued to be enriching and rewarding. Jim and I currently live in Jacksonville, Florida, and enjoy traveling. We have visited Ireland, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Central Europe, Turkey, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. Yes, the woman that once feared flying is trotting about the globe.